Staff take out honours at top teaching awards

Overseen by Universities Australia, and announced at UA’s Solutions Summit in Canberra, the AAUT mark a chance to celebrate educators whose dedication and impact are shaping the future of higher education.

These results showcase both the depth of talent across UTS’s teaching staff and the university’s focus on student-centred learning.  

Find out more about each of the winners below.

Dr Anna Lidfors Lindqvist

For advancing engineering education through authentic assessment practices that build student agency, strengthen feedback literacy, and enhance professional identity and industry readiness. 

An accomplished mechanical engineer and researcher, Dr Anna Lidfors Lindqvist specialises in applied design, prototyping and systems integration.

She is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and played a key role in redesigning its curriculum, helping introduce a more cohesive, whole-of-program approach.  

In recent years, Dr Lidfors Lindqvist has combined reflective learning, collaborative design and the ethical use of generative AI to deepen student engagement.

Through her methods, students are encouraged to seek and give feedback in structured reflection sessions, which has led to increased self-awareness and critical thinking. Educators have also been able to refine their approach to teaching complex ideas based on real student experiences.  

Professor Behzad Fatahi 

For advancing multifaceted, industry-relevant civil engineering education that engages students and equips them for professional success.

Professor Behzad Fatahi is an award-winning civil engineer from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering whose work spans infrastructure safety, geomechanics and civil engineering education.

A respected academic leader, Professor Fatahi stepped into the role of Deputy Head of School (Teaching and Learning) in 2024 and is widely recognised for his engaging and innovative teaching style. 

Professor Fatahi has been integrating generative AI into civil engineering assessments, where students are challenged to analyse, test and critique ChatGPT outputs alongside traditional methods.

It’s a novel approach that has significantly strengthened critical thinking, digital literacy and engagement among his students, while also serving to enrich their learning experience and deepen their understanding of difficult concepts. 

The Graduate School of Health Interprofessional Learning Team

Professor Emma Power, Dr Erika Penney, Dr Peter Stubbs, Ms Bronwyn Nolan, Dr Felicia Adinanto, Dr Helen Benson and Dr Lucinda Freeman 

For bridging the interprofessional education gap in allied health.

A celebrated speech pathologist and researcher, Professor Emma Power and a diverse team from the Graduate School of Health – Dr Erika Penney, Dr Peter Stubbs, Ms Bronwyn Nolan, Dr Felicia Adinanto, Dr Helen Benson and Dr Lucinda Freeman – are working to highlight the importance of teamwork among health professionals in improving quality of care.

Through creating online interprofessional education modules for students across multiple health disciplines, the team has been able to strengthen healthcare education and improve students’ understanding of other professions, better preparing them for collaborative clinical practice.

Dr Simone Faulkner and Associate Professor James Wakefield

For transforming UTS Business student belonging through leading innovative inductions and Students as Partners engagement. 

For almost 20 years Dr Simone Faulkner has taught management and international business to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

She is a leading researcher and Senior Lecturer in the Management Discipline Group whose expertise includes sustainable tourism, volunteerism, community development and diversity management.

Associate Professor James Wakefield, a noted academic in the Accounting Discipline Group, has been the MBA Program Director since 2022. With multiple awards to his name for his teaching excellence, his education research explores practical ways to create more inclusive, engaging learning experiences for accounting and business students.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Faulkner and Associate Professor Wakefield sought to address feelings of isolation and disconnection among new Business students.

By reshaping induction sessions to group first-year students together based on things like shared interests, majors and entry pathways, the two academics have been able to foster a sense of belonging among like-minded students.

Their analysis suggests that socially engineering student groups in this way leads to deeper, longer-lasting connections among peers and increased participation and student satisfaction. 

Walking Together: The UTS Diabetes Education Program Team

Dr Shannon Lin, Auntie Grace Ward, Professor Lynn Sinclair and Dr Wenbo Peng

For pioneering the ‘Walking Together: A Parallel Practice’ model, a transformative approach to Indigenous health pedagogy that builds a nationally significant diabetes workforce. 

Dr Shannon Lin is an esteemed diabetes and nutrition specialist, researcher and educator dedicated to improving health outcomes for underserved communities.

As a Senior Lecturer in the School of Public Health and Course Director for Diabetes Education and Management, she collaborated with Auntie Grace Ward, Professor Lynn Sinclair and Dr Wenbo Peng on the ‘Walking Together: A Parallel Practice’ model, a transformative approach to Indigenous health pedagogy, co-designed and taught with Indigenous Elders. 

The Faculty of Health team is improving outcomes for Indigenous diabetes students and their future patients. Their work centres around creating a more inclusive learning environment for Indigenous students by using culturally safe teaching practices, offering dedicated support from Indigenous academic staff, and making sure Indigenous perspectives and cultural contexts inform course content.

As a result, graduates are more empowered to deliver culturally appropriate diabetes care to their communities.