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Denise Bradley, vice chancellor and president of the University of South Australia (UniSA), the state’s largest university, is renowned for her unflagging efforts to raise the standard of higher education in Australia by continuously meeting difficult challenges. Named one of the Australian Financial Review’s top 25 "True Leaders" of 2003, she attributes her success to finding solutions rather than identifying problems. "When something different happens, I think it’s exciting and not a threat," says Bradley who tries to instil this principle in both students and her academic team.
Professor Bradley began work as a secondary school teacher in the early 1960s and soon became disillusioned with the barriers faced by women teachers. In the mid-1970s, she set out to improve women’s education and employment opportunities and, by the end of the decade, had been appointed a government advisor on women’s education. In 1997, she became head of UniSA, the third woman ever selected as a president of an Australian university.
Over the years, Bradley has served on national and international bodies, advising governments on educational policy. "We must endeavour to make education truly open to all," she asserts. In addition to her educational activities, Bradley is a key promoter of South Australia where she acts as a business ambassador and is involved in the Adelaide Festival, the state’s main cultural event. "Great leaders have a broad knowledge of far more than what’s happening in their own industries," she says.
For services to her country, Bradley was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1995 and was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2003. |
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