Fond farewell for UQ stalwarts

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Tags: retirements, winter-2009

Professor David Siddle, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), and Professor Christa Critchley, Dean of the UQ Graduate School, both entered retirement on April 3 after many years of exceptional service to the University.

Emeritus Professor David Siddle

Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield paid tribute to both of them as having crucial roles in making UQ one of the leading Australian universities.

“Both David and Christa have been integral in shaping UQ as a modern and dynamic university and will be sorely missed,” Professor Greenfield said.

“In David’s time UQ’s research profile has flourished as annual funds from the Australian Research Council have more than trebled, yearly National Health and Medical Research Council funds have more than doubled, and we have gained outstanding research buildings, equipment and people.

“Christa has, among other things, successfully promoted UQ as a destination for high-quality research higher degree training, as demonstrated by the record number of RHD graduations in 2008.”

Professor Siddle completed his studies in psychology at UQ before beginning an international academic career in the early 1970s and returning to head UQ’s Department of Psychology in 1991. He became the first Dean of Postgraduate Studies in 1993.

After a period as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Sydney, he was appointed UQ Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) in 2001, shortly before Senate approved a title change to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).

Professor Critchley has spent 20 years at UQ most recently as Dean of the Graduate School. A respected plant scientist, she also held the post of Deputy Dean of the Graduate School from 2002 and was previously Head of the then Department of Botany.

Both staff members were honoured with the title of Professor Emeritus by the UQ Senate in May.

by Andrew Dunne

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