New Deputy VC for Victoria

Prof. Penny Boumelha.

Victoria University has appointed Prof. Penny Boumelha to the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

Prof. Boumelha was Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the University of Adelaide from 1999 to 2005. Prior to that, she served as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences for three years. She is currently Jury Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Adelaide.

In this role, reporting to Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pat Walsh, Prof. Boumelha will lead the implementation of the university’s learning and teaching strategy.

“Penny brings a wealth of academic and management experience to this role from a distinguished career at the University of Adelaide. I am delighted she has accepted this position and I look forward to working with her as Victoria University implements its new strategic plan,” Prof. Walsh says.

“Her leadership and experience will ensure Victoria continues to produce high quality graduates, with a particular focus on enhancing students’ overall experience at Victoria and continuing to improve the teaching and learning capability of the university.”

Prof. Boumelha holds a Master of Arts and D.Phil from the University of Oxford. She moved to Australia in 1985 to lecture at the University of Western Australia.

She has written and edited numerous publications on nineteenth century fiction and narrative theory, and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of the Humanities in 1997.

In 2003 she was awarded the Centenary Medal by the Australian government for service to Australian society and the humanities in English language and literature.

Prof. Boumelha will take up the position on 2nd February, 2009.