Executive

Vice-Chancellor
Distinguished Professor George Williams AO

Distinguished Professor George Williams AO is the Vice-Chancellor and President at Western Sydney University. He is proud to lead an institution renowned for providing broad access to higher education and for achieving real-world impact through positive social, environmental and economic change in Western Sydney and globally.

Professor Williams commenced as Western Sydney University’s fifth Vice-Chancellor in July 2024, bringing decades of experience as a constitutional law scholar and teacher, senior leader in higher education, barrister and as a national thought leader.

He began his academic career at the Australian National University before joining the University of New South Wales as the Anthony Mason Professor and later a Scientia Professor. He was the first legal academic selected as an Australian Laureate Fellow, the nation’s top research award, and has held visiting positions at Columbia University, Durham University, Osgoode Hall Law School and University College London.

Professor Williams’ 43 books include Australian Constitutional Law and Theory, The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia and Human Rights under the Australian Constitution. As one of Australia’s pre-eminent experts in constitutional law, he has made significant contributions both nationally and internationally in the areas of human rights, federalism, Indigenous justice, electoral law and national security. Professor Williams’ passion for providing opportunities for students and a quality education is evidenced through many years of teaching constitutional law and having authored the leading student text in this field.

As Dean of Law and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Transformation, Planning and Assurance) at UNSW, Professor Williams instituted innovation and reform through student digital literacy, global engagement, the pioneering of industry and community partnerships, and by driving high performance and integrity through planning, prioritisation, organisational transformation and strategic development. He has been instrumental in supporting Indigenous advancement, having led the first Australian law school to graduate over 100 Indigenous students.

Outside of academia Professor Williams practised as a barrister for over 25 years, advising government, business and community organisations and has appeared in the High Court of Australia on matters relating to freedom of speech, freedom from racial discrimination, Indigenous rights and the rule of law. Internationally, he has appeared in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Fiji, most notably on the legality of the 2000 coup.

Professor Williams’ contributions to public policy include serving as chair of the Victorian Human Rights Consultation Committee that led to Australia’s first State bill of rights and chairing the NSW Government inquiry into Options for a New National Industrial Relations System that produced the historic referral of State industrial power over the private sector to the Commonwealth. He also served on a High-Level Advisory Group on Federal-State Relations to a former Prime Minister, was a member of the NSW Government’s Panel to Examine Recall Elections and assisted the Northern Territory in its attempt to become Australia’s seventh State. As a member of the Australian Government’s Constitutional Expert Group, Professor Williams played an important role in providing advice on the Voice Referendum.

Professor Williams has a long and respected record of thought leadership on public policy and constitutional law. For over two decades, he was a regular newspaper columnist for The Australian, The Canberra Times, and The Sydney Morning Herald. In 2011, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the law in the fields of anti-terrorism, human rights and constitutional law as an academic, author, adviser and public commentator.

Provost
Professor Deborah Sweeney

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education and Students
Professor Maryanne Dever

Professor Maryanne Dever is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education and Students at Western Sydney University. She is a member of the Senior Executive Team and responsible for providing leadership of the University’s education portfolio. Professor Dever is passionate about educational renewal and ensuring learning delivers for a new generation of students. She is recognised for her work in transformation and change with a particular focus on digital uplift to support learning and the student experience. Professor Dever leads strategic educational innovation at Western Sydney to deliver the University’s commitment to ensuring its students fulfill their potential to become influential global citizen-scholars in a technology-enabled world. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Queensland and a Master of Arts (Hons) and PhD from the University of Sydney. Prior to joining Western Sydney University in 2023, she worked at a number of universities, including The Australian National University where she introduced a new learning and teaching strategy and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) where she made major contributions to the digital transformation of learning. Her research career has focused on feminist literary studies and critical archival studies. Her publications include Paper, Materiality and the Archived Page (2019) and New Feminist Research Ethics (2023).

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Leadership) 
Professor Michelle Trudgett

Professor Michelle Trudgett is an Indigenous scholar and executive leader from the Wiradjuri Nation in New South Wales. She currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Leadership and Vice-President at Western Sydney University. Additionally, she is a Board Member of the GO Foundation. Her significant contributions to the sector have been recognised through several prestigious awards, including the National NAIDOC Scholar of the Year Award, the Neville Bonner Award for Teaching Excellence, and the University of New England Distinguished Alumni Award.

Professor Trudgett is one of Australia’s foremost researchers in Indigenous Education and leadership. She has been a Chief Investigator (CI) on five Australian Research Council grants, four as the lead CI, securing $5,000,000 in funding. Professor Trudgett is currently leading an ARC project which examines the complex ecosystems of Indigenous higher education leadership.

Professor Trudgett is a recognised strategic thinker who adopts a highly collegial approach to achieve positive outcomes for the higher education sector. She is particularly passionate about leading strategic initiatives that empower Indigenous people and communities. With an unwavering passion for social justice and educational equity, Professor Trudgett continues to inspire transformation within higher education institutions and beyond.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Western Sydney and External Engagement
The Hon. Professor Geoff Lee

The Hon. Professor Geoff Lee is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Western Sydney and External Engagement. He leads Western Sydney University’s outward-facing activities, including philanthropy, alumni, government relations, business development, marketing, communications and student recruitment.

He is responsible for further strengthening the University’s relationships and presence across Western Sydney. The Hon. Professor Lee has served the University since 2023 as Professor and then Associate Dean Engagement in the School of Business following his retirement from NSW Parliament.

He brings to this position a wealth of experience across academia, industry and the highest levels of government. During his time as a parliamentarian, The Hon. Professor Lee was integral to transforming of Parramatta into the thriving metropolis it is today. As a NSW Government Minister in the Education portfolio, he delivered transformative change within large, complex organisations including TAFE NSW.

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Transformation
Professor Kevin Dunn

Chief Operating Officer
Bill Parasiris

Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise
Professor Ian Anderson