Alfred Deakin Professor
Chair of Epidemiology
School of Health and Social Development

Catherine has worked in health, university and government sectors, including outbreak preparedness and response with NSW Health and the Australian Government. Her research over the last 20 years has focussed on antibiotic resistance and community transmission of superbugs, including COVID-19. Current pandemic projects include global analyses of excess deaths, public health risk communication, pathology service disruptions, and long-COVID treatment pathways. Catherine has been a prominent public analyst during the COVID-19 response, keynote speaker, and advisor to industry, governments, and institutions globally.

Associate Director Teaching and Learning
Senior Lecturer, Social Work
NIKERI Institute
Faculty of Arts and Education

Eastern Arrernte custodian, Jodie Satour hails from Alice Springs in Australia's Northern Territory. She is a qualified social worker who serves as NIKERI's Associate Director of Teaching and Learning.  She has a wealth of practical expertise working with adult and young populations in rural, remote, and urban demographic settings.  She has collaborated with her family's traditional Ngangkari healers to look for a complementary alternative medical treatment within the healthcare system. She employs critical and transformative pedagogies with a dialectical relationship between the individual/collective self and society through learning experiences on Country.

Penina will return for her fifth year with the Deakin Melbourne Boomers in the 23-24 WNBL season. Born in New Zealand, Penina played college basketball and graduated from the University of California. A star of the New Zealand Tall Ferns national team and named the NZ Player of the Year in 2021 and 2019, Penina was also named in the All-Star Five at the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup and led the New Zealand Ferns to fourth place, booking a spot in the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Deakin has been a proud sponsor of the Deakin Melbourne Boomers for ten years now and is committed to raising the profile of women in sport both on and off the field.

Assistant General Secretary
DUSA

Spencer is the current Assistant General Secretary for the Deakin University Student Association. Over the past few years she has held many leadership positions at DUSA, including Geelong Women’s Representative in 2021. In 2022 she founded the Deakin Geelong Women’s Collective, a club that provides a safe space and promotes solidarity between women. Spencer is extremely passionate when it comes to women’s issues, especially health, and throughout her time as a woman in leadership roles has consistently pushed for better conditions for the student body at Deakin.

Dr. Vivien has been enjoying working in General Practice for 40 years, during which time she has worked in the women’s health sector for 10 years. Currently, she consults at Deakin Medical Centre with other experienced GPs and Registered Nurses and see both students and staff. Outside of her professional life, Vivien enjoys spending time with her growing family. Her best relaxation is time spent in her garden during the day and crocheting in the evenings.