50 University Provosts and Deputy VCs in AU and NZ

Last updated: August 2026

As of August 2026, this directory brings together 50 people currently serving as Provost or Deputy Vice-Chancellor at a university across Australia and New Zealand. These are the individuals accountable, right now, for academic strategy, research performance, student experience and institutional direction at their universities, working alongside vice-chancellors and executive teams to keep large, complex organisations moving in one direction.

This list helps staff, partners, suppliers and prospective students understand who currently holds these senior academic roles, drawn directly from each university's own current leadership or governance page rather than a second-hand summary that may already be out of date. Titles like Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor can sound similar from the outside, but the portfolios behind them, from research strategy to student experience to Maori or Indigenous leadership, shape very different parts of a university's daily reality.

The scope here spans large metropolitan universities and smaller regional and specialist institutions across every Australian state and territory, plus all eight universities in New Zealand. That breadth matters, because the people setting academic direction at a large capital-city university and a smaller regional institution face genuinely different pressures, even when their titles look alike on paper. Every entry links to the university's own current page for further detail, so the description in front of you can be checked against the primary source in a click.

University executive roles change often. Several of the people on this list moved into their current position within the past year, and a small number currently hold their title on an acting or interim basis while a substantive search continues. Each entry is labelled honestly where that applies, because an accurate current snapshot is more useful than a tidy one, and because a title that looked settled six months ago can quietly change without much public notice.

Why university provosts and deputy vice-chancellors matter

A relatively small group of people at the top of Australian and New Zealand universities make decisions that reach far beyond their own office. When a Provost or Deputy Vice-Chancellor changes academic policy, research priorities or student support settings, that decision touches thousands of students and hundreds of academic and professional staff, and it can ripple through a university's reputation for years.

The people on this list carry that accountability directly. A Provost typically acts as the university's chief academic officer, balancing teaching quality, research performance and institutional strategy across every faculty. A Deputy Vice-Chancellor usually leads one defined portfolio, whether that is research and innovation, education, Indigenous or Maori leadership, international partnerships, or student experience, working alongside the Vice-Chancellor and the rest of the executive team to turn broad strategy into decisions people actually feel.

Understanding who currently holds these roles matters because the list changes constantly. Several of the leaders profiled here moved into their current position during the past year, following restructures, retirements or a formal appointment process. A title once accurate in an old article can quietly become wrong within months, which is exactly the trap this directory is designed to avoid. This directory reflects the current position at each university as shown on its own page, giving readers a genuinely current starting point rather than a stale one built on an outdated news article or a search result nobody has checked recently.

1. Kylie Readman

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic), University of Technology Sydney

Kylie Readman is Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic) at UTS, based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. UTS is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Kylie carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

Readman joined UTS in November 2022 from Murdoch University, where as Deputy Vice-Chancellor she chaired the Program Control Group for the award-winning Boola Katitjin Learning and Teaching building. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Kylie's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

2. Kate McGrath

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research), University of Technology Sydney

Kate McGrath serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) of UTS, working out of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. That position puts Kate squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

Before joining UTS in 2018, McGrath was Vice-Provost (Research) at Victoria University of Wellington and directed the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence, from 2011. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

3. Belinda Tynan

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), University of Newcastle

From Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, Belinda Tynan holds the role of Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Uni of Newcastle. The role gives Belinda direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

Before joining the University of Newcastle in 2025, Tynan was Deloitte Australia's National Education Lead advising government and the tertiary sector on digital transformation, and was named an AFR Top 100 Women of Influence in 2019. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Belinda's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

4. Craig Simmons

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), University of Newcastle

Craig Simmons leads this portfolio as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at Uni of Newcastle, based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Uni of Newcastle is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Craig fits this directory of current university leaders.

