The Renwick Centre has built an international reputation for the quality of its academic and support staff.
Academic staff include:
Deafness and Hearing Impairment
Professor Greg Leigh, Chair, Renwick Centre/Conjoint Professor of Education, University of Newcastle
Dr Rod Beattie, Head of Academic Program
Dr Jill Duncan, Senior Lecturer
Dr Robyn Cantle Moore, Research Fellow
Sign Language
Dr Breda Carty, Lecturer
Vision Impairment
Dr Mike Steer, Senior Lecturer
Frances Gentle, Lecturer
Dr John Ravenscroft, Senior Research Fellow
Per Lundgren, Adjunct Lecturer
Administration staff include:
Centre Secretary
Library and Information Services
Julie Thorndyke, Manager, Library and Information Services - Monday to Friday
Marijana Miletic, Librarian - Tuesday, Wednesday
Jillian Thompson, Library Technician - Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Continuing Professional Education
Dr Reg Fardell, Co-ordinator, Continuing Professional Education
Sharon Lachmund, Administrative Officer
Distance Education
Claire Farrington, Distance Education Co-ordinator
Multimedia and e-Learning
Dr Teresa Williamson, Curriculum Media Designer
Adrian Such, Multimedia Support Officer
Professor Greg Leigh
BEd (Griffith), MSc (Washington), PhD (Monash), FACE
Chair, Renwick Centre/Conjoint Professor of Education, University of Newcastle
greg.leigh@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0372
Biography
Professor Greg Leigh began his career in education of the deaf at the Queensland School for the Deaf in Brisbane in 1979. He holds degrees in Education and Special Education from Griffith University in Brisbane, a Master of Science degree from Washington University in the USA, and PhD in Special Education from Monash University.
Greg was co-ordinator of the Teacher Education program for Teachers of Deaf and Hearing Impaired students at Deakin University, Victoria, from 1987-1993. In 1993, he took up the position of Senior Lecturer and foundation Head of Renwick College. In July 1999, Greg was appointed Assistant Chief Executive (Educational services) at RIDBC. In October 1999, he was appointed Conjoint Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Newcastle. He is active in research and has published numerous articles and chapters on aspects of education of deaf children.
Research interests
- Teachers’ use of simultaneous communication
- Children’s reception and use of simultaneous communication
- Literacy development in deaf children and adults
- Adult literacy and basic education provision for people who are deaf or hearing impaired
- The use of sign/spoken language interpreters in mainstream educational placements
For further information go to Professor Greg Leigh's University of Newcastle staff page 
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Back
to topDr Rod Beattie
BA, BEd (Saskatchewan), MEd (Manchester), PhD (Alberta)
Head of Academic Program
rod.beattie@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0816
Biography
As well as being Head of Academic Program, Dr Rod Beattie is also Senior Lecturer (Hearing Impairment) at Renwick Centre and Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle. His undergraduate academic qualifications include a BA in Pyschology and a BEd in Special Education from the University of Saskatchewan. His graduate degrees include an MEd in Audiology/Education of the Deaf from the University of Manchester, and a PhD in Special Education from the University of Alberta.
Rod’s two Postdoctoral Fellowships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the University of Alberta focused on pragmatic language competencies of both children and adults with hearing loss.
Research interests
- Pragmatic language competencies in students who are deaf and hearing impaired
- Communication competencies of preschool aged children who are hearing impaired
- Social, communicative and achievement affects of early childhood cochlear implantation
- Adults with acquired hearing losses
- Ethics, education and hearing loss or deafness
For further information go to Dr Rod Beattie's University of Newcastle staff page .
Dr Jill Duncan
B
Sci, M Ed (University of Cincinnati), M Ed Man., PhD (University of
Western
Australia)
Senior Lecturer
jill.duncan@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0331
Dr Duncan studied Speech Pathology, Audiology and Deaf Education with the esteemed Professors Richard and Laura Kretschmer at the University of Cincinnati. She has been a practicing auditory-verbal therapist since 1988 when she worked at the Helen Beebe Speech and Hearing Centre where she was privileged to work alongside Helen Beebe in Pennsylvania, USA.
She has held an academic position at Deafness Studies Unit, University of Melbourne where she worked with the highly regarded Professor Field Rickards. Dr Duncan has been the senior administrator in two well known programs for children and students with hearing impairment - the Cora Barclay Centre in South Australia and Soundbridge in Connecticut, USA.
