Professor Donna Pendergast
BAppSci GradDipTeach MEd PhD
Non-Executive Director
Professor Donna Pendergast AM was appointed to the AITSL Board on 17 June 2018 and reappointed on 31 September 2021 and 1 October 2024.
As Director of Engagement in the Arts, Education and Law Group, and former Dean and Head, School of Education and Professional Studies for 14 years at Griffith University, Donna is a passionate educator and researcher with a global profile. She leads a dynamic group of teacher and professional educators committed to preparing the next generation of teachers and related professionals through agile and socially just educational practices. She has worked in P–10, secondary schools, and senior colleges as a classroom teacher and administrator.
Donna has conducted national research projects of significance and published extensively, including award-winning books of relevance to contemporary teacher work. Her passion lies in school reform and professional learning, working closely with governments in these fields to shape policy and implement practice in settings around Australia. She initiated the establishment of the Professional Learning Hub at Griffith University, providing a gateway to enable highly efficacious professional learning which supports teachers to thrive and improve student learning.
Donna has presented more than a hundred invitational international keynote addresses in many countries around the world. She has delivered learning programs in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, and to Saudi Arabian teachers undertaking immersion programs in Australia.
In 2015, Donna received the Griffith University Vice Chancellor’s Excellence in Research Supervision Award, and in 2017, a National Commendation from the Australian Council of Graduate Research for Excellence in Graduate Research Supervision. In 2018, she was awarded the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Miller-Grassie Award for Outstanding Leadership in Education. In 2022, Donna was awarded the Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE) Award for Outstanding Contribution to ACDE and the profession. In 2024, she was invested as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant contributions to tertiary education.