Conference Plenary Speakers

Keynote Speaker - Dr Norman Swan

Dr Norman Swan co-hosts RN's Health Report and during the COVID-19 pandemic, has co-hosted Coronacast, a podcast on the coronavirus.
Norman is also a reporter and commentator on ABC's 7.30, Midday, News Breakfast and Four Corners and a guest host on RN Breakfast. He is a past winner of the Gold Walkley and has won other Walkleys including one with his Coronacast colleagues in 2020. He created Invisible Enemies, on pandemics and civilisation for Channel 4 UK and SBS which was subsequently broadcast in 27 countries. Norman has been awarded the medal of the Australian Academy of Science, an honorary MD from the University of Sydney and in October 2022 a Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

During COVID he wrote two books. So You Think You Know What's Good For You (Hachette) is a best seller and was released in the UK. His latest book So You Want To Live Younger Longer has also been on the best-seller list.

Norman trained in medicine and pediatrics in Aberdeen, London and Sydney before joining the ABC.

Michael Cowling

Associate Professor Michael Cowling (Associate Professor - Information & Communication Technology, CQUniversity) has been a leader in educational technology for over 20 years and recipient of the Universities Australia AAUT Award for Teaching Excellence (Physical Sciences). He is the President (2023 to 2025) of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE), where he is also a Community Fellow, as well as Vice-President of the Open Access Publishing Association (OAPA) and webmaster for Queensland Academy of Arts & Sciences (QAAS). Through his mantra ‘pedagogy before technology’, he fosters thoughtfulness in technology for students, educators and the public.

Ritesh Chugh

Ritesh Chugh is an Information and Communications Technology Associate Professor at Central Queensland University’s School of Engineering and Technology. As a socio-technological expert, his research is dedicated to exploring the intersection of educational technologies and the social dynamics of information systems, delving into their impact on both individuals and organisations. His dedication to excellence in teaching and research activities has earned him numerous accolades, including the national Best Practice in International Education Award from the International Education Association of Australia and the Dean’s Award for Mid-Career Research Excellence. Notably, he has also been honoured with the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Good Practice in Learning and Teaching, along with a Staff Award for his invaluable contributions to international education. As one of CQUniversity’s most prolific contributors to mainstream media, he engages in public scholarship on diverse socio-technology-related issues with the broader community, nationally and internationally, via popular media platforms. Ritesh has been interviewed multiple times on radio talkback shows and received media attention for his work in many prominent outlets, such as The Age, The Australian, The Conversation, SBS, Sydney Morning Herald, and The Guardian.

Joanna Maxwell

Joanna Maxwell was Director of the Age Discrimination team at the Australian Human Rights Commission 2017 – 2021 and is now Director of Age Research at the Commission. She began her career as a lawyer , and has Masters degrees in international law and in older workers and social change. Joanna is the author of Rethink Your Career in Your 40s, 50s and 60s (HarperCollins 2017) and is (slowly) writing a book on the new retirement.

Dr Rebecca Nisbet

Dr Rebecca Nisbet completed her PhD in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Melbourne and then undertook postdoctoral studies at CSIRO and University of Queensland. In 2021, Rebecca joined The Florey as the head of the Antibody Therapeutics Laboratory. Her team aims to develop new and effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.

Rosemary Cameron

Since 2017 Rosemary has been the Executive Officer of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, an organisation which engages with 80-100 volunteers at every level of the organisation. Nearly her entire career has been spent in not-for-profit, membership-based and volunteer-supported arts management – more specifically management of theatre companies, literary festivals, the peak body for tour guides and latterly museum/heritage management. Her work in theatre took her overseas where she worked for both the English National Opera, the Royal Opera House in London and the Oslo Early Music Festival in Norway. She is the former director of the Melbourne Writers Festival (2005 – 2009) and the Brisbane Writers Festival (2003 – 2005). Rosemary has twice been a judge of both the WA Premiers and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Prizes for Fiction and, in 2023-24 is a judge of the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Prize for non-fiction. She was involved in the successful bid to make Melbourne a UNESCO City of Literature.

Glen Wall

Glen Wall is the Chair of U3A Australia Ltd, and member of the U3A Network Victoria Committee of Management responsible for Collaborations and Partnerships.

He has led the development of the U3A Network Vic Inc program ‘Building Community Engagement”. It focused on the improvement in digital literacy of seniors to better connect to the broader community to improve their wellbeing.

The U3A lead in the “Shaping Connections” co-design” research program co-created by RMIT University’s School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, and U3A. The program sought to understand better how technology use supports senior’s connectedness and enhances social inclusion and participation.

A leader of the City of Whittlesea "Strengthening Seniors Inclusion and Participation in Local Communities" initiative, Glen has established a network of volunteer community connectors which support socially isolated and lonely seniors to participate in activities.

Provided input to Local Government and Victorian State Government on the development of older people community engagement and digital literacy support plans.  Has also developed and delivered Leadership and Governance training to leaders of community groups.