Senate members
Ms Gail McGowan PSM
Chancellor
Ms Gail McGowan PSM
Chancellor
Ex-officio, term expires 16 May 2026.
Gail McGowan is our 8th Chancellor, and the first woman to hold the position at Murdoch. She is a Murdoch graduate and Distinguished Alumni Award winner. Ms McGowan was the inaugural Director-General of the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and received the Public Service Medal for outstanding service to WA in 2019 and named Leader of the Year in State or Federal Government at the Institute of Public Administration (WA) Awards in 2021. Gail is also Chair of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority and a Director of Foundation Housing.
Professor Andrew Deeks
Vice Chancellor
Professor Andrew Deeks
Vice Chancellor
Ex officio.
Professor Andrew Deeks is an experienced academic leader. As University College Dublin President, he was the first Australian to lead an Irish university.
Under his leadership UCD established itself as a global university, increasing research quality and impact, and student satisfaction.
Andrew holds a number of fellowships and board roles, including Fellow of the Australian Institution of Engineers and Executive Committee member of Universitas 21 and the Worldwide Universities Network.
He has a PhD in civil engineering from UWA. His research focus is in computational mechanics.
Dr Jon Prince
Elected by academic staff
Dr Jon Prince
Elected by academic staff
Term expires 11 March 2027.
Jon is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has served as Chair of the Psychology Ethics Committee and on Murdoch’s Human Research Ethics Committee. He has been elected to Academic Council three times, where he developed a reputation for respectfully speaking up, championing transparency, and preserving academic ideals. He is the Secretary of the Murdoch branch of the National Tertiary Education Union and was on the bargaining committee negotiating the 2023 Murdoch University Enterprise Agreement.
Ms Louise Pallant
Elected by professional staff
Ms Louise Pallant
Elected by professional staff
Term expires 8 April 2027.
Louise has been a dedicated employee at Murdoch University since 1994, embracing various roles, including research, casual teaching, to leading teams in Technical Services. Strongly believing in being the change we want to see; Louise has consistently engaged in our organisational framework through working groups, committees, and boards. Committed to the University’s Strategy 2023-2030, she aims to foster a thriving, inclusive community and is dedicated to realising our shared vision and goals.
Ms Jane Hodgson
Elected by undergraduate students
Ms Jane Hodgson
Elected by undergraduate students
Term expires 18 April 2025.
Jane commenced as a student at Murdoch in 2020 studying a Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry). She has previously experienced student life at two other universities in Australia, completing a Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Nursing. Jane juggles part-time study with part-time work and caring for her young son. Jane believes that everyone in Australia should have genuine access to and opportunity to attend university. She believes that the foundation for a University should be operation for the public good over all else.
Mr Tshering Gyeltshen
Elected by postgraduate students
Mr Tshering Gyeltshen
Elected by postgraduate students
Term expires 01 November 2025.
Tshering is an Agriculture Science graduate from College of Natural Resources Bhutan. He is currently pursuing Master of Public Policy and Management at Murdoch and also served as the Education Vice President of Murdoch Guild in 2024. He is elected as the Student President of Murdoch Guild in 2025 and also a post-graduate member of Senate. Tshering did his undergraduate research in phytochemical, nutrient, antioxidant and antibacterial properties in wild asparagus and is a registered volunteer of 14 different global agencies and associations such as the UN.
Mr Roland Belford
Elected by graduates of the University
Mr Roland Belford
Elected by graduates of the University
Term expires 31 December 2026.
Roland graduated from Murdoch University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Australian Indigenous Studies. Whilst a student, Roland captained the hockey team, was President of the Student Guild and founded a club dedicated to Pokémon.
Roland believes that public universities should serve the public of Western Australia and be run for the social good above all else. He passionately believes that public institutions like Murdoch should be transparent, accountable and open to critique and scrutiny.
Mr Jethro Schoeman
Elected by graduates of the University
Mr Jethro Schoeman
Elected by graduates of the University
Term expires 31 December 2027.
Mr Steven Dobson
Appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Minister
Mr Steven Dobson
Appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Minister
Term expires 21 December 2027.
Steve is a Director of Dobson Financial Planning, Board Member with the Tax Practitioners Board and Director at Willetton Premier Cricket Club. Previous board membership includes the Small Business Development Corporation, Perth NRM, the Gaming and Wagering Commission and other board roles within the not for profit and sporting community. Steve is a Justice of the Peace and former Detective with the WA Police Force. He is a graduate of Murdoch University and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Ms Robyn Smith-Walley OAM
Appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Minister
Ms Robyn Smith-Walley OAM
Appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Minister
Term expires 20 June 2026.
