Associate Professor Melanie Bish has been appointed as La Trobe University's Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional) the University announced today.
Associate Professor Bish is currently Deputy Dean of the La Trobe Rural Health School - the largest rural health school in Australia - and has worked as a Registered Nurse in various clinical and managerial appointments in rural, regional, and metropolitan healthcare organisations in Victoria, including in organisational leadership roles.
She was previously the Head of the Department of Rural Nursing and Midwifery, and an Associate Professor in Nursing - and, during the pandemic in 2020 served as Acting Head of La Trobe's Bendigo campus.
La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar AO warmly congratulated Associate Professor Bish on her appointment.
"Regional communities are critical to our success as a university. Whether we are engaging regional students in higher education, conducting research in partnership with rural communities, or building regional workforce, they are deeply embedded in our organisation," Professor Dewar said.
"With Mel's rich experience in health and higher education, and strong track record of improving community outcomes, she is well placed to develop new partnerships, attract more regional students to study at university, and build upon the significant work we have done to support regional Victoria and beyond."
Associate Professor Bish said she was thrilled to be appointed La Trobe University's Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional).
"As we enter a time of great change in regional communities, I'm excited to be stepping into a role that has a real impact on the University and its many communities," Associate Professor Bish said.
"My approach will be to, as I have always done, value local intelligence and work hand-in-hand with communities to help strengthen them and improve outcomes, both through research and education.
"I will be working to ensure La Trobe remains an employer of choice, partner of choice and destination of choice for local and international students in the regions," Associate Professor Bish said.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional) is a key leadership role that is responsible for the strategy and performance of La Trobe's regional activity and for the management of the key relationships that support this performance.
The role provides leadership to the Heads of Campus in Bendigo, Shepparton, Mildura, and Albury-Wodonga and works closely with members of the University's senior leadership team to ensure continued growth for the University overall.
Associate Professor Bish will commence as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional) on 9 January 2023.
About Associate Professor Melanie Bish:
Associate Professor Bish is also a Board Director of the Australian Rural Health Education Network, Associate Editor of the Australian Journal of Rural Health, and a member of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation Flagship Program.
She is experienced in strategic planning, operational management, and developing and implementing programs that support improved workplace culture and high performance. In the Rural Health School, she has worked on programs that increase the capacity, capability, and responsiveness of the rural health workforce to ensure that people who live in rural, regional, and remote areas have access to high quality healthcare.