A groundwater scientist appointed to the role in June 2026, Simmons continues to serve part time as Chief Scientist of South Australia alongside leading research and innovation at Newcastle. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Craig, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

5. Ana Deletic

Provost, University of Wollongong

Based in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, Ana Deletic is Provost at UOW. UOW is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Ana carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

As founding Executive Dean of Engineering at QUT, Deletic doubled research income and grew student enrolments while increasing access for Indigenous, regional and low-SES students, before becoming Provost at Wollongong in June 2026. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Ana's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

6. Helen Partridge

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Education), University of Wollongong

Helen Partridge is Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Education) at UOW, based in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. That position puts Helen squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

Partridge was named a National Fellow of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council in 2008, one of only eight nationally, and held visiting fellowships at the Oxford Internet Institute and Harvard's Berkman Klein Center. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

7. Deborah Sweeney

Provost, Western Sydney University

Deborah Sweeney serves as Provost of Western Sydney Uni, working out of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The role gives Deborah direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

A corneal-physiology researcher, Sweeney has published more than 100 refereed articles on the effects of contact lens wear and refractive surgery on the human cornea and is co-inventor on two patents. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Deborah's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

8. Ian Anderson

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, Western Sydney University

From Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Ian Anderson holds the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation at Western Sydney Uni. Western Sydney Uni is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Ian fits this directory of current university leaders.

Anderson was the founding Director of the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment from 2011, building it into a world-leading research institute for terrestrial ecology and climate change science. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Ian, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

9. Stuart Wyithe

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Australian National University

Stuart Wyithe leads this portfolio as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at ANU, based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. ANU is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Stuart carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

An astrophysicist researching galaxy and supermassive black hole formation, Wyithe received the Pawsey Medal and the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year before joining ANU's executive in May 2026. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Stuart's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

10. Michelle Lincoln

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, University of Canberra

Based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, Michelle Lincoln is Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President at Uni of Canberra. That position puts Michelle squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

Lincoln co-led implementation of the UC Sport Strategy, a whole-of-university strategy using sport to advance social justice, equality, inclusion and wellbeing, with a focus on women in sport and sport integrity. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

11. Graham Brown

Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Charles Sturt University

Graham Brown is Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Charles Sturt Uni, based in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. The role gives Graham direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

Under Brown's leadership since 2022, Charles Sturt climbed to fifth nationally for overall educational experience, up from twentieth, and has led the sector in graduate outcomes for nine consecutive years. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Graham's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

12. Jessica Vanderlelie

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Deakin University

Jessica Vanderlelie serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic of Deakin University, working out of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Deakin University is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Jessica fits this directory of current university leaders.

Vanderlelie provides strategic leadership for Deakin's education agenda, student learning experience and student support, driving the university's push toward premium digital learning. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Jessica, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

13. Karen Hapgood

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Swinburne University of Technology

From Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Karen Hapgood holds the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research at Swinburne Uni. Swinburne Uni is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Karen carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

Previously Executive Dean of Science, Engineering and Built Environment and Dean of Engineering at Deakin, Hapgood is a Fellow of ATSE, IChemE, RACI and Engineers Australia and a chemical engineering researcher. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Karen's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

14. Liam Sloan

Provost, Federation University Australia

Liam Sloan leads this portfolio as Provost at Federation Uni, based in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. That position puts Liam squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

Before becoming Provost, Sloan was Deputy Vice-Chancellor VET and Chief Executive, TAFE at Federation, and began his career as a chef with international success in badminton before moving into VET leadership across the UK and New Zealand. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

15. Natalie Brown

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Launceston), University of Tasmania

Based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, Natalie Brown is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Launceston) at Uni of Tasmania. The role gives Natalie direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

Brown directed the Peter Underwood Centre from 2017 to 2023, driving partnerships to raise educational attainment across Tasmania, and received a National Teaching Excellence award in 2013. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Natalie's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

16. Nicole Webster

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, University of Tasmania

Nicole Webster is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research at Uni of Tasmania, based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Uni of Tasmania is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Nicole fits this directory of current university leaders.

A former Chief Scientist of the Australian Antarctic Division, Webster led development of the Australian Antarctic Science Decadal Plan and is Australia's delegate to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Nicole, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

17. Jenny Seddon

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, James Cook University

Jenny Seddon serves as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research of JCU, working out of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. JCU is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Jenny carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

Seddon has an international research reputation in conservation genomics of wildlife, most recently koalas and dugongs, with more than 90 peer-reviewed publications and past leadership of a veterinary education project in Vietnam. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Jenny's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

18. Ross Young

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), University of the Sunshine Coast

From Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, Ross Young holds the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at UniSC. That position puts Ross squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

A clinical psychologist whose research on gene regulation and stress has produced more than 280 published papers and book chapters, Young has supervised over 50 PhD and postdoctoral researchers. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

19. Julie Jomeen

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Southern Cross University

Julie Jomeen leads this portfolio as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Southern Cross Uni, based in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. The role gives Julie direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

A UK-registered nurse and midwife and internationally recognised perinatal mental health researcher, Jomeen was previously Dean of Health and Social Care at the University of Hull before becoming Executive Dean of Health at Southern Cross. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Julie's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

20. Tim Smith

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Southern Cross University

Based in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, Tim Smith is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Southern Cross Uni. Southern Cross Uni is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Tim fits this directory of current university leaders.