Professor Krishna Sen
Appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Minister
Professor Krishna Sen
Appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Minister
Term expires 7 March 2026.
Mr Stephen Carre OAM
Co-opted by Senate
Mr Stephen Carre OAM
Co-opted by Senate
Term expires 31 December 2026.
Mr Ross Hughes
Co-opted by Senate
Mr Ross Hughes
Co-opted by Senate
Term expires 1 September 2026.
Ross graduated from Curtin University in 1980 and joined BankWest’s inaugural graduate recruitment program which launched a 25-year career in financial services ranging from branches, to human resources, international lending in Edinburgh, and ultimately Chief Financial Officer of the HBOS Australia Group of companies.
He joined the WA Water Corporation in 2006 in the role of CFO, where he lead a range of areas including finance, pricing, procurement, property, strategy, legal services, insurance and risk.
Ross is a Fellow of CPA Australia and Fellow of the AICD.
Emeritus Professor Robyn Owens AM
Deputy Chancellor / Co-opted by Senate
Emeritus Professor Robyn Owens AM
Deputy Chancellor / Co-opted by Senate
Term expires 6 December 2027.
Deputy Chancellor Robyn Owens is the former DVC Research of UWA. She has over 30 years experience as a teacher, researcher and university leader, focusing on strategy and national policy. Robyn trained in mathematics at UWA, Oxford and the University of Paris. Her research was primarily in computer vision, where she contributed to both theoretical and applied aspects of feature recognition in images and image understanding. Her work has been acknowledged with national and international awards, including the 2010 UK Rank Prize.
Ms Stephanie Unwin
Co-opted by Senate
Ms Stephanie Unwin
Co-opted by Senate
Term expires 4 October 2026.
Stephanie graduated from Murdoch University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Economics.
Stephanie is a recognised energy industry leader with significant executive and Board level experience. She was a Board Member of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and is currently a board member of Energy Vault and Energy Networks Aust.
As CEO of Horizon Power, Stephanie Unwin leads a team of energy professionals to deliver power to some of WA’s most remote and regional communities.
Stephanie is passionate about collaboration, inclusion and diversity.
Barry Winmar
Co-opted by Senate
Barry Winmar
Co-opted by Senate
Term expires 9 June 2026.
Associate Professor Garth Maker
President of Academic Council
Associate Professor Garth Maker
President of Academic Council
Ex-officio, term expires 31 December 2026.
Associate Professor Garth Maker is an award-winning teacher and research in biochemistry and toxicology. He joined Murdoch University in 2008 as a lecturer, and teaches primarily in the School of Medical, Molecular & Forensic Sciences. He has held positions of College Dean of Learning & Teaching and Deputy President of Academic Council, before being elected President in 2023. Garth’s research interests are herbal medicines and dietary supplements, with his goal being to ensure that Australian consumers have access to safe and effective supplements.
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Secretary to Senate
Trudi McGlade
University Secretary
t.mcglade@murdoch.edu.au
Charter
Good governance promotes better performance
Our Senate Charter sets out the guiding governance principles and practices that should be upheld at all times, as well as bringing together the policies and procedures that the Senate adopts and which form part of best practice governance.
All of Murdoch’s stakeholders are entitled to demand performance, fairness, transparency, accountability and appropriate disclosure from the Senate. This dictates that a comprehensive professional focus on effective governance must take high priority.
Governance offers a framework for approving the Strategic Plan of the institution, the oversight of its resources, the approval of its policies and procedures, the appointment, review and support of its Vice Chancellor, and an informed understanding of
its programs and activities.
As part of our ongoing commitment to improving Murdoch's governance standards, the Senate has adopted this Statement of Governance Principles.
University Chancellors Council
Murdoch University is a participant in the University Chancellors Council (UCC). The UCC comprises Chancellors of all public, not-for-profit
universities within Australia. The UCC is used as a means for university Chancellors to discuss key issues and current events surrounding the tertiary education sector in Australia.
Meetings
| 2025 Meeting dates | 2025 Document deadlines |
|---|
| Tuesday 11 March | Tuesday 25 February |
| Tuesday 13 May | Tuesday 29 April |
| Tuesday 22 July | Tuesday 8 July |
| Tuesday 9 September | Tuesday 26 August |
| Tuesday 28 October | Tuesday 14 October |
| Tuesday 9 December | Tuesday 25 November |
Resources
Contact us
University Secretary’s Office
Chancellery Building
90 South Street,
Murdoch, Western Australia 6150
Get directions
Phone: +61 8 9360 6544
Fax: +61 8 9360 6847
Email: universitysecretary@murdoch.edu.au
