Higher education lecturer profiles

Ross McLennan is an educator and researcher in Contemporary Music and a practising composer, songwriter and performing musician. His academic publications include work on screen music, songwriting, the manipulative power of music and the nature of creativity. His educational publications include papers on authentic learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and transformative learning in the Creative Industries.

Ross's professional outputs include operas, symphonies and soundtracks for Sony Pictures, ABC, SBS, and all the commercial television networks in Australia, as well as video games, theatre and media installations.  He has toured the world in progressive contemporary music groups, including playing the SXSW Festival in Austin Texas and CBGBs in New York. He was educated at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, the University of Queensland and the University of Cambridge.  Research areas: screen music, digital orchestration, game audio, creative convergence, authentic learning, sudden insight, music and emotion.

Patrick has worked extensively as a director, writer, actor, teacher, project facilitator, company manager and academic with a range of Australian theatre companies, arts organisations, educational institutions and independent creative projects.

As a professional actor Patrick has worked with theatre companies all over Australia and internationally. As an Artistic Director he has directed companies in Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin. He has also directed and taught for youth theatre companies in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin. 

Since 2004 he has taught at both Griffith University and now at TAFE Queensland. During this time he has also completed a Masters and a PhD that explored the nature, value and sustainability of theatre and performance in Australian regional communities.

Patrick has also made a sustained contribution to the community through the Regional Arts Development Fund (Gold Coast), the Arts Centre Gold Coast and the Golden Palm Theatre Awards.

Reza has over ten years of industry experience and over seven years ‘experience in curriculum development, coordinating, and teaching in computer-related disciplines. He holds a PhD in Computer Science, a Master of Information Technology and a Bachelor degree in Computer Hardware Engineering. He is involved in a lot of research and development projects during his career and has notable publications teaching joint degree programs between TAFE Queensland and the University of Canberra and has been the principal supervisor of 12 postgraduate students. His industry and academic experience are mostly in the field of artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, and games development.

Dr. John Dahlsen, a contemporary environmental artist and author who studied at the Victorian College of the Arts, won Australia’s oldest art award, the Wynne Prize, at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2000. In 2004 his art represented Australia at the Athens Olympics. He exhibits and is represented in major public and private collections in Australia and internationally. In 2014 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship.

John is a published author of five books. He has written a number of published journal articles. He completed his PhD titled: Environmental art: Aesthetics, Activism and Transformation at Charles Darwin University.

His environmental art examines the passage of time in the landscape and the place of humankind within it. He currently convenes the Honors Program and lectures in Visual Art at the University of Canberra in partnership with TAFE Queensland, South Bank campus.

Michelle Carter is a lecturer and researcher in the Creative Industries with a background in creative business modelling, management and visual arts practice. She has published multiple journal articles and conference papers and provides consultancy to creative practitioners who aim to monetise their practice while retaining authenticity in their work. Michelle has a professional background in the cultural sector and prior to joining higher education, Michelle was a Department Manager at a major Queensland museum.

Research areas: Creative career planning, creative entrepreneurship, creative project production, academic skills, life drawing, print media, art & design history, business planning, marketing and exhibition management.

Rafe’s dedication to music started at three years old when he began piano tuition. Rafe has played bass for Megan Washington, performed in support of Wolfmother, Spiderbait and Pete Murray, as well as corporate events for Audi, L’Oreal and Warner Brothers. He has composed music for MTV, CBS and ABC networks and collaborated with Wally De Backer (Gotye) and Quan Yeomans (Regurgitator). 

A former ABC audio engineer, Rafe has taught music at colleges in London and Germany, and has a masters degree in digital media, a bachelors degree in music and several other musical accolades. Rafe’s areas of interest include sound design, sound synthesis, algorithmic composition and the psychosocial dynamics of electronic music cultures.

Lisa is a performing artist and educator working across mediums in dance, theatre, contemporary performance and new-media. She has developed a broad body of original performance works over the past three decades, presenting across Australia, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and the United States of America. A polymath of sorts, Lisa has presented digital art installations in the Forbidden City of Beijing, performed Off-Broadway in Australia’s longest running children’s show Fluff, danced at the Sydney Opera House on numerous occasions and acted in Shakespeare and Greek Tragedies in castles and ruins across Europe.

Ola is a visual communication designer and a digital design lecturer with over fifteen years of professional experience. Ola’s education background includes Masters’ Degree in Design and also in Education.

She teaches students to recognise the role of the creative process in the human-centric approach and cultivates an insatiable hunger for what is going on in the world of design. Her mission is to produce the most sought-after graduates distinguished not only by their design capabilities, but also by their enterprising skills and qualities.

Stephanie is a professional animator and the course convenor for the Bachelor of Digital Media (Digital Design). She has a diploma and degree in animation where she studied under mentors who worked for Disney and Pixar. Her work for Australian and Canadian studios has resulted in feature film credits that include "Peter Rabbit 2" (2021), "Spiderman: Far From Home" (2019) and "Deadpool 2" (2018).  Her focus for students involves fun, engaging content and industry-based studio practices that encourage the exploration of visual effects.

Tom is Course Convener of the Bachelor of the Built Environment (Interior Architecture) degree. A registered architect, he has twelve years of experience working on award winning projects in Australia and the United Kingdom. He has taught in higher education for over eight years, delivering University of Canberra in partnership with TAFE Queensland degree programs, and prior to that for the University of Queensland School of Architecture. He has worked in architecture, interior design, urban design and as a design advisor to a major airline. A believer in the adaptive reuse and reinterpretation of existing buildings Tom brings this experience and his passion for good design to his teaching.

Anatoly is a lecturer and co-course Convenor for the Bachelor of Acting and Performance as well as a director and acting teacher. He has studied directing at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) as well as the Drama Centre, University of Toronto. He has worked extensively at Belvoir Street Theatre and Opera Australia in Sydney as assistant director and tour director with Neil Armfield, and directed opera both in Brisbane and the United States of America. He has been involved in the creation of a number of musical and operatic works, worked with independent companies in Australia and internationally, and presented work in theatre festivals in Europe, Central Asia and South America, as well as teaching acting all over Australia.

Ulrike is a visual artist and researcher whose creative work frequently explores concepts of memory and identity. Working most frequently in print media, including linocutting, wood engraving, etching and screen printing, her work is often identifiable by the narrative visual style and a monochromatic palette.

Ulrike completed her Master of Fine Arts at Sydney College of the Arts (University of Sydney) and is in the final stage of competing her PhD through the Central Queensland University.

Particular interests within her research focus include the exploration of identity, visual art works that incorporate a text element, artist books, and contemporary art from Papua New Guinea.

Ehud is a lecturer on the Bachelor of Creative Industries (Applied fashion), as well as a PhD candidate within the fashion department at the Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Ehud completed a Masters in menswear design at Central Saint Martin’s in London, before embarking on a design career in Europe and the antipodes. He has also designed and managed his own label while based in Amsterdam, showing his collections on the official schedule of Paris Menswear Fashion Week. In his research Ehud is investigating the potential for community based creative co-design as a tool for developing personal and communal resilience. Specifically Ehud is exploring the potential of queer costume making methodologies as the vehicle for communal creative ontology.

Greg has over 20 years of experience as a visual artist, a digital artist, and an illustrator for the entertainment industry. A member of the original team to establish the Games Diploma at TAFE Queensland, Greg currently convenes the Bachelor of Design (Games Design) in partnership with Canberra University.  Greg completed a Master of Fine Arts in 1994 and a Master of Digital Design in 2004.  Research interests include our social responsibility, the human condition, and the perfect cup of tea.