Selection panel

Professor Anthony Connolly is Dean of the ANU College of Law. He is the author of Cultural Difference on Trial: The Nature and Limits of Judicial Understanding (Routledge: 2010) and The Foundations of Australian Public Law: State, Power, Accountability (Cambridge University Press: 2017). He is the editor of Indigenous Rights (Routledge: 2009), Public Law in the Age of Statutes (with D. Stewart) (Federation Press: 2015), and Cultural Heritage Rights (Routledge: 2015). In addition, he has published a number of book chapters and journal articles on legal philosophy, indigenous rights, and public law.

Prior to entering academia, he was an Indigenous rights lawyer working with Indigenous communities in Western Australia on native title, cultural heritage protection, other human rights matters. His research, teaching, leadership and outreach activities as a Professor at the ANU continue to reflect his broader legal commitments and expertise.

Professor Lachlan Blackhall is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) and former Entrepreneurial Fellow and Head, Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program at The Australian National University. Previously, Professor Blackhall led the development of world-first capabilities to monitor, optimise and control residential solar generation and battery storage, as well as the development of virtual power plant technology to aggregate energy storage to deliver services to energy networks, markets and utilities. Professor Blackhall holds a BE, BSc and a PhD in engineering and applied mathematics, is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a Fellow of both the Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust) and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE).

Associate Professor Krisztina Valter trained at the Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest, Hungary (MD, cum laude), subsequently; became an ophthalmic specialist and Fellow of the Hungarian Ophthalmologist Society (summa cum laude), received her PhD at the University of Sydney, Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning at the ANU and is a Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (UK). She is the Head of Anatomy Discipline, and Chair of the Medical Science Theme in the School of Medicine and Psychology, ANU. 

She has been teaching anatomy and neuroscience to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students for over 20 years and received numerous awards for teaching excellence including a recognition from the Office of Teaching and Learning in 2012. She designed and co-convenes of the Exquisite Corpse: Insight into the Human Body, a transdisciplinary art-anatomy course that received the VC’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2020. She has been appointed to convene the Bachelor of Health Science Program in the School of Medicine and Psychology in 2023. She is a member of a number of scientific and educational communities, including the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists (ANZACA), where she serves as Vice President since 2021. She has a strong interest in Medical Humanities and medical education research.

She is a senior research fellow in the Clear Vision Research Group in the John Curtin School of Medical Research ANU with an interest in non-invasive therapeutic approaches in treating ophthalmic conditions. She has been the recipient of a number of research grants and has over 100 peer-reviewed publications in both vision and educational research.

Graham Tuckwell is an alumnus of ANU (BEc (Hons) 1978 and LLB 1981).

Graham invented the concept of listing gold on the stock exchange – gold ETFs – and went on to build his company, ETF Securities Limited, into a leading issuer of Exchange Traded Products in Europe, the USA and Australia.  The European and USA businesses were sold in 2018 and the company was renamed ETFS Capital.  From its London base, it now invests its capital in start-up businesses in the ETF eco-sphere. Prior to establishing ETF Securities, Graham worked in corporate advisory and investment banking for 20 years in Australia and London, where he met his wife Louise. Before moving into investment banking, he worked as an economist in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in Canberra.

In 2015 Graham was awarded an honorary Doctorate degree from ANU and in 2022 was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Louise Tuckwell (née Wright) is an alumna of the University of Queensland (BDSc 1984) where she was awarded a University Medal.

Louise worked as a dentist for a number of years in Australia and the UK. She completed the first year of an MBA at the University of Adelaide before putting her energy into bringing up a family of four children, while managing three international moves with a husband who was frequently travelling all over the world. She has worked on a voluntary basis in schools, churches and other community organisations; has been a founding member of four book groups in three countries; enjoys composting; and has recently taken up quilting as a hobby.

In 2015 Louise was awarded an honorary Doctorate degree from ANU and in 2022 was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Stephen Minns is an alumna of the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce.

He is a corporate partner in the Melbourne office of King & Wood Mallesons, an international law firm, where he works on public and private mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance.  He has worked in both the Sydney and Melbourne offices and from 2013 to 2019, he was the Australian Chairman of the firm.  He also spends part of his time involved in the international operations of King & Wood Mallesons in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.  Prior to becoming a lawyer, Stephen was an investment banker.

