I currently serve on Council, having been appointed by the Chair, and contribute as a member of the Finance Committee and the Project Gladstone PCG. My professional background is in financial markets, treasury and governance advisory, with more than three decades advising boards and senior executives across banking, investment and not-for-profit organisations.
In my time on Council, I have focused on financial oversight, risk awareness and supporting sound strategic decision-making. Maintaining financial discipline while ensuring long-term sustainability is essential to the Union’s strength and reputation.
The Graduate Union holds a distinctive place as both a residential college and an international graduate network. I remain committed to supporting prudent governance, transparent financial management and initiatives that enhance member engagement and long-term resilience.

Current Council Status: Seeking to Join Council

Length of Continuous Membership of The Graduate Union:  6 months

Explain how your key areas of expertise will contribute to Council.

I worked in the higher education sector at RMIT University for 36 years, supporting Master and PhD students for 27 of those years. During this time, I also provided high-level executive support for numerous governance committees and was a senior member of the School of Graduate Research, monitoring postgraduate quality and outcomes for the university.

I believe my experience in a large public sector higher education organisation will effectively complement the corporate experience already represented on Council and enable me to provide relevant and insightful input into Council considerations

Outline your view on the development and growth potential of The Graduate Union in the next three years.

The Graduate Union is already showing it can rise to the challenge of re-inventing itself in response to the chaos caused by COVID 19. I believe it is critical to implement processes that ensure the association is relevant to existing members and provide more opportunities for engagement.

I am also keen to use communication technologies to promote a stronger international postgraduate network for recruiting future members and see potential to develop deeper partnerships with other national and international postgraduate bodies (e.g. the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations and the British Postgraduate Philosophy Association).

Outline your current involvement with The Graduate Union.

My late mother, Heather Kudeviita, was a dedicated and active member of GU for more than 60 years, becoming an Inaugural Patron in 2017. My own connection began through the many anecdotes she told me during her involvement. It strengthened in the last years of her life when I accompanied her to events, meeting staff and other members. I then joined myself in 2020.

I now attend monthly luncheons and enjoy discussions on GU matters with members and staff. This year I have provided feedback to the association on the proposal for residential fellowships and I have regularly provided networking opportunities and contacts to staff to advance the cause of the association. I am proud to continue my mother’s association with GU.

State your TWO greatest achievements of relevance to governance (e.g. as a member of a company board or The Graduate Union Council, as a contributor to your community).

As Executive Officer, I managed the establishment of the governance committee for graduate research at RMIT when the new School of Graduate Research was implemented in early 2009.

For more than 10 years, I was the senior policy officer in the School of Graduate Research, developing policies to ensure quality outcomes and experiences for candidates and supervisors. This involved influencing and negotiating with other RMIT policy owners to ensure they accommodated our students in any of their policy developments or reviews.

In both roles, I gained invaluable practical experience in how best to support the objectives of committees. I became adept in applying regulatory requirements across both operational and governance processes and passionate about the need for thoughtful implementation plans for all committee proposed projects.

List relevant industry and community-based experience.

As the senior postgraduate research administrator in the Faculty of Art, Design and Communication, and then in the College of Design and Social Context (2001 to 2009) I met many postgraduate students and gained insights into the postgraduate experience.

In May 2009 I was seconded to the Research and Development Portfolio as a member of the team establishing a new School of Graduate Research at RMIT. I then became the Senior Policy Coordinator for the new School until September 2020.

As well as managing committees I have been a member of various governance and operational committees at RMIT, including the Research Repository Committee, and the Policy Framework Review Committee.

Since retiring in September 2020, I have been volunteering with Calvary Health Care. This year I became the consumer representative on their Planning and Organisational Development Committee at Bethlehem Hospital, Parkdale.

Academic qualifications

Bachelor of Arts (Monash University) 1982