Richard Potok | Project Director
Richard is Director of the Aurora Project and is currently a Visiting Fellow at UNSW Law School and an Honorary Research Fellow at Monash University Law Faculty. Richard has also recently been appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Technology, Sydney.
During 2004, together with the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Richard undertook research into the challenges facing lawyers working at NTRBs. This led to a series of recommendations relating to the recruitment, retention and professional development needs of NTRB lawyers outlined in an April 2005 Report. The Aurora Project was established to implement, among other things, a number of programs which follow on from the recommendations in the Report.
Prior to his involvement in native title, Richard was based in London with Potok & Co. As part of his law reform work, he made presentations in 35 countries to governments, financial market participants and students on the need for legal reform in relation to indirectly held securities. He was Legal Advisor to the Hague Conference on Private International Law for the Hague Securities Convention that was finalised in December 2002. He has published in the area of conflict of laws, including as editor of a book comparing the law in 25 jurisdictions.
Since late 2009, Richard has been a Trustee and Executive Director of both the Charlie Perkins Trust for Children & Students and the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation.
Richard has commerce and law degrees from UNSW and a BCL from Oxford University.
Phone: (02) 9469 8104
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Melissa Castan | Associate Project Director – Native Title
Melissa Castan, a Senior Lecturer and Associate Director of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law at the Law Faculty, Monash University, has been teaching, researching and writing in Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Indigenous legal issues for over 17 years.
She worked for the plaintiffs in the Mabo case during the period 1989-1992 and has continued working on native title issues, teaching native title law and indigenous legal issues to tertiary students. Melissa is the author of Pearsons Constitutional Law Brief and co-author of two books, Federal Constitutional Law: A contemporary view (LBC) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Cases Materials and Commentary (OUP). Both are now in their third editions.
Phone: (03) 9905 5303
Carmen Watts | Deputy Director
Carmen has been with the team since 2006 and provides project management and coordination of the Aurora Project capacity-building initiatives. She oversees staff working in the areas of Native Title as well as other programs under The Aspiration Initiative (specifically the Scholarships publications and website). She is also responsible for the human resource, finance and compliance functions of Aurora.
She has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Western Australia, a Postgraduate Diploma from Edith Cowan University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Edith Cowan University. She has a background in a variety of sectors including academia, journalism, media, public relations, not-for-profits and University-based project work in both WA and NSW.
Phone: (02) 9469 8101
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Philippa Pryor | Training and Professional Development Manager
Philippa joined the Aurora Project’s Training and Professional Development team in 2008. Her primary responsibility is the development of Aurora training and professional development programs for NTRB staff.
Philippa brings a range of experience in the not-for-profit and private sectors in Australia and the United States. Before joining Aurora, Philippa spent years as Director of Programs and Marketing at the Waterbury Regional Chamber in Connecticut, USA and served as the Director of Leadership Greater Waterbury from 2004-2008. Prior to this she served for twelve years in a variety of human resource management roles, in university and corporate environments.
She has a Bachelor of Arts (Music & Psychology) and Master of Commerce (Human Resource Management) from the University of New South Wales.
Phone: (02) 9469 8114
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Kim Barlin | Student Placements and Scholarships Manager
Kim has managed the Aurora Project's Student Placements and Scholarship programs since June 2006. Both programs benefit from her strong organisational skills and ability to coordinate the various components of the programs.
Kim’s experience as a senior administrator and project manager has seen her successfully undertake roles in a range of organisations in both New York and Sydney, as well as establish and operate her own educational business.
Phone: (02) 9469 8113
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Ngamahi (Mahi) Turner | Student Placements and Scholarships Officer
Mahi joined the placements team in mid 2010. Having left a career working as a Project Officer for her Indigenous Maori tribe in NZ, she moved to Australia to undertake an opportunity to work as the Placements and Scholarships Officer and learn more about Australian Indigenous culture.
Mahi brings a keen interest and a wealth of experience to the team, ranging from administration skills, project coordination, and an eagerness to learn and share experiences in her role.
Phone: (02) 9469 8112
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Darren Cabot | Learning and Development Events Coordinator
Darren has fifteen years experience in hospitality, hotels and events management.
