Dr Pearson has an impressive and diverse background in Australia and internationally in research, innovation and entrepreneurship, investment, economic development and industrial strategy. She has previously served in leadership roles across higher education, industry and government sectors. These include Ministerial appointment to the Australian National University Council, Chief Scientist and Chief Innovation Officer at the Commonwealth Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Chief Executive Officer at ANU Enterprise and Global Head of Open Innovation at Cadbury. She holds a PhD from Oxford University in Particle Physics.
Sarah currently serves on the Board of the Commonwealth Treasury’s Foreign Investment Review Board, the Investment Committee at Main Sequence Ventures and a number of commercial and not-for-profit Boards. She has a strong commitment to Australia’s economic and social future, and her advice has led to long lasting impact regionally, nationally and internationally.
UNE’s Deputy Chancellor Jan McClelland said Sarah has strong connections with UNE, Armidale and the New England region through her family and her work as a Physics academic at UNE from 2000 to 2006, during which time she lived in Armidale with her family.
“At UNE, her passion for “leaving no one behind” led Sarah to drive regional engagement, encouraging young people to see science and university study as a great option for them,” Ms McClelland said.
“She founded ‘Science in the Bush’ and the Armidale branch of the ‘Science and Engineering Challenge’, drawing hundreds of young people to the UNE campus, as well as visiting schools in the region. She continues to be committed to encouraging young women into science and leadership.”
Dr Pearson’s appointment follows a wide-ranging search undertaken by global leadership firm, Egon Zehnder, and overseen by a Chancellor Selection Committee comprising members of the UNE Council and two independent members, Emeritus Professor Peter Coaldrake AO, a renowned leader in the tertiary education sector, and Mr Byron Davis, a leader in Indigenous education.
“As Chancellor, Dr Pearson will bring to the University a wealth of experience, connectivity and ambition for UNE. Her vision and leadership will be instrumental in guiding the University Council and the broader UNE community in advancing our strategy in 2025 and beyond,” Ms McClelland said.
“I also recognise again the significant contribution of our outgoing Chancellor, Dr James Harris, and I thank him sincerely for his three decades of service to the University.
“Please join me and UNE Council in welcoming Dr Sarah Pearson to UNE, as we enter a new era and look toward our next 70 years as a leading regional university.”
Dr Pearson commences in the role of UNE Chancellor on 20 November 2024.
