Pro Vice-Chancellor (First Nations)

Professor Linda Deravin

The Pro Vice-Chancellor (First Nations) provides university-wide leadership in Australian First Nations strategy, policy, culture, education, community engagement, and organisational capability. This role offers strategic advice and drives policy and planning initiatives relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander matters across the University.

The portfolio works collaboratively with leaders and colleagues across all service units and divisions to develop, implement, and champion a whole of university approach to First Nations engagement. This includes ensuring that the voices, perspectives, and contributions of First Nations staff are meaningfully represented and embedded in all aspects of university strategy, governance, operations, and decision making.

Background

Professor Deravin joined the University of Southern Queensland in November 2023 as the Head of School and Dean, Nursing and Midwifery and was appointed to Pro Vice-Chancellor (First Nations) in November 2025.

Linda’s career is deeply grounded in her identity and practice as a registered nurse, with more than two decades dedicated to advancing nursing leadership, workforce development, and culturally safe care. Her nursing expertise has shaped her work in tertiary education, where she has influenced curriculum, strengthened professional standards, and supported the development of the next generation of nurses. As an experienced Higher Degree by Research (HDR) supervisor, Linda continues to mentor emerging nurse and first nations researchers, fostering rigorous, culturally informed scholarship that seeks to improves health outcomes for First Nations peoples.

Her impact has been recognised through multiple prestigious awards, including Charles Sturt University’s Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence in Research – First Nations Researcher of the Year (2023), the Western NSW Health Research Network Aboriginal Researcher of the Year (2022), and the Charles Sturt University Indigenous Alumni of the Year (2022). These honours highlight her national standing as a nurse leader, researcher, and advocate committed to strengthening the profession and improving health equity.

Memberships and affiliations

Linda maintains an extensive portfolio of professional memberships, board roles, and advisory appointments that reflect her leadership and influence across First Nations health, nursing, ageing, and higher education. She has served in key national governance and advisory positions, including Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian Association of Gerontology Research Trust Review Panel and a member of the MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission Review Panel.

Her professional affiliations include the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, the Leaders in Indigenous Nurses and Midwives Education Network, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Australian Association of Gerontology, and the Australian College of Nursing.