OUR PEOPLE
Discover our expertise
Bringing together a wealth of expertise and experience to deliver the very best in professional learning.
ACADEMIC BOARD
Our distinguished and knowledgeable Academic Board ensures the quality of Academy course offerings
Emeritus Professor Kevin Wheldall AM
Chair, Academic Board for The Academy for the Science of Instruction
BA, PhD, C.Psychol, FASSA, FBOsS, FCollP, FIARLD, MAPS, MCEDP
Having spent over 50 years researching and writing in educational psychology and special education, Kevin is recognised internationally as a leading authority in reading assessment and instruction and in classroom behaviour management. Director of Macquarie University Special Education Centre (MUSEC) for over 20 years, he is now an Emeritus Professor of Macquarie University and Chairman of MultiLit Pty Ltd.
Dr Robyn Wheldall
BA, PhD (Special Education), MACID
Robyn has expertise in researching reading interventions and has worked in the areas of learning difficulties, special education, behaviour management and literacy instruction and interventions for struggling readers for more than 30 years. She was the Research and Development Manager at MUSEC during the formative years of MultiLit and is a founding director of MultiLit Pty Ltd.
Iain Rothwell
BBus, MAcc, CPA
Iain has 25 years of experience in the education sector with a particular focus on the commercial interface. He has held executive roles with two public universities – as CFO and Director Business Development with the University of Western Sydney and Managing Director of the commercial arm (Access MQ Ltd) and Assistant Vice-Chancellor with Macquarie University. With significant experience in innovation and new ventures, Iain has participated in many business start-ups as a founder, director and mentor.
Dr Mark Carter
Dean, Academy for the Science of Instruction
BAppSc (OT), MA (Spec Ed), PhD
Mark has been involved in special education for over 40 years. He was previously a long-standing member of the academic staff of Macquarie University Special Education Centre, where his association with MultiLit began. Mark has a range of research interests, including evidence-based practice and effective instruction. He has over 150 refereed publications and book chapters, has contributed to a wide range of conference presentations and non-refereed publications, often specifically addressing translation of research for practitioners.
Dr Ying Sng
Lecturer, The Academy for the Science of Instruction
BComm, BTeach (Secondary), MSpEd, PhD
Ying has a PhD and Master of Special Education both from Macquarie University. Ying is a special educator with over 10 years of experience teaching students with additional learning needs in inclusive and special schools. She is skilled at adapting curricula and selecting and delivering effective programs that address individual student needs. Ying completed her PhD on “Conversational Capacities of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders” and was Awarded Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for her thesis.
Dr Alison Madelaine
BA Dip Ed (Primary) Grad Dip Spec Ed PhD
Alison completed her doctorate on curriculum-based measurement of reading (a measure of oral reading fluency) and was a lecturer in special education with a focus on literacy at Macquarie University Special Education Centre (MUSEC).
She is an experienced special educator, having taught in schools in Australia and the USA, and has provided extensive consultancy support to literacy programs for disadvantaged and Indigenous students in Cape York and Sydney.
Alison oversees the clinical programs of all students attending MultiLit Literacy Centres and works with the MultiLit Product Development team on spelling and writing programs.
COURSE CONTRIBUTORS
The Academy’s courses are rigorously researched and developed by experts in the science of instruction
Dr Nicola Bell
BSpPath (Hons) PhD
Nicola has a PhD and a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology both from the University of Queensland. Her PhD research focused on literacy development in children with cochlear implants, and she has several published papers in that area.
She has also worked and published in the area of school-aged literacy development more broadly. As Research Fellow within the MultiLit Research Unit, Nicola has contributed to the organisation of trials in schools across Australia.
Dr Anna Desjardins (Notley)
MRU, BA/BSc (Hons), MA, PhD
Anna has a Research Master in Linguistics from the University of Amsterdam and a PhD in Cognitive Science from Macquarie University. Her PhD thesis, in the field of child language acquisition, examined young children’s understanding of ambiguous sentences.
Anna has worked as a research assistant on a range of child language development projects at the University of Western Sydney and Macquarie University. She has developed materials for a range of MultiLit programs, and brings this practical experience, along with her long-standing interest in children and language, her strong academic background in research, and her linguistic expertise to The Academy for the Science of Instruction.
