Council members

Ms Lisa Paul AO PSM

Chancellor

Lisa Paul AO PSM is the Chancellor of the University of Canberra. Lisa is passionate about the University’s ambition in driving equality of opportunity and its commitment to Canberra and the region.

Lisa led higher education, science, research and innovation policy for the federal government as the longest-serving Secretary for the Department of Education, serving five Prime Ministers and nine Cabinet Ministers between 2004-2016. Lisa has continued to serve the education, science, research and innovation sectors as Chair of the Audit Committee of the Australian Academy of Science, Honorary Professor at the Australian National University Crawford School of Public Policy, Enterprise Professor at the University of Melbourne School of Government, member of Council at Bond University, and as a Director of Navitas and the Future Battery Industry Cooperative Research Centre.

Recently, Lisa was Co-Chair of an Independent Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Deputy Chair of a Review of National School Reform Agreement. From 2018-2021, Lisa was Chair of Headspace, Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation. Lisa is currently a Director of the Smith Family and the Australian American Leadership Dialogue. Lisa is an Officer of the Order of Australia, a recipient of the Public Service Medal and the Academy Medal from the Australian Academy of Science.

Ms Patricia Kelly PSM

Deputy Chancellor

Patricia is Deputy Chancellor, Chair of Council’s Legislation Committee and a member of both the Finance Committee and the Nominations and Senior Appointments Committee.

She is also a Council Member at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. She chairs the Australian Square Kilometre Array Regional Centre and Co-operative Research Australia (formerly the CRC Association). She is a Director of DMTC Ltd.

Prior to her current roles, Patricia had a public sector career spanning over thirty years. Between 2013 and 2018 Patricia was Director-General of IP Australia (the Australian patent and trademark office). Before joining IP Australia, Patricia was a Deputy Secretary in Commonwealth departments responsible for industry, science and innovation from 2004 -2013.

Patricia has a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in communication and is a graduate (and current member) of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Martin Laverty

Dr Martin Laverty’s doctorate is in corporate governance. His thesis was on Board Director contributions to organisational performance. A lawyer by training with a Masters in Indigenous Laws, he currently leads a staff of 6,000 working across 500 locations nationally as CEO of the not-for-profit disability organisation Aruma. He is a Director of the international aid agency Caritas, and is a member of the Independent Hospital and Aged Care Pricing Authority’s Aged Care Advisory Committee.

Dr Laverty is a former Chief Executive of the Australian Medical Association and Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, and previously served as Deputy Chair of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission, a member of the National Disability Insurance Agency Board and as Chair of the National Heart Foundation. He has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Not-for-Profits, and served previously on the Australian Catholic University’s ACT Advisory Board and its Health Services Advisory Board. Martin and his wife have three children in local high schools. A twenty year Canberra resident, Martin joined the Council to help ensure the University continues to offer the type of quality tertiary education he experienced to the next generation of Canberrans.

Ms Alice Tay

Ministerial Appointee

Alice Tay is a commercial lawyer with 30 years’ experience in the establishment of entities, intellectual property, capital raising, acquisitions and sales, contracting and governance. She retired in 2018 as a partner at Meyer Vandenberg and is now focussed on utilising her experience to build healthy, vibrant, innovative and strong communities through her non-executive board and committee appointments. The University of Canberra has a particular interest as it is the university established for Canberra. As an overseas student and migrant who settled and prospered in Canberra, her appointment to the Council is an opportunity to contribute back to the community. Education and research are the foundation to a fulfilled and successful community.

Alice has a strong background in audit and risk at a board level and has chaired a number of A&R committees. She is a graduate of the AICD and a Fellow of the Governance Institute.

