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Associate Professor wins national Indigenous leadership award

3 October 2007

Associate Professor Marlene Drysdale receives the education leadership award.

Associate Professor Marlene Drysdale from the Department of Rural and Indigenous Health, School of Rural Health has won a national Indigenous education leadership award.

At a glittering dinner in the University of Sydney' Maclaurin Hall, Associate Professor Drysdale was presented with the first Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education Leadership Award for outstanding leadership by an individual.

This prestigious award recognised Associate Professor Drysdale's contribution to education over the last 30 years.

Associate Professor Drysdale is a Wiradjuri woman who has worked tirelessly in Indigenous education, recruitment and retention.

She is currently focused on recruiting and retaining Indigenous students into Medicine at Monash. Her work at a national level includes increasing the number of Indigenous medical students and helping to develop alternative pathways into health careers.

Evidence for her contribution includes her leadership of a national project titled "Footprints Forwards: Better strategies for the recruitment, retention support of Indigenous Medical students". This included a research-based collaboration with University of New South Wales and James Cook University and resulted in a published report, summary booklet, DVD, and a scoping and dissemination strategy, which commences the work of implementing the recommendations in stage 1.

Associate Professor Drysdale is currently planning a substantial funding application for stage 3 which will see the nationwide implementation of medical and health sciences course clearing house and career counsellor professional development program.