Professor Deborah Jane "Debbie" Terry is an Australian academic administrator and psychology scholar. She is currently the Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of Queensland. Professor Terry is also currently the Chair of

Universities Australia Universities Australia (formerly the ''Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee'') is an organisation founded in Sydney in May 1920, which attempts to advance higher education through voluntary, cooperative and coordinated action. After being b ...

, the peak body representing Australia's higher education sector.

Early life and education

Terry was born in Western Australia but completed her secondary education at

Canberra Girls Grammar School , motto_translation = To the young, anything is possible , established = 1926 , type = Independent, day and boarding , gender = Co-educational – Early Learning to Yr 3Girls – Yrs ...

. She then studied at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...

, graduating with a BA and then a PhD in 1989.

Career

Terry moved to Brisbane where she was employed in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland in 1990. In 2000 she was promoted to head of school and 2008 saw her become deputy vice-chancellor of the university. In February 2014, Terry was appointed Vice-Chancellor and President of

Curtin University Curtin University, formerly known as Curtin University of Technology and Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), is an Australian public research university based in Bentley, Perth, Western Australia. It is named after John Curtin, ...

. In addition to her academic roles, Terry is a past president of the Society for Australasian Social Psychology. She has also been on the editorial board of the ''

British Journal of Psychology The ''British Journal of Psychology'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed psychology journal. It was established in 1904 and is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the British Psychological Society. The editor-in-chief is Stefan R. Schweinberger ( ...

'' and the '' European Journal of Social Psychology''. In May 2019 Terry began a two-year term as Chair of Universities Australia, having been a member of its board since 2015. In August 2020, Terry returned to The University of Queensland and became the Vice-Chancellor and President. In March 2021 she addressed the National Press Club.

Awards and recognition

Terry was appointed Fellow of the

Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) is an independent, non-governmental organisation devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It has its origins in the Social Science Research Council of Austr ...

in 2003. She was awarded the

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

(AO) in the

2015 Queen's Birthday Honours The 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as p ...

for " distinguished service to education in the tertiary sector through senior administrative roles, as an academic and researcher in the field of psychology, and as a mentor". She is also a Fellow of the Australian Psychology Society.

Selected publications

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terry, Deborah Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Officers of the Order of Australia Australian National University alumni University of Queensland faculty Curtin University faculty Fellows of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia