Allison’s award worth “shouting from the rooftops”

The acclaim of University of Queensland physiotherapy lecturer Dr Allison Mandrusiak will span the globe following a Universitas 21 Teaching Excellence Award.

Dr Mandrusiak, from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, was announced as one of two global recipients of the award in Santiago, Chile.

“I’m so thrilled. It’s a wonderful accolade to be recognised at this international level,” Dr Mandrusiak said.

“The Teaching Excellence Award allows me to travel to the UK for the Universitas 21 Health Sciences Group annual meeting in September, 2016.

“There I will present a workshop in collaboration with the other award recipient, Dr Hong Gao of China.”

Dr Mandrusiak was recognised for her outstanding work advancing inter-professional and international teaching and learning.

Her impact ranges from paving inroads for simulated learning in China, to teaching cardiorespiratory physiotherapists in Kuwait, and fostering clinical placements in Vietnam.

“It really was the time I spent in Vietnam supervising students that led to an epiphany about the value of inter-professional and cross-cultural learning experiences,” Dr Mandrusiak said.

Universitas 21 is a global network of universities with a strong research focus and ambitions of improving life in the 21^st Century.

There are 25 universities in the network, encompassing 1.3 million students and more than 220,000 staff.

UQ Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Associate Dean (Academic) Professor Sarah Roberts-Thomson said the recognition of Dr Mandrusiak brought great pride to the university.

“It is an accomplishment that should be shouted from the rooftops,” Professor Roberts-Thomson said.

“Not only is it fantastic news for Allison and UQ, but it’s a feather in the cap for Brisbane, Queensland and Australia.

“Allison is one of the central figures in developing this Faculty’s common course, which is a curriculum developed for all our students.

“The focus of the common course is preparing work-ready graduates that have a great understanding of modern health workforce needs.”

UQ is one of three Australian members of Universitas 21, along with the University of Melbourne and the University of New South Wales.

Other network members include the University of Hong Kong, the University of Delhi, Ohio State University, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Amsterdam.

Media: Dr Allison Mandrusiak a.mandrusiak@uq.edu.au , +61 7 3365 4557; Robert Burgin, UQ Communications, r.burgin@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3346 3035, +61 448 410 364.