2025 Alumni Award recipients

Dr Ethel Villafranca

Academic Engagement Fellow at Science Gallery Melbourne

Ethel completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2020 and has since redefined museum education through her innovative leadership. Her Curated Learning approach, developed during her doctoral research, bridges disciplines and reshapes how students engage with knowledge. As Academic Engagement Fellow at Science Gallery Melbourne (SGM), she has operationalised this model across nine faculties, with student engagement rising from 7,107 in 2023 to over 11,500 in 2024 under her leadership.

Her project Gamifying the Science Gallery Experience exemplifies her commitment to creative, student-centred learning. An impact study confirmed significant gains in students’ critical thinking, cultural awareness, and environmental consciousness as a direct result of her work.

Ethel’s influence extends beyond the university. As President of the Education Network Victoria within the Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMAGA), she is shaping national best practice in museum education. Internationally, she leads capacity-building workshops in the Philippines and spearheaded the Resilient Academics Project, coordinating researchers across multiple countries to investigate academic resilience during the pandemic.

Her founding of the Cities and Environment Research Network (CERN) and her support for the Filipino-Australian student community highlight her commitment to community-led, globally connected practice. Through initiatives like GLAM Chats, Ethel sustained professional dialogue among cultural institutions during COVID-19, ensuring the continuity of global knowledge exchange.

Equity is embedded throughout Ethel’s work. Her model dismantles barriers to museum learning, and she curates inclusive programs that centre marginalised voices. Her project HerStory at the Museum of Chinese Australian History reframed historical narratives to ensure better representation and justice.

Her widely read essay Where are the Women of Colour in Australian Museums? calls the sector to account and offers strategies for change. Through her advocacy, mentoring, and leadership, Ethel continues to drive systemic transformation—making her a stand-out recipient of this year’s award and a powerful force for equity in education and culture.

Syeda Saima Mazhar

National Coordinator for Early Childhood Development at the Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan

Since completing her Master of Education specialising in Leadership and Management as an Australia Awards Scholar, Saima has returned to Pakistan to lead transformational change in early childhood education across the northern regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. She has developed contextually relevant curricular resources, designed customised professional development programs for ECD practitioners, and ensured that professionals receive internationally accredited training from institutions including Oxford Teachers Academy and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As a strong advocate for a multi-faceted approach to achieving early childhood development goals, Saima collaborates with organisations, agencies, and policymakers across both public and private sectors. She has remained connected to the Australian education community through conference presentations and research contributions, including work with the Australian Council for Educational Research and recognition from the Australia Global Partnerships network.

Saima has also been a tireless advocate for gender equity, using opportunities such as the 2024 Australia Awards Women’s Executive Leadership Development program to expand her work on Gender Equity, Diversity and Social Inclusion (GEDSI). She recently authored a children’s book promoting child safety and gender agency in early years settings, which was acknowledged by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She continues to speak out on the need for mindset shifts to empower women, using early childhood education as a foundation for lasting change.

Her most profound contribution lies in igniting a transformative wave of professional development across northern Pakistan. By empowering over 500 teachers and volunteers, she has improved learning in 250 schools. Through her implementation of evidence-based literacy and numeracy practices, the development of 20 master trainers, and collaboration with international organisations, Saima is creating lasting educational change, making her a truly deserving recipient of the 2025 Alumni Early-Career Award.