Alice’s other current Board and Committee positions include:

• Gambling and Racing Commission ACT - Deputy Chair and Chair, Audit and Risk Committee
• National Heart Foundation – Director, Chair, Risk, Audit and Governance Committee, Member, National Board Executive Group and Member, Investment Committee
• Master Builders Association ACT - Member, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee
• The Fly Program – Director (a health promotion charity start-up with a unique early and post clinical intervention program using nature and recreational fly-fishing as a tool for mental fitness)
• Project Independence - Member, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee (a social housing initiative aimed at providing home ownership for Australians with an intellectual disability)
• Community Housing Canberra Ltd, Director, Member of Risk and Audit Committee
• Diversification and Sustainability Support Fund (ACT Government), Member

Dr Michael Schaper

Ministerial Appointee

With substantial experience across government, business and in academia, Michael is now a professional company director. He has previously served as the ACT Small Business Commissioner, Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, CEO of the Canberra Business Chamber, and as Dean of a number of university business schools. He currently sits on a number of boards for the private sector, federal and state governments, and on the national board of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is particularly keen in building stronger and more effective relationships between the university, the local ACT business community, and different levels of government.

Michael Costello AO

Michael Costello AO brings significant governance experience and deep practical experience gained in leadership roles commercially at the Australian Stock Exchange (Head of Strategy, then deputy managing director), ACTEW Corporation (director, then managing director), and ActewAGL (CEO); in public sector leadership roles as secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, secretary of the Department of Industrial Relations, and Ambassador to the United Nations; and in community governance and leadership roles, most recently at the GWS Giants AFL team (director & Integrity Committee chair).

Michael thus brings perspectives from both the commercial and public spheres to Council. Deep and sustained understanding of, and successful operation in, both the commercial and public sectors - and intimate understanding of the dynamic interaction between them - is a particular strength. He has operated with impact at the top level of the community, national and international realms - something which the University must also do. The combination of deep, sustained private and public sector experience, combined with sustained community, national and international operating experience, brings distinctive value to Council and the University.

Michael is committed to enacting and supporting the University's values, core teaching and research activities, independence, academic freedom and community needs. He brings a passionate belief in the critical role of the university in our society generally and the Canberra community specifically. He supports the University's curriculum indigenisation aspirations and its potential as a pacesetter in the sector in this regard. He is a lifelong exponent of fairness and inclusion and has worked to promote and embed those values, philosophically, organisationally and through commercial and public policy.

Mr Andrew Giumelli

Elected Postgraduate Student

Andrew nominated for University Council to represent the voice of students in major decisions at the University. Having been involved in the Student Representative Council in his undergraduate degree and working in several University and UCX roles while studying, he has a solid understanding of the University and how best to affect change. He hopes to use this knowledge and experience at UC to bring new life to the student voice at UC and support fellow student leaders to navigate the University structures and policies to succeed in their roles.

Andrew graduated from UC with a Bachelor of Engineering and Network and Software Engineering (BE Network&SE) (Honours) in 2022 after taking a year off, he started his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2023. Andrew currently works at UCX where he supports the operations of the organisation and oversees student experience initiatives. He is passionate about building the best possible experience for students at UC. Outside of Work and Uni, Andrew loves live music and volunteering with Rotary. He is the Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Hall and looks after major projects in this role.

Ms Mushtaha Ahmed

Elected Undergraduate Student

Mushtaha has extensive experience in student leadership and representation. As the President of the UC Student Representative Council and former President of the UC Leadership Club, she leads initiatives to enhance student services and advocate for the student voice. Mushtaha has also volunteered with the Red Cross Humanitarian Settlement Program and supported new students as a mentor. Additionally, she has represented pharmacy students in the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Early Career Pharmacists (ECP) Student Ambassadors program and contributed to improving mental health services through her involvement with the Headspace Youth Reference Group.

Mushtaha chose to serve on the University Council to ensure that the perspectives and needs of students are central to key university decisions. She believes that a strong, student-centered approach is essential for fostering a vibrant and supportive campus environment. Her goal is to create meaningful change by advocating for policies that enhance student well-being, inclusivity, and engagement across all aspects of university life.