A Southern Cross alumnus and human geographer researching coastal management, water security and climate adaptation, Smith holds adjunct professorships at Brock University in Canada and Uppsala University in Sweden. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Tim, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

21. Keitha Dunstan

Provost, Bond University

Keitha Dunstan is Provost at Bond University, based in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Bond University is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Keitha carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

A proud descendant of the Mandandanji people of South West Queensland, Dunstan chairs the Board of Advice for the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation and the Queensland Independent Remuneration Tribunal. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Keitha's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

22. Steve Rogers

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Community Connection, Charles Darwin University

Steve Rogers serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Community Connection of Charles Darwin Uni, working out of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. That position puts Steve squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

A microbiologist by training, Rogers researches using microorganisms to clean up contaminated industrial sites and was formerly CEO of the Centre for Appropriate Technology, an Aboriginal-controlled organisation based in Alice Springs. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

23. Romy Lawson

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Flinders University

From Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, Romy Lawson holds the role of Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Flinders University. The role gives Romy direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

Lawson's portfolio spans learning and teaching innovation, academic quality, student experience and the Office of Indigenous Strategy and Engagement, and she previously served as Interim Vice Chancellor at Murdoch University. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Romy's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

24. Raymond Chan

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Flinders University

Raymond Chan leads this portfolio as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Flinders University, based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Flinders University is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Raymond fits this directory of current university leaders.

An NHMRC Investigator Fellow, Chan has received more than 37 million dollars in research funding as Chief Investigator, published over 220 peer-reviewed articles, and advises Australia's national cancer control agency. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Raymond, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

25. Dominique Parrish

Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Torrens University Australia

Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, Dominique Parrish is Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic at Torrens University. Torrens University is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Dominique carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

Parrish has more than 35 years in curriculum and education leadership, is a former President of ASCILITE and a former Senior Editor of the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Dominique's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

26. Tim Colmer

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Western Australia

Tim Colmer is Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at UWA, based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. That position puts Tim squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

Colmer leads UWA's College of Schools and previously served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, and currently sits on the boards of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and VenuesWest. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

27. Anna Nowak

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of Western Australia

Anna Nowak serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) of UWA, working out of Perth, Western Australia, Australia. The role gives Anna direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

A clinician-scientist and medical oncologist specialising in mesothelioma and tumour immunology, Nowak is President-Elect of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group and an advisory council member for Cancer Australia. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Anna's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

28. Don Klinger

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education), Murdoch University

From Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Don Klinger holds the role of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) at Murdoch University. Murdoch University is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Don fits this directory of current university leaders.

Klinger's research focuses on measurement, assessment and evaluation of educational outcomes, drawing on prior senior roles at the University of Waikato in New Zealand and Queen's University in Canada. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Don, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

29. Peter Eastwood

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation), Murdoch University

Peter Eastwood leads this portfolio as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation) at Murdoch University, based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Murdoch University is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Peter carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

Founding Director of the Centre for Sleep Science at UWA and a former Director of the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Eastwood is a past president of the Australasian Sleep Association. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Peter's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

30. Colm Harmon

Provost and Vice-President, Edith Cowan University

Based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Colm Harmon is Provost and Vice-President at ECU. That position puts Colm squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

Recognised as one of the most-cited researchers in the economics of education, Harmon previously served as Vice Principal at the University of Edinburgh and Vice Provost at the University of Sydney before joining ECU in December 2025. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

31. Paulo de Souza

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Edith Cowan University

Paulo de Souza is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at ECU, based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. The role gives Paulo direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

A former participating scientist on NASA's Mars Exploration Program, de Souza co-authored research named Science magazine's Breakthrough of the Year in 2004 and has forged research partnerships with Fraunhofer and NASA since joining ECU in 2024. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Paulo's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

32. David Sadler

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, University of Notre Dame Australia

David Sadler serves as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic of Notre Dame Australia, working out of Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia. Notre Dame Australia is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why David fits this directory of current university leaders.

