In 2022, TD School welcomed five brilliant transdisciplinary minds to our academic team. We asked them a little about who they are and why they chose TD.
Since emerging as a pan-university unit, TD School has continued to see growth in its portfolio of engagement opportunities, students and learners, and TD experts. As we wrap up the year, we’d like to introduce and celebrate some of the new faces that joined us in 2022.
Dr Fanny Salignac
Director of CoLab and Associate Professor, social change, impact and policy
Tell us about yourself
I am an associate professor and the inaugural director of CoLab. An integral component of UTS’s research and industry engagement strategy, CoLab brings together people of different disciplines to identify and create solutions to the complex challenges facing society and industry today and towards creating a better future.
I'm driven by a passion for social justice and equality and continue aiming to be a catalyst for change and global social impact. My research focuses on understanding how to address complex social problems and the processes that create a better society. As a teacher, I strive to support and accompany students through their learning journey to become leaders of social change.
Why did you choose to work in TD School?
TD School felt just like home. A School bringing together academics from all types of disciplines to work together towards addressing the complex issues society and industry are currently facing. Who wouldn’t want to work there?
Dr Hossai Gul
Lecturer, implementation science
Tell us about yourself
I am a researcher and practitioner specialising in the implementation of innovations within complex organisations and systems. I have a track record of leading and supporting cross-functional teams to design and operationalise scientifically proven approaches to change as an alternative to ineffective change management. And have worked within multiple sectors over the last 10 years by performing and then translating cutting-edge research into practical approaches for real-world impact on teams and organisations.
I have a transdisciplinary academic history with a Bachelor of Advanced Science, an Honours by thesis in cancer, a Master of Research by thesis in bioinformatic analysis, and a PhD in Implementation Science and Complexity Science. I consider myself a compassionate and transformative leader, an analytical thinker, with an instinct for working with complexity. I’d describe myself as enthusiastic, energetic, a lifetime learner, and inspired by people with great ideas and stories.
Why did you choose to work in TD School?
I chose TD School for the brave people and the brave vision to re-imagine innovation, research, and learning using transdisciplinarity so we can better respond to the complex challenges that our partners and community are currently facing.
How do you recharge over the end-of-year break?
I’ll be taking it easy, spending time with family, eating good food, dancing, getting to the beach, reading some good books and poetry, making some art, and generally just being more present with people I love.
Dr Jan Henrik Gruenhagen
Lecturer, entrepreneurship
Tell us about yourself
I joined TD School in October as a lecturer in innovation and entrepreneurship – still a newbie to the School and very excited to be here. Currently, I am primarily teaching in the Diploma in Innovation, sharing my excitement about entrepreneurship and innovation. I received my PhD in entrepreneurship from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), looking at start-up activities of entrepreneurs in emerging economies and their potential societal and economic impacts. I then worked at QUT as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on projects about the development, adoption and diffusion of new technologies – including the adoption of renewable energy technologies in the resources sector. Prior to my academic journey, I was a journalist, news editor and news presenter in Germany.
What opportunity are you looking forward to tackling in 2023?
Continuing to immerse myself in the exciting TD School space, collaborate with peers and partners, and teach our great student cohort.
How do you recharge over the end-of-year break?
Nothing too exciting – I’ve done quite a bit of travelling this year, so looking forward to relaxing in Sydney, with occasional day trips, lots of exercise and hopefully some sunny days at the beach.
Dr Jarrod Ormiston
Senior lecturer, social entrepreneurship
Tell us about yourself
I am a senior lecturer in social entrepreneurship at the TD School. My teaching activities focus on entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability. My research focuses on working with social enterprises and impact investors to enhance their impact, educating entrepreneurs from marginalised backgrounds, and understanding the role of emotions and time in entrepreneurship. I place a strong value on influencing policy through my work and have worked as a consultant to the NSW Government, the Australian Government, the OECD and United Nations on entrepreneurship and education.
Before joining UTS, I worked as an assistant professor at Maastricht University in The Netherlands, a lecturer at the University of Sydney, as an analyst in growth solutions at Deloitte, and in various management roles in the Australian and Latin American non-profit and education sectors.
What opportunity are you looking forward to tackling in 2023?
In 2023, I am looking forward to researching novel forms of cross-sector collaboration and social movements to tackle persistent social and environmental problems.
Dr Leila Khanjaninejad
Associate Lecturer, gender equity
Tell us about yourself
I am a gender equity enthusiast and am interested in understanding the complexity of power and gender relations within organisations and social systems. I am a mixed-method researcher and am curious about the impact of institutional structures and organisational policies, such as gender neutrality, on under-represented and marginalised groups. My current work focuses on gender equity and inclusion in the context of sport and higher education. Before joining the TD School, I worked as an educator, researcher, and consultant across different universities and industry.
I have a PhD in Management, Master by Research in Development Studies and Bachelor in Social Science.
Why did you choose to work in TD School?
I believe that the future of research, teaching and learning is transdisciplinary. We are, more than ever, facing complex, wicked problems that no single discipline and approach can address or solve. To deal with and tackle these emerging issues, like sustainability, justice and equality we need to foster and educate minds that can integrate different knowledge, draw on different methods and think beyond one discipline. To me, an exciting part of working at TD School, is taking an innovative approach and design, particularly in teaching; going beyond traditional learning practices and helping students to gain a multitude of perspectives and skills.