UTS pays tribute to Indigenous academic Dr Dean Jarrett.
Nambucca River at sunset, Gumbaynggirr country. Photo credit: AdobeStock
Friends and colleagues were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of fellow teacher, researcher, collaborator, and mentor Dr Dean Jarrett.
Dean was a Gumbaynggirr man with ancestorial ties to the Kalkadoon, Gooreng Gooreng and Punthamarra nations on his mother’s side. Dean was the first Indigenous man to complete a PhD at the UTS Business School, graduating in 2019. His studies were supported through him being awarded the 2015 Fulbright Indigenous Postgraduate Scholarship.
As a PhD student Dean was based at the University of Arizona, American Indian Studies Department, in Tucson, Arizona. Dean is a graduate of the Murra Indigenous master class program through the Melbourne Business School. Having completed his own PhD, Dean was actively supportive of younger and emerging Indigenous research students across UTS.
"It is with deep sadness and great respect that we remember of our friend and colleague Dr Dean Jarrett. Dean was a much loved and admired teacher, researcher, collaborator, and mentor who made a significant impact on the UTS Business community - our staff, students and graduates - through his teaching and research," said Professor Chris Earley, Dean of UTS Business School.
Dean’s doctoral work explored the values, excellence, and potential of First Nations business people through a comparative study of supplier diversity for Indigenous Australian and Native American enterprise. His was a ground-breaking study that made a substantial contribution to both knowledge and practice of Indigenous business. Dean used his deep cultural and business knowledge, along with his passion and in-depth commitment to the past, present and future of Indigenous business to affect positive change.
Dean became a Lecturer in Indigenous Business at UTS Business School in 2018, using his extensive knowledge to make significant contributions to teaching and education. This included his work as guest lecturer in a number of undergraduate and postgraduate subjects, in the development and implementation of our Indigenous Graduate Attribute (IGA), and as lecturer on the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program.
In particular, the Indigenous students of the BBA were enormously proud to be taught by Dean, appreciative of his generosity as a teacher, and he was well known for always making time for his students, his colleagues across the Business School and Indigenous PhD candidates across UTS, mentoring and encouraging them.
Dean drew on his international research experience to produce research of significant intellectual value and social impact. This work which was reflected in Dean being lead author, with KPMG and Global Compact Network Australia, on a 2020 report titled Australian Business Guide to Implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for the Global Compact Network Australia. This guide provides a universal framework for Australian businesses to protect the rights of Indigenous people and their businesses in Australia.
Dean’s industry-focused research ensured that Indigenous perspectives were central to socio-economic and environmental advancement. As part of this, Dean was collaborating with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council to develop a social impact toolkit to change the way in which Indigenous organisations measure the effects they are having in their communities in a way that is meaningful to those communities.
Dean excelled in building collaborative and productive relationships with industry, government, the not-for-profit sector, and the media. His work focused on providing strategic advice, operational frameworks, research and facilitation services to transform organisations, while improving Indigenous participation across a wide range of sectors. Dean was a Director of Supply Nation, and Wurindaga Management and Procurement Services. He was on the board of St Brendan's College, Yeppoon; Ganbina (Indigenous NFP education organisation in Victoria) and the Babana Aboriginal Men’s group in Redfern, and served on the UTS Science Faculty’s Industry Panel.
Dean worked in collaboration with Global Compact Network Australia (GCNA), Native Nations Building (with Jumbunna), KPMG, Supply Nation, NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Yarpa Indigenous Business Hub, Google, Kari, NSW Aboriginal Land Council, Galambila Aboriginal Medical Service, the Noongar Chamber of Commerce & Industry, CBP Contractors, Better Builders Constructions, Transparency International Australia and the Minerals Council of Australia. This June, Dean was also the recipient of the inaugural Business School award for excellence in external engagement.