Dr Doris Paton is an accomplished academic and respected Aboriginal Elder with a passion for the advancement of First Nations People through education, and the reclamation and revival of Aboriginal languages across Australia. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Social Science) from Monash University, Gippsland campus in 1993, and went on to complete a Graduate Diploma Education (Secondary); Master of Education Studies (Aboriginal Education); Master of Education (Aboriginal Education); and a PhD Philosophy (Education). Her skill and expertise have been acknowledged through roles as Director Vice-Chairperson of the Victorian Aboriginal Languages Corporation (VACL) and as Chairperson of the Victorian Indigenous Languages Implementation Reference Group, Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority, where she developed the framework to accredit “Indigenous Languages of Victoria: Revival and Reclamation”, a VCE accredited subject contributing toward the preservation of Indigenous languages across Australia. A Federation University Council Member since 2020, Doris is also long-serving Director of the Nindi Ngujarn Ngarigo Monero Aboriginal Corporation; and has served on boards for Parks Victoria, the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council, and the East Gippsland School for Aboriginal Health Professionals. Her work has been presented at conferences including the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education, and recognised with several awards including the GippsTAFE Staff Excellence Awards in the Community Development, and Personal Achievement categories, The Wurreker Award for Community Based Employee, and the Parks Victoria Regional Achiever Award.women of note, federation university, doris paton, aboriginal elder, academic, aboriginal languages, monash university gippsland, graduate diploma education, bachelor of arts, master of education, phd philosophy, victorian aboriginal languages corporation, vacl, councillor

Maryanne was born in Melbourne in 1960. While she was very young her family moved to Ballarat, Victoria, where she was educated. She attended the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne from 1979 to 1981 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts) Painting. She undertook further studies at the University of NSW graduating in 1984 with a Graduate Diploma in Professional Studies (Painting). She commenced a Master of Arts candidature in 1996 at the University of Ballarat converting this to a PhD candidature in 1997, receiving her Doctor of Philosophy in 2000. Her first major award was the Blake Prize that she won jointly in 1983 with the painting " Easter in my Room", now part of the collection of the Australian Catholic University, Ballarat Campus. Maryanne has worked as a Sessional Lecturer at the Arts Academy, University of Ballarat (1999 - 2003), the Department of Fine Art and Design, Monash University, Melbourne (2000 - 2005) and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Latrobe University, Bendigo Campus (2008). She was a Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Science, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne and Ballarat campuses (2003 - 2004). She is currently (from 2006) a Lecturer in Drawing and Painting in the Department of Fine Art, Monash University, Melbourne. Collections of her work are in various galleries including the Art Gallery of Ballarat and Federation University, Ballarat.women of note, maryanne coutts, educated in ballarat, university of ballarat, master of arts, doctor of philosophy, blake prize, university of nsw, victorian college of the arts, department of fine art, monash university, australian catholic university, latrobe university bendigo university, federation university, art gallery ballarat