Research Interests
- Measuring student outcomes
- Complex skills development
- Adolescents with hearing impairment
For further information go to Dr Jill Duncan's University of Newcastle staff page .
For information on Auditory-Verbal therapy and the programs Jill teaches visit the AVT website .
Dr Breda Carty
BA
(Qld), Dip Ed (Monash), M A (Gallaudet), PhD (Griffith).
Lecturer
breda.carty@ridbc.org.au
Ph / TTY: (02) 9872 0241
Biography
Before taking up this position in 2002, Breda was a Research Fellow at Griffith University for 12 years, and a teacher of the deaf in Victoria and the United States. She has had many years’ experience developing Deaf Studies workshops for the Deaf community, and as a consultant with a variety of educational and community-based groups. She has co-authored a widely-used Deaf Studies Program for schools and a variety of other educational materials.
Breda has had extensive involvement in Deaf community organizations, and is currently Secretary of Deaf History International and a member of the World Federation of the Deaf’s Expert Group on Deaf culture.
Research Interests
- Deaf history, culture and community
- Learning styles of Deaf people
- Auslan/English bilingualism in children and adults
- Deaf Studies curriculum development
For further information go to Dr Breda Carty's University of Newcastle staff page .
Dr Mike Steer
BA (Sir George Williams), Dip Ed (Exeter), MSc (Southern Illinois),
MEd (Boston College), MA(Hons) (Melbourne), PhD (Syracuse)
Senior Lecturer
mike.steer@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0814
Biography
Mike Steer is Senior Lecturer in Vision Impairment at the Renwick Centre and Adjunct Professor at Deakin University. Prior to 1996, he was Director of the NSW Office on Disability and before that, Principal Advisor on Disability Policy for Community Services Victoria, and Director of the Integration Unit for the Victorian Ministry of Education.
Mike holds a PhD (Special Education Administration) from Syracuse University, with masters degrees in Public Policy (Melbourne), Vision Impairment (Boston College) and Education (Southern Illinois).
Mike is involved in a range of professional associations including South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment (NSW State Counsellor), Council for Exceptional Children (USA) and Phi Delta Kappa (USA). He is currently Editor of the Australian Deaf Blind Council Bulletin, the Journal of the South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment, and a Consulting Editor to the Australian Journal of Special Education.
Research Interests
- Disability, advocacy and human service policy reform
- Integration and inclusion of students with sensory disabilities in the generic education system
- Educational issues in deafblindness
- Public attitude towards people with sensory disabilities
For further information go to Dr Mike Steer's University of Newcastle staff page .
Frances Gentle
BA, Dip Ed (Macquarie); B Ed (Special Education) (UNE); MSpecEd (Sensory
Disability) (Newcastle, NSW)
Lecturer
frances.gentle@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0808
Biography
Fran Gentle is part time Lecturer in Vision Impairment at The Renwick Centre. She has worked in the education and disability fields for approximately 20 years. In 1994/95 she taught at the American School in Japan (ASIJ) and at the Tokyo International Learning Centre for international students with special needs. She also established an English language teaching program for Japanese adults with severe vision impairment at the Vocational Development Centre for the Blind in Tokyo. Prior to 1994, she taught in regular and special educational settings in Sydney, within both the Government and Catholic educational sectors.
Fran is also part time Vision Services Coordinator at St. Edmund’s School, Wahroonga, Sydney. Her professional associations include South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment (SPEVI), International Council of Educators of Vision Impaired (ICEVI), Australian Association of Special Education (AASE), Australian Braille Authority (Convener, New South Wales Subcommittee), and the Australian Literacy Educators' Association (ALEA).
Research Interests
- Contemporary issues associated with educational standards and pedagogy
- Braille literacy and numeracy development
- Curriculum and expanded core curriculum access and provision for students with vision impairment
- Development of educational services for children with disabilities in the South Pacific and East Asia regions
For further information go to Frances Gentle's University of Newcastle staff page .
