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Professor Peter James Camilleri is the Chair of SCI’s Social Work Course Development Committee and a senior social work academic with extensive experience in social work education, curriculum development, accreditation and academic governance within the Australian higher education sector. He provides leadership to support curriculum integrity, professional alignment and the continuous improvement of social work programs.
Professor Camilleri has taught across Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work (Qualifying) programs and has contributed to the development and review of qualifying social work degrees. His academic work focuses on social work education, social policy, child protection, community services, justice systems and professional practice. He has also supervised doctoral candidates to completion.
In his leadership role, Professor Camilleri supports evidence-based course design, the constructive alignment of learning outcomes and assessment, and continuous improvement informed by academic and professional standards. His approach strengthens curriculum coherence and ensures graduates are well prepared for ethical and effective social work practice.
Through his role as Chair of the Social Work Course Development Committee, Professor Peter James Camilleri leads course development and review processes, ensuring alignment with professional expectations, accreditation requirements and academic quality standards. His contribution plays a key role in strengthening SCI’s commitment to high-quality, ethical and professionally aligned social work education.
Associate Professor Alison Owens is the Chair of the Academic Board and serves as a distinguished member of the Governing Council, Course & Industry Advisory Committee and Learning & Teaching Committee at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). She is the Academic Lead, Scholarship and Professional Learning at the Centre for Education and Innovation at Australian Catholic University (ACU).
Associate Professor Owens has over twenty-five years’ experience in teaching and research in higher education. She is the recipient of multiple internal and external research grants and publishes widely on higher education topics. Her fields of interest and impact include the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Creative Arts.
Associate Professor Owens completed her Doctorate in Education at the University of Technology Sydney in 2006 and a PhD in Creative Arts at Central Queensland University in 2018. In recognition of her commitment to professional learning for academic staff and PhD supervision, she was awarded the ACU Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Postgraduate Teaching Excellence in 2023.
Professor Asif Iqbal has over twenty years’ experience as an academic, most of it in academic management roles. Educated across several continents, Professor Iqbal completed his initial commerce degree in Pakistan, followed by a degree in the United Kingdom. He subsequently worked as an academic at Assumption University in Bangkok and as Head of the Marketing Department at the Bradford University Bangkok Campus/Centre.
In Australia, Professor Iqbal lectured at the University of Wollongong, Australian Catholic University, Central Queensland University and the University of Newcastle. He worked at Central Queensland University for six years as a lecturer and Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law. In this role, Professor Iqbal led a team of more than 100 academics across a wide range of disciplines. As Sub-Dean, he also played a key role in establishing the university’s new Sydney campus.
In 2005, Professor Iqbal was instrumental in establishing the Sydney Campus of Curtin University of Technology, where he worked as Academic Director and led a large team of academics until 2009. He managed comprehensive campus audits conducted by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) and served as Chair of the Academic Board at the Sydney Campus of Curtin University of Technology.
Professor Iqbal has been a member of various corporate and academic committees at Central Queensland University, Curtin University of Technology, the University of Wollongong, the University of Newcastle, the Australian Institute of Business and Queensland International Business Academy (QIBA Sydney).
As a member of the CPA Australia Universities Committee, he played a key role in establishing a new membership pathway through the completion of foundation courses.
Following his role at Curtin University and prior to joining Southern Cross School of Business (SCSB), Professor Iqbal established the higher education division of Williams Business College and successfully led it in gaining recognition as a non-self-accrediting higher education institution. The College Governing Council subsequently appointed him Campus Director and Dean of Williams Business College. Professor Iqbal also served as Chair of the Higher Education Executive Management Team and as a member of the Governing Council and Academic Board. He is well known for his expertise in higher education management and is widely consulted in relation to higher education registration, course accreditation and regulatory processes.
Ms Heena Panchal serves as a member of the Social Work Course Development Committee at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). As SCI’s Compliance & Special Projects Director, she brings valuable expertise in regulatory compliance, institutional governance, quality assurance, policy implementation and the coordination of strategic projects.
Ms Panchal supports the consideration of regulatory and accreditation requirements, institutional risks, quality standards and governance processes. Her contribution assists SCI in maintaining effective oversight, supporting continuous improvement and ensuring alignment with institutional and regulatory expectations.
Dr Jodie Park is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and the Principal Practitioner at Family Pathway Solutions. With more than 20 years of professional experience across child protection, disability services and clinical practice, she also serves as an Approved Victims Services Counsellor and Witness Intermediary, supporting individuals involved in the justice system.
Dr Park holds a Doctor of Social Work and a Master of Child and Adolescent Welfare from Charles Sturt University. Her academic career includes serving as a Senior Lecturer and Academic Program Director for the Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Wollongong, where she currently holds an Honorary Senior Fellowship.
Alongside her professional practice, Dr Park is an active researcher and author. She co-developed the HEAR practice model for responding to ambiguous loss in out-of-home care and is recognised for her specialist expertise in Therapeutic Life Story Work. She also contributes to professional knowledge exchange through co-hosting the podcast Relational Practice: A Social Work Podcast.
As a member of the Social Work Course Development Committee, Dr Park contributes significant academic and professional expertise to the development and review of the social work curriculum. Her contribution supports the alignment of course design with contemporary professional practice, research-informed teaching and sector standards in social work education.
Associate Professor Grace Brown is an academic consultant to higher education providers, specialising in the development of tertiary education courses in health, social work and community services. She holds qualifications in Social Work, Tertiary Academic Practice, Transpersonal Psychology and Holistic Biography, and has academic experience in Social Work and Community Services at both bachelor’s and master’s levels. Associate Professor Brown’s expertise makes her a valued member of SCI’s Social Work Course Development Committee.
Over the years, Associate Professor Brown has held academic positions at a number of higher education institutions and universities across Australia and the United Kingdom. More recently, she has served as Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Social Work at Acknowledge Education and as Academic Director of Social Work Field Education at Monash University.
Associate Professor Brown’s research and publication interests include family and domestic violence, social work field education and supervision, transition to tertiary study, the first-year university experience, social work education and social work practice research.
She also has experience in management, program planning and evaluation, and direct social work practice across the fields of disability, child protection and youth offending, mental health, domestic violence and tertiary student services.