Darren has a strong passion to learn more about his Indigenous heritage, and has undertaken a career change to move into the administration and event coordination of Aurora’s training and professional development programs.
He is currently undertaking a Bachelor degree in Visual Arts part-time by correspondence from Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia.
Phone: (02) 9469 8115
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Jacinta van Lint | Training and Professional Development Programs Developer
Jacinta has recently joined Aurora’s Training and Professional Development team. She previously worked at the University of New South Wales as a member of the Study Abroad Unit, and was primarily responsible for developing and coordinating short courses for international students. Jacinta has a Bachelor of Arts (Geography and Art History), and a Masters of International Studies, both completed at the University of Sydney.
Phone: (02) 9469 8116
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Cynthia Coghill | Executive Assistant to the Director
Cynthia came to Aurora in 2011 as a temp. She now provides executive and administrative support to the Project Director permanently. She has a wide range of experience, having worked in voluntary and professional positions for over ten years, in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. As Executive Assistant, Cynthia is responsible for ensuring the Project Director has the support he needs to enable him to execute his responsibilities efficiently and effectively. This includes office administration, management of all correspondence including mail, email and telephone calls, and travel arrangements. Cynthia also provides support for the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation.
Phone: (02) 9469 8104
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Georgia Snow | TAI National Coordinator
Georgia has been with Aurora since 2010. She started as an Aurora Intern and is now The Aspiration Initiative’s (TAI’s) National Coordinator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communications (Journalism) and is currently completing a Masters in Community Development. She has had voluntary and professional experience in youth leadership, public relations, project coordination and education. As National Coordinator, Georgia is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of TAI’s pilot across its three pilot sites: NSW, Victoria and Western Australia.
Phone: (02) 9469 8111
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Alexandra Balnaves | TAI Project Coordinator
Alex is a trained secondary school teacher (History) and is currently completing a Master’s in Modern History. She has had experience working in philanthropy, advocacy, radio and community-based oral history work. Alex’s main role as TAI’s project coordinator is to work with the State Coordinators to coordinate at least 20 days of residential programs each year and provide ongoing support for TAI students and their families.
Phone: 0413 447 293
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Michelle Bishop | TAI NSW State Coordinator
Michelle is a Gamilaroi woman who grew up on Dhawaral land in the south
west of Sydney. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (English & Sociology) and
Master of Teaching (Primary) from the University of Western Sydney, and
has come to work at Aurora from her position with the NSW Department of
Education and Communities as an Aboriginal Project Officer in the Human
Resources Directorate. Michelle has also coordinated a number of
community-based writing and publication projects. As TAI's NSW State
Coordinator, Michelle is responsible for overseeing all NSW camps and
for providing ongoing support for NSW students and their families
throughout the school year.
Phone: (02) 9469 8109
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Adam Ridgeway | TAI Victorian State Coordinator
Adam is a Worimi man from the north coast of NSW. In 2008, he completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) at the University of Sydney and in 2011 obtained his Masters in Fine Arts. His research focuses on the construction of contemporary Indigenous identities in response to globalisation. Adam is a sculptor (ceramics) whose work has been exhibited in Australia and overseas. He has been the Indigenous Convenor to the University of Sydney Union and a member of the inaugural City of Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel. As TAI's Victorian State Coordinator, Adam is responsible for overseeing all Victorian camps and for providing ongoing support for Victorian students and their families throughout the school year.
Phone: 0404 305 107
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Dr Tyson Yunkaporta | TAI Aboriginal Education Specialist
Tyson Kaawoppa Yunkaporta is a Bama man of Nungar and Koori descent. With an accomplished career in both mainstream and Aboriginal community contexts, Tyson has worked in K-12 classrooms, as a university lecturer, as a senior executive in the Department of Education and as an Aboriginal pedagogy mentor. Tyson recently completed his PhD in Education at James Cook University, where he was awarded the medal for excellence with his thesis titled “Aboriginal Pedagogies at the Cultural Interface.” As TAI's Aboriginal Education Specialist, Tyson works on the overall development and structure of TAI’s pedagogy and curriculum. On camps, he takes on key roles in teaching and cultural facilitation, with both students and teachers. He continues to play a fundamental role in community relationship building and consultation.
Phone: 0458 308 117
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