KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & PRESENTERS

Tegan Murdock

Ngumpie Weaving

Tegan Murdock is a proud member of Barkindji, Maurara, Yorta and Duduroa tribes. Tegan learnt the art of weaving from her Mum, and now she passes on this treasured skill through her business, Ngumpie Weaving. Ngumpie in Barkindji language is translated to 'Beautiful' - which is what Tegan's Grandmother called her. Weaving can be a powerful healing and meditative tool, a chance to connect with other people, and a way to help people come together in challenging times. Tegan creates jewellery and wall pieces and teaches others to weave in face to face workshops, online workshops, school visits and corporate staff development days.

Julie Armstrong

Education is Key

From a career spanning many years in the Hospitality industry, Julie entered the teaching profession following her passion for food, healthy eating and well-being. In 2017, Education Is Key was born and has continued to grow ever since. Julie consistently works across a variety of Food and Health avenues to ensure she remains current and that the resources created are representative of our existing educational landscape. Throughout 2020, Julie taught remotely in the Northern Territory to expand her knowledge of the Indigenous foods and gain a cultural awareness of the struggles and social impacts that influence remote communities. Julie represents a positive role model to those wishing to provide the highest standard of teaching to their students and for the students themselves to learn and recognise the golden standard for the work they do and submit.


Scott Lipsham

Lumen Christi Catholic College

Scott is a Design and Technology teacher with over 30 years experience in the Technology classroom. An engineer by trade he specialises in woodwork and has extensively taught and used the cleaner technologies such as Electronics, Laser cutting, CNC and 3D printing for many years in the classroom. Always extending his skills in these areas he is keen to share his knowledge and help other utilise these technologies in their own classrooms.

Jonathon (JJ) Wallace

St Ives High School / Henessey Coffee

Jonathon (JJ) Wallace is a highly experienced workplace trainer, hospitality veteran and coffee lover with over 25 years of experience. Among many of his career highlights include: * Coffee judge, Sydney Royal Easter Show Technical Judge, Australiasian Coffee Association. * Owner and operator of several cafes. * National Barista Champion (Michel's Patisserie) * Coffee Trainer. Henessy Coffee, Di Bella Coffee * Public Schools NSW Co-assessor * Public Schools NSW Ultimo RTO industry representative * JJ currently works as a Hospitality teacher at St Ives High School.


Laura VonHoldt

St Pauls Catholic College - Kempsey

Laura VonHoldt is a teacher at St Paul’s Catholic Secondary College, Kempsey, currently teaching Food Technology and Textiles. She graduated from Southern Cross University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Technology Education specialising in Design and Technology, Food Technology and Computers. Laura has a passion for teaching and food, providing real life holistic experiences for students which are currently on trend. She likes to encourage students to use their initiative.

Natalie Fisher

Textile Artist

Natalie Fisher is a self-taught needlepoint artist whose work is inspired by decorative Islamic tiles. She works under her company name Artweave Originals. Natalie’s work has been exhibited in traditional galleries and non-traditional spaces including mosques, Persian carpet showrooms and Islamic arts festivals, in Australia and the United Arab Emirates. In 2021 she published her first book ‘Ghorzah: Islamic Architecture in Needlepoint’ and has sold more than 200 copies worldwide. In recent years Natalie has begun working with diverse communities, using needlepoint as a vehicle for cultural exchange and community engagement practice. Natalie can be found on social media under Artweave Originals and on her website www.artweave.com.au

Lissa Carter

ACU

Lissa is a Nutritionist and Lecturer in Design and Technology and Food Technology at Australian Catholic University School of Arts (NSW). She is passionate about developing engaging programs that help her students to develop a strong sense of self-efficacy in their future roles as secondary teaching professionals in the Technologies discipline. Lissa has three teenage sons with diverse food preferences; it should be reassuring for you to know that even she struggles sometimes with finding meal solutions they all enjoy. Based in Sydney, Lissa’s hobbies are cooking, cardmaking and CrossFit.

Era Camilet

ACU

Era is an Industrial Designer by trade. Prior to joining the Design and Technology team at Australian Catholic University, her work’s focus has been in the commercial furniture industry. Aside from her current role as a Technical Officer for Food and Textile Technology, she is also teaching a unit called Design Principles- a unit focused on the design process, graphic and CAD communication. Rapid Prototyping Technology and Computer Aided Design have always been an interest for Era. Outside of her day job, she enjoys cooking, baking and cake decorating. She is inspired by pastry chefs such as Amaury Gauchon, Dinara Kasko and Meruyert Nursila with their unique vision in cake decorating and their application of industrial techniques in something that we all love- food.


Sharyn Merrin

Blessington

Sharyn’s passion for sewing and creating started at the tender age of 5. She originally persued a career in nursing which eventually led her to the sewing industry. With over 30 years experience in selling and teaching all forms of sewing from dressmaking to patchwork and costuming, Sharyn has won numerous awards in fashion design and costuming. Sharyn is also very passionate about volunteering where she has used both her nursing and sewing skills to teach and volunteer both here in Australia and overseas to those less fortunate. This year Sharyn was nominated and won the MBC Queenslander of the year! Sharyn’s moto is “why just do it, when you can over do it!”

Kylie Captain

Dream Big Education and Wellbeing

Author and founder of Dream Big Education Wellbeing & Consulting, Kylie Captain is a proud Gamilaroi woman, born and raised in the inner-city Sydney suburbs of Redfern and Waterloo. Kylie is an educational leader and author of her recently published books Dream Big and Imagine the What If and Co-authored book Be That Teacher who Makes a Difference and Lead Aboriginal Education for All Students. Kylie's books and accompanying journals are making a difference to the lives of many across the Australia and abroad.

Kylie is known for her expertise in facilitating transformational professional learning for teachers and leaders and her passion for supporting all students to reach their full potential. Kylie has had an impressive career in education, finance, wellbeing and community service. She is the President of the Aboriginal Studies Association and is an inspirational teacher and leader.


Professor Belinda von Mengerson

ACU Associate Professor

Belinda von Mengersen is the Discipline Lead and Associate Professor of Design, Innovation and Technologies at the National School of Arts, Australian Catholic University. She designs and develops initial teacher education state-based undergraduate and national post-graduate higher education programs and curricula. Specialising in traditional, current, and emerging textile technologies,  her background in textiles, visual art, fashion, and theatre design inform her teaching and research. Her research interests include reflective, creative, and speculative writing in design practice, practice-led research in design, comparisons between signature pedagogies in visual arts, evolving design and technologies curricula, and the inherently interdisciplinary and dynamic nature of design related fields.  She is curious to see how the rapid emergence of new textiles technologies will continue to influence all fields of design and influence material thinking and inform ethical sustainable design strategies.

Penny Vlies

NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
Curriculum Development 7-10 | Curriculum Reform



Phil Hogg

NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
Senior Curriculum officer Technology