Sue is Executive Dean (ED) of the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT) and a member of the University Senior Executive Team (USET) at the University of Queensland, reporting to the Provost. She took up this role substantively in January 2024 and is responsible for the Faculty’s strategic direction, delivering alignment to UQ’s strategic direction as well as for academic and administrative leadership and governance of the Faculty. The Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology is home to over 650 staff, 8000 students and carries an annual research budget of some AUS $ 55 million.
Prior to this, since mid-2019 Sue was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the top-ranked research-intensive university in Africa. In this role, she was a member of the executive team of six at the University of Cape Town. Her direct portfolio included research, innovation, postgraduate studies and internationalisation, in addition to shared executive roles of leadership and management of the university, its good governance, financial sustainability and fiduciary responsibility. She has also served at faculty level and was Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Sue has been both teaching and research active over her 30+ year career. She held the South African National Research Chair in Bioprocess engineering. Her research (which remains active) centres on biohydrometallurgy in both metal recovery and post-mining sustainability, mineral bioleaching in tank and heap systems, bioleaching of electronic waste, prevention of AMD formation, biological sulphate reduction for AMD remediation, valorisation of waste for the circular economy and industrial ecology, post-mine economies, algal biotechnology, waste biorefineries, bio-based chemicals, mixed microbial community dynamics, microbial biofilms and community structure, as well as process conceptualization for fine chemicals and health compounds. These are addressed through a focus on bioreactor and bioprocess design, as well as biokinetics.
