Skip to main content

Site navigation

  • University of Technology Sydney home
  • Home

    Home
  • For students

  • For industry

  • Research

Explore

  • Courses
  • Events
  • News
  • Stories
  • People

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt
  • Study at UTS

    • arrow_right_alt Find a course
    • arrow_right_alt Course areas
    • arrow_right_alt Undergraduate students
    • arrow_right_alt Postgraduate students
    • arrow_right_alt Research Masters and PhD
    • arrow_right_alt Online study and short courses
  • Student information

    • arrow_right_alt Current students
    • arrow_right_alt New UTS students
    • arrow_right_alt Graduates (Alumni)
    • arrow_right_alt High school students
    • arrow_right_alt Indigenous students
    • arrow_right_alt International students
  • Admissions

    • arrow_right_alt How to apply
    • arrow_right_alt Entry pathways
    • arrow_right_alt Eligibility
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for students

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Apply for a coursearrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt
  • Scholarshipsarrow_right_alt
  • Featured industries

    • arrow_right_alt Agriculture and food
    • arrow_right_alt Defence and space
    • arrow_right_alt Energy and transport
    • arrow_right_alt Government and policy
    • arrow_right_alt Health and medical
    • arrow_right_alt Corporate training
  • Explore

    • arrow_right_alt Tech Central
    • arrow_right_alt Case studies
    • arrow_right_alt Research
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for industry

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Find a UTS expertarrow_right_alt
  • Partner with usarrow_right_alt
  • Explore

    • arrow_right_alt Explore our research
    • arrow_right_alt Research centres and institutes
    • arrow_right_alt Graduate research
    • arrow_right_alt Research partnerships
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for research

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Find a UTS expertarrow_right_alt
  • Research centres and institutesarrow_right_alt
  • University of Technology Sydney home
University of Technology Sydney home University of Technology Sydney home
  1. home
  2. arrow_forward_ios ... Newsroom
  3. arrow_forward_ios ... 2021
  4. arrow_forward_ios 12
  5. arrow_forward_ios A new leader for the Faculty

A new leader for the Faculty

7 December 2021

Get to know Professor Anita Stuhmcke, our new Dean in the Faculty of Law.

Law Associate Dean (research), Professor Anita Stuhmcke

Professor Anita Stuhmcke, picture by Andy Roberts

UTS Law’s new Dean, Professor Anita Stuhmcke believes passionately in the power of the law to bring about social change and improve people’s lives.

“I am privileged and delighted to be the next Dean of UTS Faculty of Law. We are a Faculty that changes the world through our research and changes lives through the quality of our legal education and the diversity of our student cohort,” she says.

Professor Stuhmcke’s research interests follow a common thread of access to justice and the promotion of people’s abilities to understand and exercise their legal rights. Her work in these areas has led to important policy and law reform.

Despite her strong commitment, Anita admits that growing up in a seaside community north of Newcastle, there was no single defining moment that pushed her into studying law:

My process of informed decision-making was somewhat complicated by living outside a major city and not knowing anyone who had studied law or having anyone to ask what studying law meant.

It was also a time when school careers advisers were often limited in their suggested professions for young women.

With the idea that whatever she did, she wanted to ‘make a difference’, Anita thought briefly about journalism but decided on a law degree and enrolled at Macquarie University.

The move from a small town to a city university is often daunting for young people but that wasn’t the case for Anita – perhaps because she arrived at Macquarie via Germany – after a year as an exchange student in Hamburg:

After those 12 months, it was easier moving to Sydney. It was at least in the same country and much closer to home.

Anita thrived at university and graduated first in her year. She followed the traditional path of a clerkship at a big city law firm but within two years took the leap into academia and found the ‘right fit’ – firstly at Western Sydney University and then at UTS, where she joined the Faculty of Law as an Associate Lecturer in 1996.

Over her time with UTS, Professor Stuhmcke has held a variety of leadership and service positions at the University and Faculty level, including Student Ombud; Chair of the University Appeals Committee and Student Conduct Committee; and elected member of UTS Council.

She has also played an active role in the Faculty of Law’s response to the changing nature of the legal profession and the application of law to society and social need more generally. Throughout her time, Anita has been involved in introducing new subjects and programs, and developing innovative areas of research and engagement.

The commitment to excellence in teaching and learning is a constant. I have also been privileged to be a part of the Faculty's research trajectory. I have seen it grow in stature to become a recognised national leader in this field– excelling in high quality research, a commitment to social justice and excellence in end-user engagement and research impact.

A charismatic, highly respected and well-liked member of the UTS community, the Law Faculty’s future looks promising under Professor Stuhmcke’s leadership:

In the next five years I look forward to leading the Faculty to the next level of excellence and social justice, to contribute to the University’s strategic priorities and to enhance the role of UTS as a public university.

INTERESTED IN STUDYING WITH US? Explore our Law programs

Byline

Kerrie Douglass
Share
Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share this on LinkedIn
Back to News in Faculty of Law

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation and the Boorooberongal People of the Dharug Nation upon whose ancestral lands our campuses now stand. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands. 

University of Technology Sydney

City Campus

15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007

Get in touch with UTS

Follow us

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Facebook

A member of

  • Australian Technology Network
Use arrow keys to navigate within each column of links. Press Tab to move between columns.

Study

  • Find a course
  • Undergraduate
  • Postgraduate
  • How to apply
  • Scholarships and prizes
  • International students
  • Campus maps
  • Accommodation

Engage

  • Find an expert
  • Industry
  • News
  • Events
  • Experience UTS
  • Research
  • Stories
  • Alumni

About

  • Who we are
  • Faculties
  • Learning and teaching
  • Sustainability
  • Initiatives
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Campus and locations
  • Awards and rankings
  • UTS governance

Staff and students

  • Current students
  • Help and support
  • Library
  • Policies
  • StaffConnect
  • Working at UTS
  • UTS Handbook
  • Contact us
  • Copyright © 2025
  • ABN: 77 257 686 961
  • CRICOS provider number: 00099F
  • TEQSA provider number: PRV12060
  • TEQSA category: Australian University
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility