16 May 2019: On behalf of the ACT Chief Minister, the Minister for Higher Education has recently appointed Patricia Kelly PSM GAICD to the University of Canberra Council until April 2022.
Ms Kelly is recently retired as Director General of IP Australia, the agency that administers intellectual property rights in relation to patents, trademarks and designs in Australia.
Over a long career in the Australian Public Service Ms Kelly worked closely with the research and higher education sector for more than a decade. She led Australia’s bid to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope. She now chairs the nine-nation SKA Council Preparatory Taskforce, laying the groundwork for the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, to build the world’s largest and most advanced radio telescope.
Ms Kelly is currently a Director of Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC), a not-for-profit company facilitating research and collaboration between Defence, defence industry and the research sector. She is also a member of the CSIRO Manufacturing Advisory Committee.
“The University of Canberra’s focus on innovation in key areas of technology and the sciences makes it an exciting and progressive university to be involved with,” said Ms Kelly. “Rated amongst the world’s fastest rising young universities, UC’s focus on real-world business partnerships and work-integrated learning make it a leader in generating the highly skilled workforce we require to capture emerging economic opportunities.”
“Canberra is a dynamic, growing city with significant potential for further economic development. UC, through its development of skills, knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship, facilitates opportunities for employment and growth in Canberra and beyond. I look forward to working with the UC Council to facilitate strategic growth at the university that promotes economic and social opportunity.”
Ms Kelly spent a decade as a Deputy Secretary in the Commonwealth department responsible for industry and innovation, providing her with insight into the business and research sectors and the drivers of technology-driven innovation and development. She was awarded the Australian Public Service Medal in 2013.
She has served on numerous boards and committees throughout her career with a focus on innovation, higher education, science and intellectual property.
Ms Kelly has a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in communication and is a graduate (and current member) of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Ms Kelly joins Dr Chris Faulks, Mr Barry Mewett, Ms Annabelle Pegrum AM, Mr David Sturgiss, Mr Glenn Keys AO, Dr Michael Schaper, and Dr Tom Karmel AM, as Council members appointed by the Chief Minister.
More information about the University Council is available here: https://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/governance/council
Contact the University of Canberra media team:
Megan Reeder Hope, Associate Director, Media and Communications
megan.reederhope@canberra.edu.au or 0435 103 735