Emeritus Professor Ros Pesman AM (Cooper, 1954) PhD FAHA

Ros Pesman (Cooper, 1954) was the first female Challis Professor of History at the University of Sydney and the first woman to be elected Chair of the Academic Board at the University. She is one of Australia鈥檚 most eminent historians, with an international reputation both in the fields of European and Australian history. She is known as a leader in the professions of history, tertiary education and academic leadership, particularly at the University of Sydney.

During her childhood, Ros’ family moved throughout rural NSW and she attended seven schools before enrolling at 糖心logo米菲兔 in 1953 to complete the Leaving Certificate. Her excellent results in the Leaving Certificate won her a Commonwealth Scholarship to study at the University of Sydney.

Ros graduated from the University of Sydney in 1959 with a BA (Honours) degree and then worked as a Teaching Fellow in the History Department at the University from 1959 to 1960. A scholarship allowed Ros to commence her doctoral studies at the University of London where she was appointed a Junior Fellow at the Warburg Institute (1963–1965). In 1965 Ros was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of London. Her thesis was on the Italian Gonfaloniere and statesman, Piero Soderini, titled Piero Soderini, Gonfaloniere a Vita of Florence 1502–1512.

After her return to Australia, Ros took up a lectureship at the University of Sydney (1966–1972). She was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1972, Associate Professor in 1984 and to a personal chair in history in 1996.

Ros is known as a leader in the professions of history and in tertiary education, and has contributed to the history of the Florentine Renaissance politics, Italian-Australian connections, Italian migration to Australia and women’s travel and travel writing, and to academic leadership, particularly at the University of Sydney.

Ros has made an outstanding contribution to the University of Sydney. Some of the many key administration roles at the University of Sydney that Ros has held include: Head of the Department of History, Acting Principal of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Director of the Frederick May Foundation for Italian Studies.

She also served as the Deputy Chair, Academic Board (1995–1997) and as Chair of the Academic Board (1997–1999). She was the first female Chair of the Academic Board. During her term of office as Chair, the Academic Board commenced development of the Summer School, approved the Code of Conduct for Responsible Research Practice and developed new Principles of Assessment and new policies and procedures for academic promotion.

From 1997 to 1999 Ros served as a Fellow of the University of Sydney Senate. In March 1999 she was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for the academic, administrative and financial management of the faculties of Arts, Economics and Business, Education and Law, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Sydney College of Arts. After five years in this position, Ros was appointed to the Challis Chair in History. After her retirement from the University in 2005 she was appointed Professor Emerita.

Ros was appointed a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities in 2002, serving as Vice-President of the Academy from 2005 to 2006. She is a former President of the Australian Historical Association (2004–2006). In recognition of her contribution to the history discipline as a whole, as well as her many years service to the University of Sydney, the History Council of New South Wales awarded Pesman the 2012 Annual History Citation. In 2012 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to tertiary education through academic and administrative roles, particularly the study of the history of Italian migrants in Australia, and to the community.

After her cancer diagnosis, Ros became involved in the cancer community as a member of Cancer Council NSW‘s Consumer Review Panel. On the Cancer Council NSW website Ros stated that ‘My wish is that my survival is no longer exceptional and that the research can be undertaken so that sooner, rather than later, my experience is the norm.’

Professor Pesman has served the University of Sydney, the discipline of history and the community as a whole with great distinction.

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