About our Dean, Professor Margaret Abernethy

Professor Margaret Abernethy (BEc PhD) has been dean of the Faculty since 2004. She is recognised as a leading researcher the fields of accounting and finance.

In September 2011, she was elected as a fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia; an honour bestowed upon esteemed recipients by their peers. She also holds the Sidney Myer Chair of Commerce and the Chair in Managerial Accounting at the University of Melbourne.

Her original contributions to the understanding of performance management systems in the not-for-profit sector, government and the private sector have led to publication in leading top-tier journals. During her research career, she has been awarded in excess of $1m in competitive research grants.

She has previously held positions on the editorial boards of prestigious international journals and has presented widely at international conferences and been invited to addresses industry and government in Australia and internationally.

A committed teacher, she has been nominated as one of the most effective teaching academics in Australia; supervising numerous doctoral students who have gone on to pursue successful careers in academia or industry.

Professor Abernethy commissioned and developed the $124 million Business and Economics building, a 5-star green energy building, which opened in 2009 and is home to the Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE) and much of the Faculty.

In 2008, she was named Telstra Business Woman of the Year for the Community and Government sector in recognition of her contribution to higher education.

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