Life Membership of the Association may be awarded to members who have given outstanding and distinguished service to the Association and to health promotion in Australia. Recipients of this award will have been members of the Association for 10 years or more.
Life Member Criteria
Nominations for the award of Life Member shall:
provide a detailed account of the nominee's outstanding service to the Association and to health promotion in Australia (four pages maximum-use criteria as headings to guide nominations);
demonstrate the candidate’s distinguished, meritorious and special service as a mature leader in health promotion in Australia;
demonstrate the candidate’s significant contribution to the purpose and objectives of the Association; and
demonstrate that the nominee has been an individual member of the Association for 10 years or more.
Life Members of the Association
In recognition of their distinguished, meritorious and special service as a mature leader in health promotion in Australia and their significant contribution to the purpose and objectives of the Association, the award of Life Member has been bestowed upon the following people. This is the highest award bestowed by the Australian Health Promotion Association.
Member, WA Branch Committee in various roles including Branch President and Member, Mentoring and Scholarship Sub Committees
Member of the research team that developed and revised health promotion competencies for health promotion practitioners
Co-convener of the first State Health Promotion Conference in WA
Inaugural Chairperson, Planning committee of the National Health Promotion Conference
Member, Organising Committee, 5th National Conference, 1993, and subsequently the 11th National Conference in 1999
One of the founders of the Health Promotion Journal of Australia and a founding editor
Involved in South West Pacific Regional Committee of the International Union of Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) and the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA)
Director, Mentally Healthy WA project, Centre for Behavioral Research in Cancer Control, Curtin University
Roles with National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University and Institute for Child Health Research
Senior manager, Health Department of WA
Awarded a Heart Foundation President’s Award
Experienced figure in community based public health in Australia (both in WA and NSW) working in the USA, India, New Zealand and Latin America
Published a range of peer-reviewed and grey literature and presented at numerous conferences
Common themes of professional work included: innovation; willingness to risk trialing new approaches; mentoring early-career professionals and helping others beyond the call of duty
Note: Following his death in early 2008 the Australian Health Promotion Association endorsed the establishment of an annual award in his memory.
2000 Trevor Shilton, MHP, Grad. Dip. Hlth Sciences, B.Ed
Inaugural National President, Australian Health Promotion Association (holding that post for the first seven years of the Association’s development) 1990-1997
Part of the group that undertook the initial research on health promotion competencies.
Director of Cardiovascular Health at the National Heart Foundation of Australia (WA Division)
Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, Curtin University
Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Population Health, University of Western Australia
Global Vice President for Advocacy, International Union for Health Promotion and Education
Chair of Global Advocacy for Physical Activity, the Advocacy Council of ISPAH, Board Member of ISPAH and Director of GlobalPANet.com
Principal research and health promotion interests are in NCD prevention, advocacy, policy and programs relating to physical activity and obesity, workforce development, Aboriginal health and social marketing
Directed major community-wide initiatives, including social marketing campaigns in obesity, physical activity and tobacco, and state-wide initiatives in workplace health and school health
Published book chapters and over 45 papers in peer reviewed journals along with many national and international conference presentations and workshops and Participation in guideline and policy development in Australia, Canada and the United States
Past President, Australian Health Promotion Association (2003-2005)
Joint Editor, Health Promotion Journal of Australia (2005-2008)
Member, Editorial Committee, Health Promotion Journal of Australia
Honorary Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Community Medicine (SPHCM), University of New South Wales - Academic Advisor for the SPHCM Master of Public Health Degree Program, Coordinator, Health Promotion area of concentration
Adjunct Associate Professor, Griffith University, Queensland
Honorary Fellow, Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory
Regional Director, South Western Pacific Region, International Union for Health Promotion and Education
Convenor, Public Health Association of Australia, Health Promotion Special Interest Group (1997-2000)
Editorial Board Member, Reviews of Health Promotion and Education Online, IUHPE
Chair, Editorial Committee, Virtual Library: Public Health
Associate Director, Australian Centre for Health Promotion, University of Sydney (1994-2000)
Worked with AusAid and WHO consulting widely in Kiribati, Vanuatu, Tonga, Pacific Region, New Caledonia, Niue, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Vietnam, China, Mauritius as well as undertaking many activities more locally for example Consultant to the National Prescribing Service as a member of the Evaluation Working Group advising on quality use of medicines
Published widely in journals and books and active in researching and teaching around living with chronic disease, and working with Pacific island peoples in promoting health through a 'Healthy Islands' settings approach
Negotiated free accommodation at the University of the Sunshine Coast
Initiated changes to the association's name (from Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals (AAHPP), the 2001 Constitution, corporate image, the look of the Update and HPJA, reviewed membership subscription structured and developed new corporate membership categories. Negotiated with the Australian Taxation Office for Tax Exempt Charity Status
Managed tender for HPJA editorial and production roles in 1998/1999, established 'partnership' with VicHealth that led to production of HPJA from the end of 1999 until December 2002
Established the Eberhard Wenzel Memorial Oration
Played key role in bid for World Conference, Melbourne, 2004
Strengthened links with IUHPE, established website, developed policy statements
Teaching and research roles with the University of the Sunshine Coast
Health promotion practitioner and academic with extensive experience working in universities, government agencies, non-government agencies and private business.