Sadler chairs Universities Australia's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Executive, leading national work on academic integrity and teaching recognition, after earlier DVC roles at UWA and the University of Tasmania. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for David, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

33. Alex Frino

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Partnerships and International, University of Notre Dame Australia

From Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia, Alex Frino holds the role of Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Partnerships and International at Notre Dame Australia. Notre Dame Australia is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Alex carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

A two-time Fulbright Scholar and former CEO of the Capital Markets Cooperative Research Centre, Frino is one of the most-published financial economists in the world according to an influential academic survey. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Alex's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

34. Simon Evans

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of New England

Simon Evans leads this portfolio as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at UNE, based in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. That position puts Simon squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

Before joining UNE in 2022, Evans was Provost of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce at La Trobe University and Pro Vice-Chancellor International at the University of Melbourne, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

35. Chris Armstrong

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of New England

Based in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, Chris Armstrong is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at UNE. The role gives Chris direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

Before UNE, Armstrong was the New South Wales Deputy Chief Scientist and Engineer and received a Public Service Medal in 2016 for services in science and engineering, including work on coal seam gas and climate modelling. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Chris's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

36. Paul Race

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Avondale University

Paul Race is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Avondale University, based in Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia. Avondale University is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Paul fits this directory of current university leaders.

Race championed Avondale's recognition of the International Big Picture Learning Credential as a non-ATAR university entry pathway, saying it allows students to demonstrate their capability for learning and achieve their career goals. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Paul, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

37. Frank Bloomfield

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, University of Auckland

Frank Bloomfield serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation of Uni of Auckland, working out of Auckland, New Zealand. Uni of Auckland is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Frank carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

A Professor of Neonatology since 2013, Bloomfield led research into optimising nutrition for premature babies and was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024 for services to neonatology. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Frank's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

38. Sarah Young

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education, University of Auckland

From Auckland, New Zealand, Sarah Young holds the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education at Uni of Auckland. That position puts Sarah squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

Previously Dean of Science at Auckland and Deputy Dean of the Dunedin School of Medicine at Otago, Young holds a Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship and a Fulbright senior scholar award. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

39. Wendy Lawson

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Auckland University of Technology

Wendy Lawson leads this portfolio as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic at AUT, based in Auckland, New Zealand. The role gives Wendy direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

AUT's first-ever Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, appointed in 2021, Lawson is a glaciologist by research background who was previously Pro Vice-Chancellor of Science at the University of Canterbury. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Wendy's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

40. Mark Orams

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Auckland University of Technology

Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Mark Orams is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research at AUT. AUT is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Mark fits this directory of current university leaders.

A Professor of Marine Recreation and Tourism nicknamed the Sailing Professor, Orams has been a central media commentator during successive America's Cup events and previously led AUT's Graduate Research School. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Mark, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

41. Jennifer Milam

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, University of Waikato

Jennifer Milam is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic at Uni of Waikato, based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Uni of Waikato is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Jennifer carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

An art history scholar appointed in 2024, Milam was previously Pro Vice-Chancellor Academic Excellence at the University of Newcastle, with earlier tertiary leadership roles in Australia and the United States. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Jennifer's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

42. Gary Wilson

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, University of Waikato

Gary Wilson serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research of Uni of Waikato, working out of Hamilton, New Zealand. That position puts Gary squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

An Antarctica research expert appointed in February 2024, Wilson was formerly Chief Scientist and General Manager Research Strategy and Partnerships at GNS Science. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

43. Giselle Byrnes

Provost, Massey University

From Palmerston North, New Zealand, Giselle Byrnes holds the role of Provost at Massey University. The role gives Giselle direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

An internationally recognised New Zealand colonial historian and former Fulbright scholar at Georgetown University, Byrnes sits on the board of Massey Ventures Limited, the university's research commercialisation company. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Giselle's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

44. Tere McGonagle-Daly

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Students and Global Engagement, Massey University

Tere McGonagle-Daly leads this portfolio as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Students and Global Engagement at Massey University, based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Massey University is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Tere fits this directory of current university leaders.

