Awards
Other guff
Let us celebrate you
The Association for Tertiary Education Management Inc has a number of Awards to recognise significant contributions to advancing the professionalism of tertiary education administration and management, as well as our new Best Practice Awards that recognise excellence in Tertiary Education Management.
ATEM Excellence Awards
ATEM and partners are proud to recognise industry excellence through the ATEM Excellence Awards in Tertiary Education Management.
Celebrating outstanding achievements
The ATEM Excellence Awards recognise the incredible contributions of individuals and teams across the Australasian tertiary education sector.
Our awards honour individuals and teams who are setting new benchmarks in education management. Judged by respected peers and sector leaders, these awards highlight the practices and people making a difference in our community:
- Transformative impact – showcasing bold ideas and game-changing contributions to the sector.
- Exceptional leadership and service – recognising those who lead with vision and deliver outstanding results.
- Commitment to excellence – honouring those who push boundaries and continuously improve outcomes.
These awards shine a spotlight on resilience, leadership and innovation, embodying ATEM’s core themes of connect, engage, thrive.
Winning an ATEM Excellence Award is more than recognition, it’s a chance to showcase sector-leading work, inspire peers and influence progress.
Meet our 2026 Award winners
| Award winner | Chelsea Finlayson and Sara Ardern Griffith University |
| High commendation | Policy Transformation Project team The University of Sydney |
| Commendation | Christine Plumejeau Australasian Academy of Higher Education |
| Award winner | Student First Service Excellence Chisholm Institute |
| High commendation | Sensory-Friendly Graduations Deakin University |
| Award winner | Automated Patterns of Study Victoria University |
| High commendation | MarTech Lab Digital Enablement Team RMIT University |
| Award winner | Sensory-Friendly Graduations Deakin University |
| High commendation | Academic Governance and Student Partnerships teams Griffith University |
| Award winner | Service Excellence | Service Design and Performance Waipapa Taumata Rau The University of Auckland |
| High commendation | Leadership Academy La Trobe University |
| Award winner | Geeta Jaswal Deakin University |
| High commendation | Leave Provision Working Group Waipapa Taumata Rau The University of Auckland |
| Award winner | Sach Jayasinghe Academy for Collaborative Research Infrastructure |
| Award winner | Peter Woelert, Jenny Chesters, Maree Martinussen and Jessica Gannaway ‘Fewer restructures, more consultation, better recognition: key recommendations on tackling administrative burdens for Australian universities’ professional staff’ |
| High commendation | Maxine Evers and Patty Kamvounias ‘Ombudsmen and Australian universities: learning from student complaints’ |
ATEM Service Awards
The Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM) has established awards to recognise significant contributions made by Members and non-members to the promotion and development of the professionalisation of tertiary education administration and management.
We were pleased to honour our ATEM Service Award winners for 2025. We congratulate and thank the following people for their efforts and dedication to ATEM and the sector:
Meet our 2025 Award winners
Kathryn is recognised for a distinctive and sustained contribution to the tertiary education sector, anchored by an extended period of service to ATEM and its board, including her recent four-year term as President.
Liz is recognised for more than 20 years of dedicated service to ATEM and the tertiary education community in Aotearoa. In her current roles as Regional Chair Aotearoa and Vice-President Engagement, she brings a steady, pragmatic presence that keeps members and their experience at the centre of ATEM’s work.
Sophie is recognised for more than 20 years of committed service to ATEM and the tertiary education community in Aotearoa. Her leadership on the Aotearoa Regional Committee, service on Board and her central role in the rebuild of ATEM post-Covid have all shaped the association we know today.
Tim and Kim are recognised individually for their leadership of two key ATEM conferences. Each stepped into their role at a pivotal moment, shaping conferences that were not just events, but bold, thoughtfully designed learning experiences.
“Responding to the new research assessment reform in China: the universities’ institutional hybrid actions” by Huiqing Liang, Kai Zhao and Jiali Li.
Praised for its excellent depth of analysis, strong conceptual framing, and engaging, readable style. And its relevance to global debates on research assessment, offering a nuanced portrait of reform that’s both locally grounded and globally instructive.