The Southern Cross University Council has welcomed Professor Anne Simmons AM and Dr Jill Freyne as newly appointed members.
Professor Simmons brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education to her council position. She is an Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales where she held the position of Provost (Senior Deputy to the Vice-Chancellor) between 2019 and 2023.
Prior to this, Professor Simmons served as Head of the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Head of School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and led UNSW's Academic Excellence 2025 Strategy.
Outside of her academic career, Professor Simmons is Chair of the Cochlear Foundation and a member of several committees for the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. She is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust), a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) and was awarded an Order of Australia is 2013 for services to biomedical engineering.
"I am delighted to join the council of this young, regional university. Southern Cross was ranked among the world's top 100 young universities in 2024 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. It has enormous potential to deliver high quality education and impactful research in its core disciplines," said Professor Simmons.
Dr Jill Freyne is the Healthcare Industry Lead for AWS Australia where she plays a pivotal role in fostering partnerships to advance the digital transformation of Australia's healthcare sector.
Dr Freyne was previously Deputy Chief Scientist of CSIRO, the National Science Agency, and Deputy CEO of the Australian eHealth Research Centre.
Dr Freyne serves as Deputy Board Chair of the New South Wales Smart Sensing Network (NSSN) and previously served on the Industry Advisory Board of Griffith University's School of Information & Communication Technology.
With more than 20 years' experience in innovation, leadership and governance, Dr Freyne brings a wealth of knowledge in digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) and research translation.
"As we look towards the challenges of the coming years, Southern Cross is well placed to deliver graduates of the highest calibre who will thrive in an AI enabled world. I look forward to playing a part in that."
Southern Cross University Chancellor Sandra McPhee AM said it was wonderful to welcome Professor Simmons and Dr Freyne to the University Council for 2025.
"Anne and Jill bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in higher education as well the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), a sector that is growing exponentially and aligns with our strategic priorities," Ms McPhee said.
"Their insight and expertise are a valuable addition to our University Council."
The Southern Cross University Council is the governing body that provides oversight of the University's operations.
