Professor Bronwyn Fredericks is an Indigenous woman from South-East Queensland with over 30 years of experience working in and with the tertiary sector, State and Federal Governments, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based organisations. She is a Professor and The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) at The University of Queensland and maintains an active research program. Her research, based in the fields of health and education and grounded within the political reality of Indigenous peoples’ daily lives, exemplifies her commitment to social justice and improving Indigenous health and education outcomes.
Bronwyn was appointed as the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) at The University of Queensland in 2018 and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) in 2023. As Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement), Professor Fredericks is responsible for leading the implementation of the Indigenous strategy and strengthening leadership within the University in relation to Indigenous Engagement, as well as building links with the community. Prior to joining UQ, Bronwyn was Professor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) at Central Queensland University (CQU). She was also the Chairperson of CQU’s Academic Board and the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance Chair in Indigenous Engagement. She led CQU’s Reconciliation Action Plan process and the Office of Indigenous Engagement Change Proposal – initiatives which focused on realigning functions and activities to maximise resources provided for Indigenous education and support.
In 2017 Professor Fredericks was appointed as one of two Commissioners with the Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) and was the presiding commissioner leading the Inquiry into Service Provision in Discrete and Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. In 2019, she was a Commissioner with the Inquiry into Imprisonment and Recidivism, and in 2018, a Commissioner with the Inquiry into Manufacturing in Queensland.
Bronwyn is a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Research Advisory Committee, the Beyond Blue National Research Advisory Committee, the Queensland Archives Committee, the Board of the Council of Social Service (QCOSS), and a judge for some of Queensland’s leading awards, and on numerous other Queensland and national annual awards committees. The professor has served as a member of the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) College of Experts for two terms, is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Science of Australia (FASSA) and Australian Academy of Humanities (AAH).
Bronwyn has been a recipient of research awards and fellowships, including both Endeavour and NHMRC awards and in recognition of her research, Bronwyn received the inaugural 2019 Public Health Award in Indigenous Health and the National NAIDOC Award for Education in 2022 in recognition of her many years of service and tireless work in education.