University appoints Professor Sally McArthur as new Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Sally McArthur as the University’s new Tumu Maruārangi—Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research.

Woman with curly hair and pink and purple glasses, wearing a black and white large polka dot top
Professor Sally McArthur, image provided.
Te Herenga Waka has a strong culture of research excellence, and its researchers are passionate about finding sustainable solutions to global issues. The university is looking forward to utilising Sally’s strong knowledge and significant expertise in how research can be translated into real-world applications.

Most recently, Professor McArthur was the Director of the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials, where she led a team of 400 staff and graduate research students focusing on sustainable materials and manufacturing processes.

Prior to joining Deakin in 2022, Professor McArthur was a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Swinburne University of Technology for 14 years, which included periods as the Associate Dean for Research at the university’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology and as the Director of the Swinburne Manufacturing Futures Research Institute. She was co-appointed as a Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Science Leader in Biomedical Manufacturing from 2017‒-2021, working to connect Swinburne and CSIRO research efforts.

Over the last ten years, Professor McArthur has led teams to create several initiatives at the interface between commercialisation, entrepreneurship, and research translation including Swinburne’s Innovation Precinct, the Victorian Medical Device Partnering Program, and the Australian Research Council Training Centre in Biodevices.

Professor McArthur says, “I am deeply honoured to be appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research at Victoria University of Wellington. This is an exciting opportunity to build on the University’s research strengths.

“My focus will be on supporting our researchers to achieve excellence, furthering partnerships across sectors, and ensure our work delivers meaningful impact for Aotearoa New Zealand and the global community. I look forward to working with colleagues and partners to advance knowledge that addresses the challenges and opportunities of our time.”

Professor McArthur will take over as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, from Professor Margaret Hyland.