Council Members and Members of Senate

Simon Dawkins
Warden of Convocation

Simon Dawkins is the General Manager of The Oil Mallee Association of Australia which has been in the forefront of developing carbon sequestration and bioenergy programs based on integrated agroforestry programs in the low rainfall areas of WA.
 
Prior to this Simon had an extensive career in public sector management and strategic policy in the Commonwealth, ACT and WA Governments, including as CEO of the Canberra Theatre Centre and the Perth Theatre Trust, two major performing arts centres in Canberra and Perth.
 
After joining the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in Western Australia in 1998, he has worked on climate change, emissions trading, sustainability issues, social and economic policy.  
 
Simon has a degree in Economics from UWA, a Graduate Diploma in Education from CCAE and a Master of Philosophy from City University in London and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

David Hodgkinson
Deputy Warden of Convocation and Convenor of Statutes Committee

David Hodgkinson is Special Counsel at Clayton Utz, a member of The Hodgkinson Group – Aviation and Climate Change Advisors, and Executive Director of EcoCarbon, Inc. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the University of  Western Australia Law School. 
 
David was formerly Director of Legal Services at IATA, the organisation of the world’s airlines, in Montreal. He is the co-author of “Global Climate Change: Australian Law and Policy” (LexisNexis, 2008) and the general editor of the forthcoming ‘Climate Change Law and Policy in Australia.’ He leads an international project team which is working on a draft convention for persons displaced by climate change.

Suzanne Baker
Immediate Past Warden of Convocation

Suzanne is the immediate past Warden of Convocation. She was the Warden from 1996 to 2002 and 2006 to 2008, elected annually.  Suzanne was elected to the Council of Convocation in 1983 and as Deputy Warden from 1994. In 1999, 2001 and between 2002 and 2008 and she served on the University Senate. During 1986 to 1994, and 2000 to 2005 Suzanne convened the Awards Committee of the Council of Convocation. 
 
She is a research scientist and her research is in the productivity of grazing animals. Suzanne has worked in the Western Australian Department of Agriculture, in CSIRO, and as a member of academic staff in the Faculty of Agriculture in the University. She has taught in the University since 1979, and served in senior voluntary capacities in professional associations. Currently Suzanne is self-employed and is appointed as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Animal Biology in the University.

Paul Appleton
Council Member

Duncan Barton
Council Member

Duncan Barton graduated from UWA with a BSc (Hons, Physics) in 1994 and PhD (Atomic and Molecular Physics) in 2000. He also holds an MBA from UNE.
 
Whilst at UWA he was strongly involved in the sporting field, representing UWA at 3 Australian University Games and was awarded a Half Blue for rowing in 1994. He had been both Captain and President of the UWA Boat Club, Sports Council President and Vice-President of the UWA Sport and Recreation Association. 
 
After leaving UWA, he worked in several roles for a SME providing instrumentation to the aviation industry before recently moving to Rio Tinto’s Integrated Planning division as a Principal Analyst.

Colin Campbell-Fraser
Council Member

Mr Colin Campbell-Fraser (Arts UWA ),  is Principal Advisor (External Relations and Advocacy) at  The University of Western Australia  providing advice to the Vice-Chancellor and Executive of the University to support the University's goal of achieving international excellence. He operates in high level management, supervision, planning, decision making and negotiation.   

Mr Campbell-Fraser is a Member of the Advisory Board of the University Club; Board Member of the UWA Sports Association; a Commissioner of Lotterywest; Consultative Director of the Perth Convention Bureau; and, Member of the Governing Council of Central TAFE.

As a former senior journalist, Mr Campbell-Fraser has built a career in communications for the public and private sector holding positions advising Premiers, Ministers and senior members of Government agencies.

Rita Clark
Council Member

Rita Clarke was educated in England and Australia, and has a BA and Masters Prelim. from UWA. She has had extensive experience as a radio broadcaster, on both local and ABC radios, and in print journalism and editing, having written for The Australian, The Financial Review, The West Australian and various magazines. She has been on several judging panels for theatre and dance, and is a theatre, film and dance critic. She has also recently taken up a career as a teacher of English as a Second Language, which is proving a lot of fun.

Alasdair Dempsey
Council Member

Alasdair Dempsey is currently a Research Associate within the Biomechanics Group at the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health. His work on anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention through technique training has been received podium awards at the previous two Australian Association of Exercise and Sports Science conferences. It also led to Alasdair winning one of sixteen places at Fresh Science 2008, where young scientists are given media training prior to the issue of a press release about their results. Alasdair is now working on knee joint osteoarthritis, while continuing his work on anterior cruciate ligament injury and looking to develop prevention programs that cater for multiple injuries at once.

Ashok Desai
Council Member

Ashok Desai is an experienced Financial Consultant with Minc Stockbroking who has been in both the financial and accounting industries for many years. He advises a number of corporate and retail clients on wealth management advice.
 
Ashok provides investment advice in all areas including:
• Self Managed Superannuation funds,
• Investment portfolios,
• Retirement and redundancy planning, and
• Correct structuring of clients portfolios to maximize taxation benefits.
 
Ashok is past Chairman for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Western Australia and was a Council member from 2002 to 2008.  He is also a member of the Institute’s Financial Planning Special Interest Group. 
 
Ashok has been a member of the Convocation Council since 2002.  He is a past President of the Graduate Management Association, the alumni body of the University of Western Australia’s MBA program. Ashok is also a past Treasurer for The Health Consumers’ Council WA Inc and is currently a member of The PLC Parents’ Committee.