Main research interests include the application of health promotion values and principles, health promoting schools, universities and workplaces
2013 Chris Rissel PhD Epidemiology, MPH, BSc (Hons)
Founding member, NSW Branch
President, NSW Branch, 2001 – 2003, 2009-2010
Member, AHPA® Board Research, Evaluation and Evidence Translation Committee
Editor-In-Chief, Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 2003 - 2008
Member, Editorial Board, Health Promotion Journal of Australia (current)
Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Prevention Research Collaboration,
Inaugural Director, of NSW Office of Preventive Health
Previous Director, Health Promotion Service, (former) Sydney South West Area Health Service
Particularly interested in the translation of research into practice and relationships between evaluation and policy, has worked extensively in health promotion in NSW and has extensive experience in planning, implementing and evaluating community-based health promotion
Published over 250 peer-reviewed publications plus dozens of research reports and book chapters
Has extensive experience with public health interventions involving the promotion of walking, active travel and cycling, as well as children and young families
Career research funding approximately $7.1 million including 7 NHMRC and 2 ARC grants
Currently supervising 3 PhD students and has co-supervised 5 PhD students, and regularly supervises NSW Public Health Officer Trainees.
Given 54 national and international conference oral presentations, including 5 invited keynote presentations
Inaugural President (1985 - 1988), Member, (1985 - 90) Western Australian Professional Health Educators Association (forerunner to Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals and Australian Health Promotion Association), Chairperson, Health Policy Committee (1985- 90); Member, Professional Development Committee (1985-89); Member, National Health Promotion Association Committee (1989-90)
Member, Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals Inaugural Committee and Secretary (1992-95)
Member, Program Committee, 2009 National Conference and Member, Organising Committee, 1999 National Conference
Chair, Health Policy Sub-committee (1990-92) and HPJA Sub-committee (1990-92), National Policy Coordinator (1992-95).
Part of group that undertook the initial research on health promotion competencies
Emeritus Professor, School of Public Health, Curtin University
Director, Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control (2005 – 2014)
Professor, National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) Research Group (2006 –2014)
Co-Director of the WA Centre for Health Promotion Research (1986 – 2014) (co-founder)
Head, Health Promotion, Curtin University (1983-2005), Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Healthy Aging (2002-2006), Professor, ATN Universities Centre for Metabolic Fitness (2005-11)
Conducted research in a variety of settings that includes formative research along with planning, implementation and evaluation of experimental programs (e.g. physical activity, nutrition; cancer prevention; social isolation/social support, road safety; alcohol, tobacco and other drugs)
Substantial experience in public health advocacy and policy related practice and research particularly in tobacco, alcohol and gambling
Investigator on 109+ research grants and contracts ($10+million since 2007)
Supervised 70+ masters and PhDs
Author of 350+ journal articles, book chapters, reports and other publications; 330+ conference presentations
Past president: People Against Drink Driving (WA); Injury Control Council of WA, and Public Health Association of Australia (WA) (1991-93; 2007-09)
Fellow of the Association may be awarded to members who are regarded as having made a significant contribution to the purposes and objectives of the Association and to health promotion in Australia. The award of Fellow does not necessarily require an extended period of involvement in the Association. The Fellow award allows for a specific contribution over a short time to be rewarded. It also provides for an outstanding individual contribution to the Purpose and Objectives of the Association and provides an opportunity for the Association to acknowledge the significant events and involvement of members.
