Appointment of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous)

Monash University is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Tristan Kennedy as the next Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous), following an extensive national search. He will commence in the role in December 2022.

Professor Kennedy is a Noongar Aboriginal man, and a member of the Kaurna community in South Australia and the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council in Western Australia.

Professor Kennedy is an internationally-recognised researcher and educator, with more than 10 years of experience in the higher education sector. With a genuine passion for making significant and positive contributions to building the presence of Indigenous research and fostering the success of Indigenous advancement in higher education in Australia and abroad, Professor Kennedy brings strong business acumen, research collaboration and aspirational leadership, drawing on his own research to contribute to improved outcomes for Indigenous staff, students and the wider community.

Professor Kennedy joins Monash from Macquarie University, where he is currently Associate Professor and Director of Research Training, Department of Indigenous Studies. In this position, he has achieved significant growth and innovation in the department, with particular success in developing programs that support students and optimise student numbers, particularly in higher degree research. Further, he was recently seconded to the position of Director of Walanga Muru, Macquarie University’s Indigenous support centre, where he has successfully led a team of staff, supporting student engagement and pathway activities, as well as academic and cultural activities.

Professor Kennedy has contemporary research interests, attracting growing international interest and collaboration in areas such as identities in online social spaces, Indigenous studies and education, and digital communication technologies.