Birgit is a mathematician with research expertise in innovation and teaching with technologies in STEM education. She has received awards for teaching innovations and leadership in changing practice of others, including a national Citation and an Australian Award for University Teaching.
Birgit joined Federation University in early June 2024 as the Executive Dean of the Institute of Education, Arts and Community, and in addition is leading the cross university portfolio of learning and teaching. She joined Federation University from her previous role as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law at the University of New England. She has previously held the position of Deputy Provost Learning and Teaching (in the College of Science, Health and Engineering) and Acting College Provost at La Trobe University, where she was also Chair, Teaching and Learning. Prior to that she held academic positions at Swinburne, USQ and UQ, including Academic Director Digital Learning and Technologies, Director of the Mathematics and Statistics Help Centre and Principal Advisor Learning & Teaching to the Chief Technology Officer.
She was one of three Swinburne women who started SWAN, the Swinburne Women’s Academic Network, as a peer-mentoring program for female academics towards academic promotion. She introduced this program at La Trobe in 2017 and at the University of New England in 2022. Birgit is one of the four founders of WATTLE.