Fellow Criteria
Nomination for the award of Fellow shall:
be accompanied by a brief statement of the nominee's outstanding contribution to the purpose and objectives of the Association and to health promotion in Australia (two pages maximum-use criteria as headings to guide nominations);
demonstrate that the candidate is acknowledged by colleagues and co-workers as outstanding in their personal contribution, not merely by way of their position; and
demonstrate that contributions by the candidate have been of such nature that they have occasioned or noticeably contributed to:
substantial professional growth
improvements in an important institution
an increased body of knowledge in health promotion
positive changes in attitudes or practices in health promotion in the profession or the community.
Fellows of the Association
The Association recognises the significant contribution to the purposes and objectives of the Association and to health promotion in Australia by conferring the award Fellow of the Association to:
John Lowe (1999)
Marilyn Wise (2000)
Lawrence St Leger (2002)
Fran Baum (2007)
James Smith (2013)
Suzanne Gleeson (2013)
Ben Smith (2014)
Jonine Jancey (2018)
Justine Leavy (2021)
Hear from 2021 recipient Justine Leavy:
Nominations for Fellow or Life Member
Nominations for the award of Fellow or Life Member shall be made by a member of the Association to a Branch Committee. The Branch Committee shall vote on whether to forward the nomination to the Board. The Board shall vote on all nominations received for the award of Fellow or Life Member. If elected by the Board such duly elected Fellows or Life Members are duly accepted as Fellows or Life Members of the Australian Health Promotion Association.
AHPA Thinker in Residence
The Australian Health Promotion Association recognises and rewards excellence and innovative thinking and is committed to progressing contemporary, evidence, informed, equitable and ethical health promotion practice, research and policy. The AHPA Thinker in Residence recognises and support outstanding thinkers in health promotion who are undertaking novel and transformative work that has the potential to profoundly impact and / or transform a broad area of practice or policy.
As part of her residence Dr Badland will lead a seminar and be a panellist at the Health Promotion Symposium in Canberra. She will also contribute to the ongoing conversation around health promotion, social determinants of health and equity through a number of avenues to be announced.
Dr Badland examines how the built environment, through the social determinants of health, is connected to health, wellbeing and inequities in diverse population groups internationally. She recently led a program to conceptualise, develop and test urban liveability indicators with health and wellbeing outcomes, and measures of inequity.
Dr Badland has focused on research programs with end-users such as policy-makers, planners and non-government organisations. Her research has spanned projects looking into remote sensing technologies, child independent mobility and travel behaviours in diverse settings.
Among her major achievements are working on two NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence covering health, liveability and disability and being an investigator in a 14-country study.
Dr Badland earned her PhD in Public Health from Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand)in 2007 where she investigated associations between the built environment, travel behaviours and health outcomes in adults. Awarded a Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellowship in 2017, Dr Badland is a Principal Research Fellow based in the Centre for Urban Research, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT in Melbourne.
affiliates an outstanding thinker with the Association for a specific period of time.
is presented biennially.
is bestowed on an individual with bright adventurous ideas.
recognises an individual who is a national or international leader and exemplar in the health promotion field.
focuses on contemporary, complex challenges, recognised as important to the future of the health promotion locally and internationally.
nominally be for 12 months however activity may be spread throughout the year or concentrated to a short, intensive period. For an international Thinker, the residency can be virtual/remote.
National Health Promotion Learning & Teaching Award
The National Health Promotion Learning and Teaching Award has been established to recognise individual achievement within the Australian Health Promotion Association (AHPA), contributing to its purpose of “Leadership, advocacy and workforce development for health promotion practice, research, evaluation and policy”. The Award provides an opportunity to recognise the valuable contribution and commitment of learning and teaching academics to workforce development in Australia.
Inaugural Winner, Associate Porfessor Jane Taylor (2021)
Associate Professor Justine Leavy (2022)
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About Dr Badland …