Our Board

Dr Andrew Jacobs – Co-Founder. Andrew holds a PhD in theoretical physics and worked as an academic mathematician before becoming a quant for Deutsche Bank in London (2000-2012). After leaving London, Andrew and his family were based in Munich, where he successfully piloted a version of The Institute before settling here in Melbourne. Andrew has a broad range of educational experience including university and high school teaching as well as one-on-one tutoring from primary school to undergraduate university level.

Dr Doug Lynch – Co-Founder. MA (Cantab.) MBBS MPHTM PGC (Aeromedicine) PGC (Refugee Health & Disaster Medicine) – medical doctor born in Ireland, studied in England, trained in Australia. He has specialised in Critical Care (emergency, ICU, anaesthesia and aeromedicine) and medical education. Doug has taught at multiple Australian hospitals and universities and is a former head of education at the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland). He is a podcaster, blogger, asynchronous teacher and has a strong association with the Free Open Access Medical Education movement.

Anna Oxley-Rintoul – Anna is a social entrepreneur, coach and advocate for equality and love. Anna spent 20 years in corporate Australia in roles spanning organisational development, leadership coaching, communications and systems design. Most of her time was spent in management consulting and banking industries.  Anna now works as a coach to individuals and leaders who are seeking to grow their effectiveness, personal insight and goals while incorporating their priorities and passions into their lives. Anna is the founder of Takes a Village, a social enterprise that supports families and carers of neurodiverse children. Anna has bachelor degrees in Arts (Hons) and Commerce from the University of Melbourne, has studied management at the AGSM and coaching at the ICEL and recently returned to the University of Melbourne to study psychology.

Anne Connors – Anne is the Program Manager at not-for-profit organisation Western Chances. Anne has a Bachelor of Business and a Diploma of Education (Secondary). She spent the majority of her professional life working in the communications industry, mostly as a senior manager working in advertising agencies. After becoming increasingly involved in volunteering, Anne decided to move into the not-for-profit sector and began working as the Program Manager for Western Chances in 2012.

Professor Kerry Landman – Kerry is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Melbourne. She has devoted her career in applied mathematics to cross-disciplinary research to help solve real-world problems, from industry to biology. She has been an enthusiastic, dedicated and supportive teacher, research supervisor and mentor to students and early career researchers. In 2007, Kerry became the first female mathematics professor at The University of Melbourne. In 2014, Kerry was awarded the ANZIAM medal – the premier medal of the Australia and New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics Society. In 2019 Kerry was elected to be a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. 

Professor Arun Ram – Arun holds a chair of Pure Mathematics at the University of Melbourne. He has a BSc from MIT and a PhD from University of California, San Diego. He held positions at MIT, University of Sydney, Princeton University and University of Wisconsin-Madison and Mathematical Sciences Research Institute before moving to University of Melbourne. His research is on symmetry: how to identify it, how to exploit it, how to model it efficiently. He has had a lifetime of active engagement in education: teaching and mentoring students, developing resources, and in community outreach. He has a particular passion for making music, science and culture come together to achieve inspiration.

Dr Rachel Wilson – Rachel is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University, Melbourne and has been teaching within the higher education sector for over 25 years, specialising in the Screen Production discipline. Rachel has several teaching awards including a team 2008 ALTC citation and in 2019 received the Ralph MacIntosh Award for Outstanding Service for Students. Rachel is heavily involved in local screen and media culture and sits as a director on the 3RRR community radio station, was a short documentary selector for the Melbourne International Film Festival from 2006-2018 and past Australian Screen Production Education and Research Association (ASPERA) board member (2007-2013) and President (2010-2011). Rachel’s research focuses on the student experience and the importance of belonging in higher education, moving image archival practices and the media representation of trauma.