Andy Visser
4 April 2022
The University of Canberra has announced the appointment of Professor Lucy Johnston, to Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise.
Professor Johnston will take the helm of the University’s Research and Enterprise portfolio and will be responsible for furthering the University’s world-class research and strategic commercialisation partnerships and priorities.
“We are delighted that Professor Johnston will be joining our executive leadership team. She will be instrumental in supporting and developing the University’s strategic research objectives, building and nurturing our commercialisation partnerships, and further enhancing our world class research capabilities,” said Professor Paddy Nixon, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra.
“As part of the University’s leadership team, Professor Johnston will provide vision and strategic leadership to the Research and Enterprise portfolio, and build on the University’s world-class research by establishing a genuine enterprise culture and outlook.”
For Professor Johnston, a good professional and personal fit is the motivation for her accepting the role. “UC is a university embedded in its community, connecting and collaborating with intent, and that resonated with me,” she said.
“I was particularly drawn to UC because of its deep and enduring partnerships with the community and business and I am excited to pursue and lead the University further along that path.”
Professor Johnston believes that an important feature of a university is the notion of custodianship. “It is a privilege to create and share the new knowledge we glean from our research, but we must remember that we are temporary custodians of the knowledge. It is imperative that we disseminate our research for the good of society and pass it on to the next generation,” said Professor Johnston.
Professor Johnston believes in genuine and authentic engagement between researchers and industry.
“The University of Canberra has strong areas of research and is highly regarded as a leader in collaborating and partnering with business. I will aim to enhance and build on those solid foundations.”
As a firm believer that researchers need to do what researchers do, and the University should be the instrument of support, Professor Johnston is determined to help researchers achieve their goals.
“I often compare my role as a leader to that of a referee in a rugby game. It is important to set the tone, establish standards and ensure purpose and structure, but the key to doing the job well will play out on the field where the attention is on the players and what they achieve, with the referee almost invisible” she said.
Professor Johnston has enjoyed a rich and diverse career in higher education, having worked in senior management roles across the globe in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.
Professor Johnston is currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) at Murdoch University, Perth, and will assume her role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise on 25 July 2022.