Maddy Goto
BA (Hons), MTeach (Primary)
Maddy has more than 15 years’ experience in government and non-government schools as a classroom teacher and senior leader, responsible for curriculum. She is an active member of teacher networks including Think Forward Educators, and is a regular attendee at researchED and Sharing Best Practice conferences.
Maddy is on the AERO teacher reference panel. She has a Master of Teaching (Primary) and has studied modern languages and linguistics. Maddy has extensive experience developing and delivering professional learning and has an excellent knowledge of evidence-based teaching practice for instruction and intervention. She is driven to ensure as many children as possible receive the best possible literacy education.
Jill Hellemans
Board Certified Behaviour Analyst & Certified Special Educator, PostGradDipCouns, MSpecEd, BCBA
A leader in her field, Jill co-developed and launched Sydney’s first not for profit, early intervention service focused on implementing the science of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) embedded within a family focused model. Jill has also run her own private practice in Sydney.
Jill is an experienced and dynamic presenter who is often invited to orchestrate workshops and presentations throughout Sydney, regional NSW and abroad. She is highly skilled in implementing functional behaviour assessments, functional communication training and curriculum modification.
Alison McMurtrie
BPrimEd, PGDip, SPLD, MSpecEd
Alison has a degree in teaching and a postgraduate diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties from the UK. She has a wealth of teaching and training experience in literacy in South Africa, the UK and now Australia. Alison has worked in a variety of settings, including the not-for-profit sector in London where she was involved in the setting up of literacy units in inner-city schools.
Micaela Rafferty
Board Certified Behaviour Analyst & Certified Special Educator, BA(Ed), MSpED, BCBA
Micaela’s experience in the field of early intervention, school-based intervention and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) spans almost 20 years. She has worked in council-based programs, non-government organisations and private practice providing services to children with disabilities and their families. In 2006, Micaela co-developed and launched Sydney’s first government funded, behaviour analytic early intervention program utilising a family-centered model of service delivery. Micaela has also owned and run a small and successful private practice.
Micaela has extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of challenging behaviour, development and monitoring of behaviour intervention plans, functional communication training, social skills intervention and the training and supervision of clinical teams.
Colette Read
BPsych(Hons), PG Cert SpecEd
Colette has expertise in developing literacy programs based on systematic explicit instruction principles.
Colette completed her thesis in reading and spelling at UNSW. Over many years, she has worked with low-progress readers and trained teachers to implement sound literacy instruction. Colette has extensive expertise in developing literacy programs based on systematic explicit instruction principles.
Anna Taylor
BSc Speech-Language Pathology
Anna Taylor, a proud descendant of the Noongar Ballardong people, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and is currently a PhD candidate at Curtin University. Her research focuses on understanding children’s oral language, early academic, and psychosocial skills and trajectories in the early years of school.
Anna has extensive experience working in schools with children with oral language and literacy difficulties. As MultiLit’s Speech and Language Specialist, she develops evidence-based intervention programs and resources to enhance the life outcomes of children in the early years of school. Anna is a member of the Language and Literacy in Young People research group, and has published papers on topics related to oral language and literacy.
Monica Wright
BPsycSc (Hons), BEd (Primary and Secondary), Cert I & II Auslan
A passionate literacy advocate, Monica has had a long career as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, and deputy principal inclusion in the public school sector in Queensland. She has specialised in embedding inclusive education, instructional coaching and evidence-based teaching in schools.
Monica was awarded the 2018 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2017 ASG NEiTA Inspirational Educator State and Territory Award for her instructional leadership in shifting teacher practice from whole language to the Science of Reading.
Before her career in education, Monica was an applied behaviour therapist and learning behavioural psychologist with experience in behaviour, child development, education, learning and mental health.
Georgie Wynne
BEd, Grad Cert Behaviour, MEd Special Education, MEd Leadership, Prof Cert Instructional Leadership
Georgie has been involved in the education sector for 30 years as a teacher, leader and education consultant with experience across Western Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales. She has worked in both Catholic and government school sectors and at systems level, including Catholic Education Northern Territory, CEWA and the WA Curriculum and Standards Authority. Georgie also served as Program Director with the EDvance Program, leading schools on their school improvement journey.
Her specialty areas include leadership development and strategic planning for school improvement, teaching, learning and student engagement, with particular emphasis on supporting schools to successfully embed evidence-based practice. Georgie also serves on the boards of two high-performing primary schools.