McGonagle-Daly chairs Massey Global Ltd and Massey Global Singapore Private Ltd, and is an elected Fellow of Te Mata o te Tau, the Academy of Maori Research and Scholarship. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Tere, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

45. Robyn Longhurst

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Victoria University of Wellington

Based in Wellington, New Zealand, Robyn Longhurst is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Vic Uni Wellington. Vic Uni Wellington is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Robyn carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

Longhurst represents Victoria University of Wellington on the national Committee of University Academic Programmes and has led two university academic quality audits as well as three New Zealand and Australia quality panels. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Robyn's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

46. Sally McArthur

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Victoria University of Wellington

Sally McArthur is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Vic Uni Wellington, based in Wellington, New Zealand. That position puts Sally squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

McArthur joined as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research in February 2026 and chairs the university's Research Trust and University Research Committee, having previously built Swinburne University's Innovation Precinct. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

47. Catherine Moran

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, University of Canterbury

Catherine Moran serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic of Uni of Canterbury, working out of Christchurch, New Zealand. The role gives Catherine direct responsibility for a portfolio that touches thousands of students, hundreds of staff and the wider reputation of the institution.

A cognition and language-development researcher who has studied the effect of head injury on language abilities in young people, Moran has already been announced as the university's next Vice-Chancellor from February 2027. It gives a concrete sense of how well sourced the record behind Catherine's role is, beyond the title alone. Read the university's current page.

48. Lucy Johnston

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, University of Canterbury

From Christchurch, New Zealand, Lucy Johnston holds the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation at Uni of Canterbury. Uni of Canterbury is a significant part of the higher education landscape in its part of Australia or New Zealand, which is why Lucy fits this directory of current university leaders.

An Oxford and Bristol-trained experimental social psychologist researching non-verbal behaviour and bias, Johnston joined as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation in 2025 after service on the Canberra Innovation Network board. That is a genuinely useful part of the current record for Lucy, and a useful reference point for readers following the university. Read the university's current page.

49. Merata Kawharu

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Maori, Lincoln University

Merata Kawharu leads this portfolio as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Maori at Lincoln University, based in Lincoln, New Zealand. Lincoln University is one of the universities this directory covers across Australia and New Zealand, and Merata carries current accountability for how that portfolio is run.

A Rhodes Scholar who leads implementation of the university's Maori Plan, Kawharu also leads a multi-community climate-resilience programme and a marae-based food systems initiative in Te Tai Tokerau. That detail is a useful marker of how current the record behind Merata's role is, drawn directly from the university's own page. Read the university's current page.

50. Gregory Cook

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), University of Otago

Based in Dunedin, New Zealand, Gregory Cook is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at University of Otago. That position puts Gregory squarely inside this list's scope of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors working across the region's universities.

A world-leading researcher in microbial metabolism working on new strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance, Cook is a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Aparangi and holder of a Distinguished Chair award in Microbiology and Immunology. For readers tracking who actually leads academic and research strategy at universities across the region, that background is directly relevant. Read the university's current page.

What these leaders show us about university leadership across Australia and New Zealand

Reading these 50 profiles together, a few patterns stand out. The first is how many universities now split senior academic leadership into several focused portfolios, from research and innovation to Maori or Indigenous leadership to student experience, rather than relying on one deputy alone. A single Deputy Vice-Chancellor title from a decade ago has, at many institutions, become three or four separate, more specialised roles.

The second pattern is how frequently senior academic roles change hands, and how visible that change is on a university's own site. Several of the appointments in this directory date from the past year, including a small number of acting or interim arrangements, a reminder that a university's own leadership page is a far safer source than an old article or a search snippet that nobody has revisited recently.

The third pattern is genuine mobility between institutions and even between countries. A number of the people in this list moved into their current Australian or New Zealand role from a university on the other side of the Tasman, or from another country entirely, bringing academic leadership experience gained somewhere else into a new institution and a new set of local pressures.

A fourth pattern worth noting is the geographic spread: this directory's current Provosts and Deputy Vice-Chancellors span from Perth to Darwin, Adelaide to Hobart, and Auckland to Dunedin, reflecting the genuine scale of higher education leadership across both countries, well beyond the handful of large capital-city institutions that usually dominate this kind of conversation.