Dr John Ravenscroft
BSc, MA (London), PhD (Edinburgh)
Senior Research Fellow
john.ravenscroft@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0248
Biography
John Ravenscroft is Senior Research Fellow in Special Education (Visual Impairment) and is a conjoint researcher with the University of Newcastle, NSW. He was the Head of the Scottish Sensory Centre, University of Edinburgh and was also Director of Visual Impairment Scotland/VISKIDS also based at the University. He also worked as a researcher in the Psychology department at Edinburgh and has taught Psychology in London as well as in Tokyo, Japan.
John has a PhD (Psychology) from the University of Edinburgh, where he investigated the “Ontology of Cognitive Systems”, with a Masters degree in Philosophy and Psychology of Language from the University of London. His first degree is in Psychology.
John has been involved in a range of professional associations in the UK and before leaving he was Chair of the Children’s sub group of Vision 2020 UK. He was also a Director of the Royal Blind School Edinburgh, serving as an executive board member and on the Education Committee of the School. He was also an executive member of the Scottish National Federation of the Welfare of the Blind. John was also part of the team that help to develop the children’s section of the Scottish Eye Care review. Currently John is the book editor of the British Journal of Visual Impairment, and has been the lead on many commissioned research projects throughout Scotland and the UK.
Research interests
- Developing systems in order to understand the demographics of children with vision impairment
- Inter-agency working & early intervention
- Services to multi-disabled children with vision impairment (MDVI) within mainstream and special schools
- Evaluating Eye Screening programs in children
Dr Robyn Cantle Moore
B. Mus. Ed. (Sydney), Cert. Teach (Secondary), D.S.C.M. (Performance) (Conservatorium/Sydney), M. Spec. Ed. (Sensory Disability) (Newcastle), M. Ed. Stud. (Newcastle), PhD (Newcastle)
Research Fellow
robyn.moore@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872-0204 or (02) 9872-0339
Fax:
(02) 9873-1614
Biography
Robyn Cantle Moore has 20 years experience as an educator in the field of hearing impairment/ multi-sensory disability with appointments including: Conjoint Lecturer, Teacher Training and Professional Development Program, Senior Teacher of the Deaf / Consultant, RIDBC Early Learning Program and Specialist consultant, RIDBC Assessment and Resource Team.
Present roles and responsibilities include lecturing on specific topics related to early childhood intervention for sensory disability (HI and VI) and family support, as well as limited face-to-face teaching (research programs) as Senior Teacher of the Deaf, RIDBC Early Learning Program.
Research Interests
- Audition, speech and language development of infants (CI / HA) in Deaf family environments
- Developing parent-report/education tools for infant-HI monitoring and assessment
Per Lundgren
CertEcon (Trollhatten), CertSocSc (Uppsala), CertPE, CerTAFL (Orebro),
CertO&M (Stockholm), MA (Orebro)
Adjunct Lecturer
per.lundgren@ridbc.org.au
Jill Watson 
Centre Secretary
jill.watson@ridbc.org.au
Ph / TTY: (02) 9872 0303
Fax:
(02) 9873 1614
Biography
Jill is the Renwick Centre Secretary and provides administrative support for all staff.
Jill is responsible for monitoring and maintaining all student records, provides information to students about programs offered at the Renwick Centre, as well as using the University of Newcastle student record system. Jill liaises with the University with enrolments, grades and graduation.
Jill worked at another University prior to commencing employment at the Renwick Centre in 2001.
Julie Thorndyke
BA - Lib Sc (KCAE), BA - Eng Lit (Macquarie), AALIA
Manager, Library and Information Services
julie.thorndyke@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0396
Biography
As Manager, Library and Information Services at the Renwick Centre, Julie is responsible for the information needs of Renwick Centre students enrolled in on-campus and distance learning modes, the professional information and research needs of Renwick Centre faculty, and those of professional staff of RIDBC. She is also available to help parents of children enrolled in RIDBC programs to access appropriate information from the specialist resources within the Renwick Centre Library.
With a career in librarianship spanning more than twenty years, Julie’s experience comes from a variety of roles in school, university and TAFE libraries. She enjoys the challenge of adapting library services to take advantage of new developments in online service delivery.
A published poet, Julie is currently studying part-time at the University of Sydney in the Master of Creative Writing programme.
