‘Honoured by the opportunity’ JCU appoints first female and Indigenous Chancellor

James Cook University has appointed its first female and Indigenous chancellor to the distinguished role.

James Cook University has announced the appointment of its first female and Indigenous Chancellor as Professor Ngiare Brown.
Professor Brown is a Yuin woman from the south coast of New South Wales who graduated with a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in 2000.
She is the Founding Director of Ngaoara, a not-for-profit organisation committed to child and adolescent wellbeing and is the Chair of the National Mental Health Commission.

“I am honoured by the opportunity to even be considered for the role of Chancellor but I hope to meet or exceed expectations and to be a positive role model for my two daughters,” Professor Brown said.

Professor Brown is a passionate advocate for better Indigenous health outcomes, child safety and adolescent development.
She hopes to focus on attracting more interest in the region and drawing more Torres Strait, Aboriginal and Indigenous students to the university.
“I want to provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and girls to think of career opportunities outside of what they might otherwise consider.
“I want to let them know about existing opportunities and help them to explore different opportunities,” Professor Brown said.
Professor Brown also hopes to strengthen relationships between local Indigenous communities and the university.
“I have a lot of friends and colleagues in the Far North area with whom I have long standing relationships and great respect. I want to make sure we continue to have good relationships and strengthen ties with the local mobs,” she said.

Professor Ngiare Brown will begin her tenure as JCU Chancellor in April this year. Picture: National Mental Health Commission

Outgoing JCU Chancellor Bill Tweddell said he was “delighted to hand over the reins to someone who is so distinguished.”
Mr Tweddell served a seven-year term as Chancellor from Townsville and was proud to be handing over to another alumni.

“I’m handing over to a successor who very clearly embodies the core values of JCU. Her achievements and personal attributes make clear she is fantastically qualified to lead the university to the next phase of development,” Mr Tweddell said.
Deputy Chancellor Jayne Arlett, who chaired the Chancellor Search Committee said Professor Brown was an outstanding choice for the position.

JCU has not been immune from financial difficulties in recent months.

In September 2022 the university announced a third of the 145 jobs it was planning to axe would come from its Cairns campus – excluding academic teaching staff.

The university pointed to declining student enrolments as being behind the decision.

Originally published as ‘Honoured by the opportunity’ JCU appoints first female and Indigenous Chancellor