Honorary Associate Professor Sue Reed AM, Brooke Wardana OAM and Clothilde Bullen OAM.
Earlier this year outstanding members of the ECU community were recognised with 2025 Australia Day Honours for their contributions to their respective fields and their commitment to making a meaningful impact in the community.
International Women's Day, held annually in March, provides a valuable platform to celebrate and raise the profile of outstanding women who contribute to this University and to the global community.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Clare Pollock launched the March celebrations with a global message congratulating staff for boldly marching in the pioneering footsteps of Edith Dircksey Cowan, excelling in teaching and learning, research, student and staff support and service and professional excellence.
"ECU is immensely proud of Honorary Associate Professor Sue Reed AM, Brooke Wardana OAM and Clotilde Bullen OAM for their well-earned recognition of this national honour for their dedication and impact," said Professor Pollock.
Honorary Associate Professor Sue Reed AM: A leader in occupational health and safety
Honorary Associate Professor Sue Reed, a long-serving and highly respected member of ECU's academic community, has been recognised with a prestigious award for her significant contributions to occupational health and safety (OHS).
With a career spanning decades, Sue has been instrumental in advancing workplace safety, ensuring that employees across industries benefit from improved conditions and best-practice approaches to health and safety management.
As a dedicated researcher and educator at ECU, Sue has led numerous initiatives aimed at improving safety standards in high-risk industries, including mining, construction, and manufacturing. Her expertise has not only shaped the development of OHS policies but has also influenced workplace practices both nationally and internationally.
Through her mentorship and teaching, Sue has inspired countless students and professionals to advocate for safer working environments, reinforcing ECU’s role as a leader in this vital field.
Sue’s unwavering commitment to workplace safety has made a lasting impact, and her recognition in the Australia Day Honours is a testament to her tireless efforts and invaluable contributions to society.
A legacy of leadership in occupational hygiene
Professor Reed's career spans over four decades, with a dedicated focus on improving workplace safety and mitigating occupational health hazards. Since joining ECU in 2011 as an Associate Professor of Occupational Hygiene, she has made remarkable strides in research, teaching, and professional practice.
Her contributions extend beyond academia. As Director and Principal Occupational Hygienist of Reed OHE Pty Ltd, she continues to influence industry standards, ensuring safer work environments across Australia. Her previous roles at the University of Western Sydney and the Department of Defence Production demonstrate a lifelong commitment to protecting worker health.
Transformative research and impact
Professor Reed's research is instrumental in understanding workplace exposures to hazardous substances such as particulates, chemicals, and bioaerosols. She has led groundbreaking studies on noise exposure in Australian coal mines, indoor air quality, and respiratory risks linked to crystalline silica exposure in quarry workers.
Her recent research, published in leading journals, provides crucial insights into the effects of occupational hazards on worker health, including a pivotal study correlating respirable crystalline silica exposure with lung function decline. These findings are shaping policies and intervention strategies to enhance worker safety.
A commitment to excellence in education
Beyond research, Professor Reed has been an influential educator, shaping the next generation of occupational hygienists. She currently teaches advanced courses on occupational hygiene control, sampling, and study design, in addition to delivering short courses on respiratory fit testing and professional ethics.
Her affiliations with esteemed professional bodies, including the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, the British Occupational Hygiene Society, the International Congress of Occupational Health, the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (now known as EHS), and the Australian Institute of Health & Safety (previously known as Safety Institute of Australia), further solidify her leadership in the field. As a Fellow of these organisations, she continues to advocate for higher safety standards and professional excellence.
Brooke Wardana OAM: Champion of early childhood education
Brooke Wardana was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her exceptional service to Early Childhood Education. A passionate advocate for evidence-based teaching and literacy instruction, Brooke’s work has significantly improved educational outcomes for young learners across Australia.
Leading remarkable literacy improvements
Brooke has played a transformative role in numerous educational initiatives, including the Fogarty Foundation EDvance program, the Kimberley Schools Project, and Catalyst. Through her leadership and instructional coaching, she has empowered educators to implement high impact teaching techniques, resulting in remarkable literacy improvements, particularly in disadvantaged schools.
Inspiring future educators
Her influence extends across Western Australia, where she has worked with over 15 schools to elevate student achievement, as well as nationally, where her expertise is sought after by schools in multiple states and territories. As a casual academic at ECU’s School of Education, Brooke also contributes to the development of future educators, ensuring that preservice teachers gain invaluable insights into effective instructional methods.
Brooke's dedication to literacy education and her tireless efforts to support schools and teachers have left an enduring mark on the field. Her OAM recognition is a fitting tribute to her passion and commitment to shaping the future of education in Australia.
Clothilde Bullen OAM: Services to Indigenous Arts
Clothilde Bullen, Manager of ECU Art, Culture and Collections, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in recognition of her services to the Arts, specifically Indigenous Arts.
Clo is an acclaimed Wardandi and Badimaya curator, writer and advocate. A trailblazer in the Australian arts and cultural landscape, she has spent her career championing the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and arts workers, and advocating for their inclusion, development and representation across the arts sector.
Since joining ECU, Clo has been instrumental in shaping the University's cultural identity, finalising the Cultural Narrative strategy and framework as Lead, Cultural Strategy and Development before transitioning to her current role.
Read more about Clo on the ECU Newsroom: ECU trailblazer honoured with Order of Australia Medal for services to Indigenous Arts
The entire ECU community celebrates these remarkable achievements and looks forward to continuing to work alongside all three staff as they further their impactful career journeys.
Read the full Australia Day 2025 Honours list.