James Fogarty
Council Member and Treasurer

James Fogarty is a Lecturer in the School of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia where he teaches applied regression analysis and international trade theory.  After completing his PhD in 2006, and before joining a private sector consultancy, he taught microeconomic theory in the UWA Business School.  As an economic consultant he worked primarily on issues surrounding waste, water, and drainage pricing for the Economic Regulation Authority, the Department of Water, and the Department of Environment and Conservation.  

Since joining the School of Agricultural and Resource Economics his research focus has been on economic issues in food and wine production.

Richard Harper
Council Member and Convenor of Awards Committee

Mahesh Hettiatatchi
Council Member

Mahesh Hettiaratchi has been a member of the Council of Convocation for over three years.  He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is a Senior Manager with Ernst & Young.  Mr Hettiaratchi has significant experience in providing tax advice to clients both in Australia and overseas.  In particular, Mr Hettiaratchi worked for a year in the New York office of Ernst & Young advising the North American clients.  In addition to his role with the Council of Convocation he is also a member of the Finance Committee of the Variety WA.  Previously he was also on the committees of both the Young Chartered Accountants Group (Chair in 2006) as well as the Young Professionals Network

Geoffrey Leach
Council Member

Graeme Martin
Council Member

Graeme Martin was born in WA and grew up on a farm. At the University of WA, he gained a BSc in Agricultural Science and a PhD. He then spent 5 years in France (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) and the UK (Medical Research Council) before returning to join the UWA staff. He was promoted to Professor in 2001. He has served as Head of Animal Science, Dean of the Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, Dean of the UWA Postgraduate Research School, and Deputy Chair and Chair of the Academic Board of the University, and is currently Head of the School of Animal Biology and Program Leader (Animal Production Systems) in the UWA Institute of Agriculture.
 
His research team mostly works on brain function, with a particular focus on the pathways through which environmental factors influence the reproductive system. He has won $4m research funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health & Medical Research Council, and the rural industries R&D corporations. He has supervised 25 students to completion of postgraduate degrees and published over 230 papers in peer-reviewed, international journals and books.

Giacinta Parish
Council Member

Giacinta Parish holds several degrees from UWA (BS (Chemistry) - 1995, BE (Electronic) – 1995, MEngSc (Electronic Engineering) – 1997), and a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2001). After completing her PhD studies Dr Parish returned to UWA in February 2001 as an Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow. She is now an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering.
 
Her main research interests are the growth and characterisation of advanced semiconductor materials and device technologies. Dr Parish has published over 70 international refereed papers, and in addition to being Chief Investigator on numerous National Competitive Grants and various research contracts with industry, has previously served as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee for Bluglass Ltd, a startup ASX listed company located in Silverwater, NSW. She is also a current member of the Academic Board at UWA.

Ian Passmore
Council Member and Convenor of Centenary Planning Working Group

Lance Perry
Council Member and Convenor of Development and Policy Committee

Cathy Tang
Council Member and Member of Senate

Cathy has been a Convocation elected member of the University Senate since 1996 and a member of the Council of Convocation since 1992.  She is also the Treasurer of the Friends of UWA Music and has been a member of the Committee of the Centenary Trust for Women since its inception.

Cathy has a First Class Honours Degree in Classics and a Diploma of Education from UWA, she also has a Graduate Diploma of Business from WACAE, and a Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

Cathy is presently doing administrative work for a church group, her previous positions include project work in the disability field; Manager, University House, UWA; Conference Organiser at both Currie Hall and St George’s College; tutor of Latin in the Department of Classics and Ancient History, UWA; teacher of Secondary English and Latin; and owner, manager of a successful restaurant business.

Pauline Tremlett
Council Member and Convenor of Graduate Outreach Committee

Pauline Tremlett is a retired educator, librarian, IT education specialist and project coordinator/ manager of educational and community based organisations. She has been a member of Convocation Council since 1987, serving on all committees, currently Chair of Outreach Committee; Deputy Warden Convocation 1991-1994; Created UNISON (University Societies & Organisations Network) thus providing support for Friends groups, established UWA 50th Reunions as annual events; Convocation elected member of Senate 1996-1998. She has also been active in the AFUW, National Council of Women, Girl Guides WA, Australian School Library Association and the Professional Teaching Council of WA. Pauline is deeply committed to educational matters at all levels as well as to the value of voluntary community service engagement, contribution and collaborative endeavour.

BA, Dip Ed, Dip App Sci, AALIA

Bill Biggs
Elected Member of Senate

Lesley Cala
Elected Member of Senate

Lesley is a medical graduate from UWA who also received a higher doctorate - MD - for her research on the radiological diagnosis of brain tumours.   She worked as a neuroradiologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital for 28 years and is most known for her clinical and research work with CT brain scanning.  Author of many peer-reviewed papers, recipient of research grants and invited member of 6 neuroradiological societies world-wide.
 
Clinical Professor, UWA since 1991 - currently teaches medical students in the School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
 
She first became a Member of Senate in 1994 and has been re-elected on 2 occasions since then.
 
A Fellow of St.Catherine's College, UWA. Honorary Life Member AFUW (WA), Inc.Past-President of AFUW (WA), Inc., Past-Vice President National Council of Women of Australia, currently International Adviser for International Relations and Peace to International Council of Women (65 countries) and also NCWA.  National Adviser for Health, NCWA and State Adviser for Health AFUW (WA). Member of Project 5 - O events committee.

Roderick Cooper
Elected Member of Senate

Roderick has been a Legal Practitioner in private practice for over 20 years, specialising in consumer credit, securities, recoveries and banking law. Legal adviser to many local and interstate credit unions. Roderick is currently Managing Director of Wessex Estates & Securities, a private general investment firm with a focus on property development.