Joseph Dean 

Joe was a member of the inaugural cohort of Tuckwell Scholars who commenced their studies at the ANU in 2014. Joe graduated with a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce in 2018. He is also an alumnus of the University of Cambridge, where he was awarded a Master of Law with First Class Honours in 2024.

Joe grew up in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and attended Bishop Druitt College. He excelled in English and was fascinated by Australian democracy, commerce and the justice system. Studying law at university was a natural choice.

While at the ANU, Joe was a resident at Burton and Garran Hall for two years. He was a Research Assistant for Associate Professor Joshua Neoh, a Senior Student Editor of the Federal Law Review, a Committee Member of the ANU Law Students’ Society and a mentor and student ambassador in various capacities. His favourite subject was Commonwealth Constitutional Law.

Joe was admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2019 and is now a Senior Associate at global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. He specialises in corporate insolvency, restructuring and commercial litigation.

Outside of work, Joe is busy preparing for his next trivia night. He was a winning contestant on the Australian spin-off of the British game show Pointless in 2018. His next quizzing ambition is to learn the name of every Sydney suburb but to date he has made only limited progress.

Mary is an alumna of ANU, where she studied a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics as a Tuckwell scholar. She held the role of Bell-Ringer for the 2015 Tuckwell Scholarship Cohort.

Mary grew up moving around regional Victoria and New South Wales, attending five different primary schools, before attending Pimlico State High School in Townsville. Ancient History and Drama were favourite subjects and outside of school, she spent most of her time at her local surf lifesaving club, in 2013 being named Queensland Young Surf Lifesaver of the Year.

At ANU, Mary lived at Bruce Hall, where she was Vice-President of the Common Room Committee and ambassador for the College of Arts and Social Sciences. Mary also took advantage of the many immersive learning opportunities offered by the ANU, studying in Jakarta and working for six weeks with the Top End Women’s Legal Service in Darwin.

After graduating, Mary worked as a judge’s associate before joining the Australian Government Solicitor, then in 2024 joining the Department of Industry, Science and Resources as Senior Legal Counsel. Outside of work, Mary loves reading and creative writing. She is currently studying a Masters of Writing, Editing and Publishing at the University of Queensland.

Elena Pleass was a member of the inaugural cohort of Tuckwell Scholars who commenced their studies at the ANU in 2014. Elena graduated with a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Finance. 

Elena is an Associate Director at Adamantem Capital, a Sydney-based mid-market private equity fund investing in buy-out transactions of companies based in Australia and New Zealand. Elena works across both new investment transactions and investment portfolio management spanning across the fund's core investment sectors of consumer, business services and healthcare. Prior to this, Elena worked in other private capital and investment banking roles in Melbourne at TPG Capital and J.P. Morgan. 

While at the ANU, Elena attended Burgmann College, and she was the inaugural Chief Investment Officer of the ANU Student Managed Fund. Prior to the ANU, Elena completed her secondary school studies at Sunshine Coast Grammar School having spent her primary school years based in Suva, Fiji. Elena’s interest in and enjoyment of economics and investing in high school informed her decision to study at the ANU, where she initially commenced in a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics and ultimately pivoted to focus on economics and finance. In her spare time, Elena enjoys running and travel. 

Anthony Ricci is an alumnus of the ANU where he studied a Bachelor of Science (Physics) and a Bachelor of Finance (Quantitative Finance). He was also a part of the 2015 Tuckwell Scholarship cohort. Anthony grew up in Adelaide, where he completed his schooling at St Peter's College. At school, he greatly enjoyed studying maths and physics, but was prompted to also study finance by his year 12 maths teacher. 

While studying at the ANU, Anthony resided at Bruce Hall, where he was on the Common Room Committee and was also the Buttery Coordinator. While at university Anthony was involved in most intercollegiate sports, but was especially engaged in Inward Bound, where he coached Bruce Hall for multiple years. Anthony also represented the ANU at the Australasian Rogaining Championships in 2018. Academically, Anthony also tutored multiple statistics courses in his final year of university.

After graduating in 2018, Anthony moved to Sydney to begin working as a trader at IMC Trading, which he continues to do. Since then, he has spent time working in both Sydney and Amsterdam trading many options markets across Asia.

In his spare time, Anthony is a passionate distance runner (which began through his participation in Inward Bound) and also loves cooking, reading fiction and is a frustrated Adelaide Crows supporter.