After almost 10 years a stalwart of the UniSA Mount Gambier Campus has retired.
Ian McKay was the regional manager of the UniSA Mount Gambier Campus for eight years up until his retirement and relocation to Brisbane earlier this month.
The university bid farewell to Mr McKay with a recent event which also welcomed new regional manager Peta Crew.
“It was a difficult decision deciding to relocate interstate following our retirement but ultimately, we wanted to be closer to our son allowing more regular contact with him,” Mr McKay said.
“Over the last eight years I am proud that UniSA’s connections and partnerships with the community and industry has strengthened.
“I am particularly pleased with the growth of our monthly public lecture series where the local community has the opportunity to listen to a world class researcher. We are now regularly having around 70-80 members of the community attending these lectures.
“Introducing a local Science Experience program for Year 9/10 students has also been very successful with 12 secondary schools having students attend last year with a wait list for the first time after all 90 places were filled.
“It has also been satisfying to have been involved with the establishment of a forest research presence at our UniSA Mount Gambier Campus which has now transitioned into the Forestry Centre of Excellence and is making a significant contribution in forest research nationally and internationally.
“I am also proud of the quality of the students who graduate from UniSA Mount Gambier Campus and our continued success of near 100% graduate employment. Our regional hospitals, schools and social work agencies continue to benefit from our local graduating students.”
Mr McKay said he and his wife Sherril had thoroughly enjoyed their eight years living in Mount Gambier and will take many memories with them.
“Mount Gambier has been a great community to have been part of and I have loved my involvement in a diverse range of organisations including Rotary, the Mount Gambier Pioneers Basketball Club, Mount Gambier Runners and Park Run and the Mount Gambier Beef and Burgundy Club,” he said.
Prior to his appointment at the university, Mr McKay was a school principal with 30 years of experience working in rural and regional communities throughout Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria in both government and non-government schools.
He has been awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to study overseas, was the recipient of the 2003 Australasian Association of Distance Education Schools (AADES) Gold Medal, the 2001 AADES Queensland Chapter Award and in 2004 was one of a select group in Australia to be named as an Apple Distinguished Educator.