Marijana Miletic
BSc (UNSW), Grad Dip IM – Librarianship (UNSW)
Senior Librarian, P/T
marijana.miletic@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0396 or 9872 0285
Biography
Marijana is part time librarian at the Renwick Centre. In this role she is responsible for the information needs of Renwick Centre students enrolled in on-campus and distance learning modes; the professional information and research needs of Renwick Centre faculty, as well as those of the professional staff of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children; and also supporting parents of children enrolled in RIDBC programs in their information quests.
Marijana has worked in the information field for 10 years in medical, public, TAFE and school libraries. In March 2007 she took up her current position. Professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Science (In Science & Technology Studies) and a Graduate Diploma in Information Management – Librarianship both from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. She is normally available Tuesday and Wednesday.
Jillian Thompson 
Library Technician, P/T
jillian.thompson@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0285 or 9872 0396
Biography
Hi, my name is Jillian and I am employed as a Library Technician at the Renwick Centre Library. I am deaf and I use Auslan and lipread too.
My role is to assist in supporting the information needs of Renwick Centre students enrolled in-campus and distance learning modes; the professional information and research needs of Renwick Centre faculty as well as those of the professional staff at the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, and also supporting parents of children enrolled in RIDBC programs in their information needs.
Over the past, I have worked in various libraries ranging from law, public, school and university. I also have been involved in the deaf education field as a Deaf Support teacher with DEN.
My interests are library work, deaf education and history.
Dr Reg Fardell
BA (Newcastle), Grad. Dip. Education (Southern Cross), PhD (Southern Cross)
Coordinator, Continuing Professional Education
reg.fardell@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0302
Biography
Dr Fardell’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Economics, a Diploma of Education, and a PhD in Education.
Reg began his career in business where he acquired considerable experience in information technology, finance, management, and training.
He later became involved in Education and has taught in high school, TAFE, and over a decade as an academic at a number of Australian universities. As an academic, he was especially involved in teaching and learning issues, on-line distance education, professional education, and the management of large scale education programs both in Australia and internationally.
Research interests
• The education of intellectually gifted students
• The use of technology in Education
• Curriculum and curricula organisation
• Case-based, experiential and problem based learning approaches
Sharon Lachmund 
Administrative Officer
sharon.lachmund@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0207
Biography
Sharon is currently employed as an administrative officer at the Renwick Centre in the Continuing Professional Education department. In this role she sends RIDBC employees on professional development courses and assists with the Continuing Professional Education calendar planning and delivery.
Claire Farrington 
BA (UNSW)
Distance Education Coordinator
claire.farrington@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0811
Biography
Claire Farrington is Distance Education Co-ordinator at the Renwick Centre for Professional Education and Research. Claire has supported the professional development and academic programs of Renwick since 1995 and has held her current position since 2001.
In her current role, Claire supports Renwick’s staff in the delivery of the academic program to a growing distance student population and is the main administrative contact for the distance students.
Claire’s academic qualifications include a BA (UNSW) and she is currently enrolled as a distance student in a Graduate Certificate in Adult Education through the University of New England.
Dr Teresa Williamson
BSc (Liverpool, UK), PhD (Plymouth, UK), Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (AOT, Cairns, Australia)
Curriculum Media Designer
teresa.williamson@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0258
Biography
Teresa joined the Renwick Centre in October 2006. She originally started out as a Geographer, Gaining a BSc (Hons) from The University of Liverpool in 1993, and a PhD at the University of Plymouth in 1999. Since then she developed an interest in education and online learning, and was offered a position at Nottingham City Hospital designing multi-media learning packages for postgraduate doctors. She has also supported undergraduate teaching at the University of Liverpool, and worked at the University of Nottingham as a Staff and Educational Development Officer, designing and delivering accredited programs in education and management development.
Teresa is responsible for the design and development of multi-media learning resources for Renwick Centre programs, e-newsletters and Renwick Centre websites.
Adrian Such
B Comp Inf Sc (University of South Australia)
Multimedia Support Officer, P/T
adrian.such@ridbc.org.au
Ph: (02) 9872 0258
Biography
Adrian joined the Renwick Centre in March 2008. He has over 10 years experience designing, developing and project managing new media projects and has worked in new media management and development roles in the not-for-profit and commercial sectors in Australia and the UK.
Adrian has a particular interest in digital video, e-learning and e-marketing projects as well as general multimedia development and support, usability, accessibility and web publishing.