None of this compares who is doing the job best. It is simply what becomes visible once current senior academic leadership roles across Australia and New Zealand are placed side by side, and it is a useful reminder of how much of a university's daily direction sits with people whose names rarely make headlines.

How to use this list

Use this list as a working directory rather than a finished answer. If you need to know who currently holds a senior academic leadership role at a specific university, the entry above gives you the current title and a link straight to that university's own page so you can check further detail yourself before you rely on it.

Staff, suppliers and community partners preparing an approach to a university can use it to identify exactly who currently holds a relevant portfolio before drafting an introduction or a proposal. Journalists and researchers can use it to quickly establish a current title before publishing or briefing on it, rather than relying on an older article that may have been overtaken by a recent appointment. Prospective students and their families can use it to understand who is setting academic and student experience priorities at a university they are considering, which can be a useful signal alongside course content and campus visits.

Because senior university roles change reasonably often, treat every entry as accurate at the time this directory was last updated, and check anything time-sensitive directly against the university's own current page before you rely on it for something that matters. A short check against the linked page takes a minute and can save an awkward mistake in an email, a briefing note or a formal introduction.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people are on this list of university provosts and deputy vice-chancellors?

This directory currently includes 50 people currently serving as Provost or Deputy Vice-Chancellor at a university across Australia and New Zealand, spanning every Australian state and territory and all eight New Zealand universities as of August 2026, from large metropolitan institutions to smaller regional ones.

Is this list ordered by seniority or university size?

No. The people are numbered purely for easy reference through a working directory. That numbering is not a measure of seniority, university size or public profile, and no ordering in this article should be read as a form of comparison.

Does this list cover every provost and deputy vice-chancellor in Australia and New Zealand?

No. It covers a genuinely broad set of current provosts and deputy vice-chancellors across dozens of Australian and New Zealand universities. A wider pool of current university leaders across the same geography is named in the companion LinkedIn post rather than in this article.

What is the difference between a provost and a deputy vice-chancellor?

A provost usually acts as a university's chief academic officer, with broad responsibility for academic strategy and institutional operations. A deputy vice-chancellor usually leads one defined portfolio, such as research, education or international engagement, though exact titles and boundaries vary between universities.

How current is the information in each profile?

Each entry reflects the role and university shown on that university's own current page as of August 2026, with a direct link provided so you can check further detail yourself before relying on it for anything time-sensitive, since senior appointments can change with little public notice.

Why do some entries mention an acting or interim title?

University leadership roles genuinely change on both a substantive and an acting or interim basis. Where a university's own page describes someone as acting or interim, this directory records that honestly rather than presenting a temporary arrangement as a permanent appointment.

Conclusion

Leading academic and research strategy at a university in Australia or New Zealand means carrying responsibility that reaches well beyond any single faculty or campus. The 50 people in this directory currently hold that responsibility from Perth to Auckland, from Darwin to Dunedin, across metropolitan, regional and specialist institutions alike, each accountable for a portfolio that shapes thousands of people's daily experience of university life.

Reading their current roles side by side is more useful than reading any single profile alone, because it shows how much of a university's daily reality sits in the hands of a genuinely small group of accountable individuals at any one time, and how quickly that group turns over as appointments, restructures and departures reshape the leadership table.

If you need to confirm who currently leads a specific portfolio at a specific university, use the linked source in that person's entry as your starting point, then check the university's own current page directly before relying on the detail for anything that matters. Treat this directory as an accurate current snapshot rather than a permanent record, since senior university roles rarely stay unchanged for long, and the safest habit is always to check the primary source one more time before something important depends on it.

Related Reading

For related directories covering university and organisational leadership, see 14 University Provosts and Deputies Worth Knowing, 50 University Leaders Across English-Speaking Markets, and Strategy Leadership Consultant.

A note for university teams navigating change

Leading a university team through structural change, growth or a merger is genuinely hard work, and most of it happens outside the annual report. If your executive or leadership team needs outside help turning a difficult trade-off into a decision your people can actually act on, that is exactly the work I do through keynotes, workshops and facilitated leadership sessions.

If a facilitated session on leadership clarity, healthy conflict or team ownership would help your university or organisation right now, get in touch at jonno@consultclarity.org.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, corporates and nonprofits around the world. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.