Dr Kerrie Ikin, Adjunct Senior Lecturer in UNE Business School, was awarded a prestigious fellowship (Fellow of the Australian College of Educators (ACE)) at an awards ceremony during the ACE national conference in Sydney September 27.

Dr Ikin was recognised for her long and outstanding contribution to education in NSW. UNE Business School is pleased to share the following citation from ACE:

“Dr Kerrie Ikin has demonstrated outstanding professional practice and leadership through her significant contributions to school accountability and evaluation, her extensive leadership roles and involvement in professional associations, and her commitment to educational research.

Dr Kerrie Ikin began her career teaching languages, rising through a number of senior positions in the NSW Department of Education to that of School Education Director. Throughout her career, colleagues recognised her as an innovator and a leader who both nurtured and challenged them. She was an acknowledged authority on school evaluations, winning a prestigious Australasian award.

Kerrie’s leadership of state and national professional associations is extensive, being elected by her peers as president and vice-president to four such associations and playing an active role in many others. In her 15 years as Vice-President of the Institute of Senior Educational Administrators (ISEA) and teamed with late husband, Dr Ron Ikin FACE, she influenced state policy making and enhanced international links among professional educators.

Since her ‘retirement’ in 2013, Kerrie has continued to contribute extensively to the education profession through consulting, lecturing, researching; presenting and publishing papers at national and international conferences; and increasing her active participation in voluntary organisations. Kerrie’s research and experience in leadership and evaluation have been recognised by her honorary Adjunct appointment at the University of New England in the UNE Business School.

Kerrie’s energy, scholarship, leadership acumen, and continued involvement in education are all attributes that have made Dr Kerrie Ikin a worthy recipient of the award of Fellowship of the Australian College of Educators.”

With UNE Business School’s Dr Peter McClenaghan, Dr Ikin also facilitated a booked out and controversial workshop on values and leadership in NSW schools in dealing with LGBTI issues, during the national conference.

In addition, Dr Ikin will be presenting a joint research paper with Dr McClenaghan at the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement conference in Ottawa, Canada in January 2017.