The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) is pleased to welcome academic leaders and higher education experts Professor Arshad Omari and Professor Adam Shoemaker as the newest members of its Advisory Board.
Their appointments bring significant sector leadership and equity expertise to the Advisory Board, supporting ACSES as it works with government and universities to advance student equity across Australian higher education.
Professor Omari holds over 30 years of experience in higher education and governance with nearly two decades of involvement in shaping equitable, student-centred higher education as Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), and Acting Vice-Chancellor at Edith Cowan University (ECU).
During his tenure at ECU, he led Student and Academic portfolios, the University’s engagement with the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program and the broader Commonwealth equity agenda, and held executive responsibility for ECU’s Equity and Indigenous portfolio. He also has championed the student experience at ECU through major institutional change programs, and the development of its City Campus.
Professor Omari said that he looks forward to being part of a board dedicated to dismantling barriers that many students in tertiary education face.
“I am truly honoured to be part of a board that is committed to achieving success for all students in higher education,” Professor Omari said.
Professor Shoemaker, Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, is a Commonwealth Scholar and currently holds a position on the Universities Australia Board. He brings extensive national and international tertiary sector experience and dual-sector expertise. Professor Shoemaker is widely recognised for his commitment to expanding access and participation in tertiary education and shaping a purpose-driven sector for all.
His leadership spans academia, public engagement, and governance roles including with the Brisbane Writers Festival and the European Commission. Along with his wide-ranging experience across the Australian higher education sector, Professor Shoemaker carries extensive expertise in education policy and innovation and is one of the nation’s leading researchers in Indigenous literature and culture.
Professor Shoemaker said that he looks forward to working with ACSES Executive Director, Professor Shamit Saggar, and fellow Advisory Board members to support ACSES in advancing improved outcomes for students and communities.
“I am a strong supporter of the Centre’s student-centric mission, and I deeply value the opportunity to contribute to its work.”
“At a time when equity-focused policy reform continues to evolve alongside the establishment of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, our biggest focus is on working with other likeminded institutions to ensure the sector is designed for all, and most accessible to underserved latent talent that exists everywhere in Australia,” Professor Shoemaker said.
The Chair of the ACSES Advisory Board, Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne, said she looks forward to working alongside Professors Omari and Shoemaker.
“I am pleased to welcome Professor Omari and Professor Shoemaker to the ACSES Advisory Board. Their knowledge, experience, and commitment to higher education will be a valuable addition to the Board’s work in supporting ACSES’s strategic direction and national contribution,” Professor Hayne said.
ACSES Executive Director Professor Shamit Saggar expressed delight and confidence in Omari and Shoemaker’s appointment.
“Professors Omari and Shoemaker bring not only significant sector expertise, but firsthand experience of leading universities and responding to the challenges students and institutions face. That practical perspective will be enormously valuable to ACSES as we continue to advance equity and participation in Australian higher education,” Professor Saggar said.
Media contact
Anna Will, ACSES Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Manager
Tel: (08) 9266 3948 Mobile: 0478 373 246 Email: anna.will@curtin.edu.au
