HEP Presenters

Current

Dr Jo Clyne
Jo is Manager of Education and Consultancy Services at the History Teachers’ Association of Victoria and has recently completed her PhD in History and Theatre Studies at the University of Melbourne. An experienced secondary teacher, Jo has also worked in public programs at the Melbourne Museum and as a tutor, subject coordinator and guest lecturer at the University of Melbourne in the departments of History and Education. Jo was the series editor for the Year 7 and 8 National History Curriculum books from Macmillan Publishing and has been a Victorian Coordinator for the National History Challenge since 2008. In 2009 she received the HTAV award for Outstanding Contribution to the Teaching and Learning of History by an Early Career Educator.

Myra Karantzas
Myra has a passion for education with a special interest in history and the needs of the gifted and talented. Myra’s qualifications include a Diploma in Education with a sub-major in History and a Certificate of Effective Practice in Gifted Education. Having worked in secondary schools for over seventeen years and more recently operated a Gifted and Talented program in various primary schools, Myra brings a wealth of experience to the program. As a member of the HTAV staff, she also combines her education background with her passion for history whilst working as the Events Manager.

Dr David Waldron
David is a lecturer in History at Federation University and has been teaching a wide array of history, sociology and anthropology courses for over twelve years at Federation University. He is the author of Sign of the Witch: Modernity and the Pagan Revival, Shock! The Black Dog of Bungay – a Case Study in Local Folklore and Snarls from the Tea-Tree: Victoria’s Big Cat Folklore. He is currently engaged in creating an anthology of gothic folklore from the Victorian goldfields of the nineteenth century. He is heavily involved in historical re-enactment and living history in education and advocates strongly for student engagement via hands-on learning, role play and re-enactment activities.

Previous

Joshua Lloyd
Josh is a graduate of Federation University with a Bachelor of Education, methods in History and Sociology. He is currently completing his Masters of Educational Research focusing on authentic pedagogical approaches to classroom engagement. Josh holds a number key roles at Federation University including: Outreach and Regional Engagement, Executive Officer to the Kokoda Challenge, Reconciliation Action Plan committee member and guest lecturer for the Faculty of Education and Arts. He has a very strong passion for the Kokoda Track - having walked it twice in 2013 and again for the 100 years of Anzac in 2015. In 2017 Josh presented ‘The Essence of Kokoda’ at the HTAV Annual Conference. Away from the classroom and university Josh sits on the board of Ballarat National Theatre and performs in amateur - most notably BLOCs 2017 production of ‘Wicked’.

Josh has been recognized for his outstanding commitment to education and community engagement from both local and international organizations: Anglicare Victoria, Golden Key International Honour Society and the History Teachers’ Association of Victoria.

Professor Keir Reeves
Keir holds a chair in Australian History at Federation University and is the foundation director of the Collaborative Research Centre in Australian History (CRCAH). He was previously senior research fellow at Monash University, lecturer in public history and heritage, and Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne.

Keir's current research concentrates on cultural heritage, regional development and history. Keir has been CI on a number of ARC-funded projects including ‘Anzac Day at Home and Abroad: A Centenary History of Australia's National Day’. His most recent publications include G. Carr and K. Reeves, eds Heritage and Memory of War: Responses from Small Islands (New York: Routledge, 2015) and S. Gorman, D. Lusher and K. Reeves, The Biggest Game in Town: The AFL and Racism in Australian Football (Abingdon: Routledge, 2015 (forthcoming).

Dr Jolanta Nowak
Jolanta has a PhD in Art History and Philosophy from the University of Melbourne where she was recently a Research Fellow. She has taught Art History and transdisciplinary subjects at the University of Melbourne, RMIT, Victoria University TAFE and several other institutions, and is currently teaching at Trinity College, University of Melbourne. Jolanta is completing a Certificate in Tertiary Teaching and also works in the Collaborative Research Centre in Australian History, Federation University. She lives in Ballarat with her husband and two primary school-aged children.

Richard Smith
Richard, a history education consultant, is a past Executive Officer of the History Teachers’ Association of Victoria. He has written and developed educational textbooks and materials and has carried out a variety of consultations with groups such as FUSE, AITSL, the Shrine, Culture Victoria, Heritage Victoria, the National Trust and the State Library of Victoria. Richard recently completed writing material for the Oxford Big Ideas Australian Curriculum texts at Year 8, 9 and 10 levels. He is an executive member of the History Teachers’ Association of Australia, the Chair of the National History Challenge and the administrative officer of the Simpson Prize.

Heather Lewis
Heather is an experienced primary school classroom teacher and librarian. She enjoys combining her love of reading, storytelling and history to promote an interest and enthusiasm for history in both staff and students. She has undertaken trips both in Australia and overseas to enable her to further develop her knowledge and appreciation of history. She has been a member of the HTAV Board for three years, has presented at conferences, written articles and was a judge for the Historical Fiction competition. Last year, she was presented with the HTAV's Award for Excellence and Sustained Contribution by a Primary Teacher.