Professor Anna Sullivan has had several research leadership roles including director of a large research centre, dean of research, founder and board chair of a media centre for research and providing strategic advice on university rankings.
Professor Anna Sullivan is a leader in the field of education in Australia and internationally.
She has been a Chief Investigator on many research projects (including 5 Australian Research Council Linkage and 2 Discovery Projects), most involving collaborations with partner organisations. She has secured over $3 million in research funding.
Professor Sullivan’s research contributes to a greater understanding of educational issues related to exclusion and inclusion. Her current program of research draws largely on critical policy studies to examine ways in which policies are developed and enacted at various levels of education.
She is currently Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Education and Social Inclusion (CRESI) at the University of South Australia. This is one of the largest education research centres in Australia.
Through her experience with the media, Anna saw the need for more leadership in how education research was reported. This saw her co-found the Media Centre for Educational Research Australia (MCERA) which is committed to improving public understanding of key educational issues by providing the media with authoritative, independent and accessible insights from education research.
The establishment and success of MCERA has been a highlight of Anna’s career and has been recognised as a finalist in the 2019 Telstra Business Awards and awarded the 2019 Australian Council for Education Leaders SA Media Award.
During her career, Anna has been committed to supporting emerging researchers, especially women. She has convened leadership, career planning, promotion, research development and grant development programs. She also has hosted events to support women in the professoriate.
Anna’s approach to mentoring is based on open communication and building strong relationships. She is a connector and collaborator and continually seeks opportunities for those she mentors. In her own teams Anna always ensures that careers, opportunities and professional development is on the agenda and has a passion for supporting women navigate the structural barriers of being an academic.
Anna has had a few career interruptions particularly around related to having three children.
On the weekends you will often find Anna cheering her children on the hockey field.