Dr Leanne Holt is a Worimi and Biripai woman from the mid-north coast of NSW and is Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Strategy at Macquarie University. Her research interests relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander higher education, policy and governance. Dr Holt’s PhD traced the development of Aboriginal education policy in Australia, through the voices of the National Aboriginal Education Committee (NAEC). She has been in higher education for over 20 years, previously at the University of Newcastle as co-Director of the Wollotuka Institute where she led Wollotuka being the first in Australia to achieve international accreditation through the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC).
As Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement), Professor Fredericks is responsible for leading the implementation of the Indigenous strategy and strengthening leadership within the University in relation to Indigenous Engagement, as well as building links with the community. She is also leading the implementation of UQ’s first Reconciliation Action Plan. Professor Fredericks has over 30 years of experience working in and with the tertiary sector, State and Federal Governments, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based organisations.