Flinders pays homage to Faith Trent

Faith pic 2 2008
Emeritus Professor Faith Trent

That’s an important part of being successful, to actually grab stuff with both hands and take the risk.”  – Faith Trent

Flinders University will host a commemorative service to pay tribute to former Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education, Humanities, Law and Theology, Emeritus Professor Faith Trent.

It will be held at 2pm at the Matthew Flinders Theatre at Flinders University’s Bedford Park campus on Friday 19 February.

Please register your interest at the link here.

As an academic and educational leader, Professor Trent is remembered for the energy, candour, and can-do approach she brought to her long and distinguished career.

Born to educated refugee parents, attending university was always her expectation despite it being unusual for women of the era in Australia.

Although she failed her first year “quite stunningly”, the determination she described as “bloody mindedness” saw her complete a Science degree with majors in English and geography, while working as a teacher.

Faith went on to forge a notable career as a secondary and tertiary educator in Australia and abroad, and drove influential research in areas such as the education of boys, the impact of technology on learning, and problem-based learning.

Her many awards include the Order of Australia (2003) and Australian College of Education MacKillop Medal (2010). She was also awarded an Honorary degree (D. Litt) by Flinders in 2011.

After retiring from Flinders, Faith worked as an education consultant and was Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of New England from April 2014 until July 2015.

Executive Dean of Education, Humanities and Law, Professor Richard Maltby, says Faith Trent was recognised for her outstanding service to the peak body DASSH (Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities).

Acknowledged for her boundless energy, sense of fun and fondness for robust discussion, Professor Trent was generous with her time and interest in the lives of her colleagues, having a special interest in supporting women and younger staff into leadership roles.

She was a force to be reckoned with among our sector and will be much missed, Professor Maltby says.

“Faith was an indomitable champion of education, of the Faculty, and of Flinders,” he says.

“She was also a friend, a mentor and an inspiration to many people at Flinders and far beyond, and everyone who knew her will miss her warmth, her vitality, her forthright clarity and her unquenchable generosity of spirit.”

Faith is survived by her two sons, Morgan and Farron, who cordially invite family, friends and colleagues to the memorial gathering.

Selfless to the last, Professor Trent requested that her body be donated to science.

For more on the rich life of Emeritus Professor Faith Trent, please see the website here.

 

 

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