Meet Our Teachers
Anne Radburn - Community Services
Anne has taught at TAFE NSW Port Macquarie and Kempsey since 2014, specialising in Community Services subjects including child protection, trauma, alcohol and other drugs, and mental health. Anne has worked at a senior level in the Community Services sector for over 30 years, having recruited, trained and managed staff in front line child protection services, as well as Disability and Aged care services.
Anne is passionate about preparing students for a career in the community services sector. She feels a particular attachment to TAFE NSW, having been a student over 30 years ago, with her studies allowing her to follow a rich and fulfilling career path. She hopes to help all her students to do the same.
Dee Wardle - Early Childhood
With a Masters of Educational Leadership and an extensive career as an Early Childhood Director in the Hunter Region, Dee Wardle is the perfect choice as the Lead Course Coordinator and lecturer for the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Care (Birth to 5 years). Having started her career at TAFE NSW in 2003, Dee is very well versed in what makes TAFE NSW students stand out to potential employers: the embedded practical expertise and industry readiness.
“This tertiary qualification requires rigor, knowledge and expertise,” she says, referring to the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Care (Birth to 5 years). TAFE NSW is that rare educational institution that can offer all three to students, preparing them for the realities of their chosen career path.
Maria Mitrofanis - English
Maria Mitrofanis has been a teacher at TAFE NSW English Language Centre for 26 years, having experienced first-hand the struggles of the non-English speaker in Australia when her father emigrated from Egypt with limited English skills.
Maria loves her time teaching at TAFE NSW, seeing the staff and students as one big family. “There is a lot of warmth, fun and humour between us,” she says. “I enjoy a more communicative and interactive teaching style as I find it very useful and fun for the students.”
Simon Zinader - Engineering
Simon started his Marine Engineering career as a Cadet Engineer with the Australian National Line back in 1973. After his cadetship he served as engineer on a variety of vessels, ranging from bulk carriers to container ships. Working his way through the ranks with years of service and additional qualifications – all gained through TAFE NSW. Simon has spent a total of 36 years at sea, the last dozen as Chief Engineer, so there is no one more qualified to teach all the components of the Marine Engineering courses run by TAFE NSW. He has a passion for passing on his knowledge of the sea, and helping students set sail for a rewarding career.
Paramjeet Kaur - Nursing
Paramjeet Kaur teaches in the nursing section at TAFE NSW Castle Hill. A critical care nurse working currently working part-time in the Blacktown Hospital Intensive Care Unit, Paramjeet also stays up-to-date with the latest industry trends and innovations through online and face-to-face courses run by NSW Health. As challenging nad rewarding as her work is, Paramjeet finds that teaching at TAFE NSW is her real passion – especially international students.
“To teach international students, teachers need to be more patient, culturally sensitive and use more visual examples during their teaching,” says Paramjeet, knowing that the practical and clinical skills she teaches her students is the very best preparation for a nursing career they can have.
Wendy Millis - Allied Health and Fitness
Wendy Millis is a highly qualified and experienced teacher of Remedial Massage Therapy, in the Allied Health and Fitness Section at TAFE NSW Port Macquarie. Wendy is passionate about teaching and sharing her knowledge of anatomy, exercise, injury prevention, remedial massage techniques and clinic management with her students. She has taught at TAFE NSW for 13 years, and has worked in Allied Health for the past 17 years.
Wendy is a member of both the Australian Physiotherapy Association and the Australian Traditional Medicine Society, ensuring she accesses the most up to date research and industry training. Her extensive knowledge of the human body, combined with her experience treating sports injuries and rehabilitation of high level athletes, World Champions and Olympic Athletes, ensures her teaching is of the highest value to students.
Amir Chishti - IT
Before joining TAFE NSW as teacher in 2001, Dr. Amir Chishti worked as a researcher at Yale University (USA) and Australian National University (Canberra), and then as a Network Administrator and Project Manager in the industry. Dr Chishti is now the Head Teacher of IT, and considers it his responsibility to ensure that not only are students taught the right skills, but the curriculum is current and up-to-date.
Dr Chishti thinks that the best thing about TAFE NSW for international students is the practical training that students receive using real equipment – something that sets TAFE NSW apart from other training providers. The result is that when TAFE NSW students graduate, they are job ready.
Belinda Maudson - Entertainment Design
After graduating from the Sydney College of the Arts, Belinda went on to graduate from NIDA’s Theatre Craft Properties course, before adding a teaching degree to her list of qualifications. Prior to joining TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore’s teaching staff, Belinda had extensive experience working on feature films such as ‘Star Wars’, ‘Godzilla’, ‘House of Wax’, ‘Erskineville Kings’ and ‘Angst’, as well as working on the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the staged productions of ‘Dr Zhivago’, ‘Rocky Horror Show’ and ‘Priscilla’.
Since becoming a teacher at TAFE NSW, Belinda and her students have worked on pieces for VIVID Sydney, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, end of year exhibitions and various live events at the Student Excellence Awards and NSW Training Awards. Belinda was recently awarded TVET Teacher of the Year at the 2018 State Training Awards.
Diana Bugarcic - Financial Services
With a background in financial services working for a number of institutions, including being responsible for foreign exchange risk management and the AUD$1 billion investment portfolio for the Treasury department at Qantas Airways, Diana Bugarcic is very well placed to teach TAFE NSW Financial Services students.
Diana remains heavily involved in the financial services industry, contributing to industry consultations through her representation on the Financial Planning Education Council (FPEC), the Financial Advice & Services Industry Council with the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINISIA), and academia with the Financial Planning Academics Forum (FPAF).
Jacquie Tang - IT
Jacquie Tang truly understands the concerns and challenges of an international student. After all – she was one! Now a TAFE NSW Technology and Business Services – Information Technology teacher at our Ultimo campus, Jacquie started her career as a Business and Information Systems teacher in Vancouver, Canada, before moving to Sydney to study Information Technology at TAFE NSW Blacktown.
After winning the TAFE NSW State Medal for IT, Jacquie was employed at a number of high profile educational institutions and organisations, before eventually finding her true calling as a full-time TAFE NSW teacher. Jacquie thinks the best thing about being a teacher is watching her students grow, both as people and academically. She is especially drawn to international students as she is uniquely placed to understand the challenges they face in a new country without a familiar support network.
Rod McRae - Design
Dip VCD, Wgtn NZ. Grad Dip Adult Ed, UTS, Syd. Master Fine Arts, UNSW, Syd.
Rod McRae, Head Teacher of Entertainment Design and Illustration at TAFE NSW Design Centre, Enmore, loves welcoming international students into their specialist courses in Live Production Design for Film and Theatre and in Graphic Design (Illustration).
Both are Diploma and above level courses that are unique to the Design Centre Enmore. But the Design Centre also offers amazing entry level courses, such as the Certificate III and IV in Design courses which are immersive and practical, simulating the workplace where ever possible.
All staff at TAFE NSW Design Centre, Enmore are industry professionals with current, up-to-date skills to share, and close links to industry, including: VIVID SYDNEY, The Sydney Mardi Gras, Sydney Dance Company, Taronga Zoo and the iconic Enmore Theatre.
Trina Storey-Hollis - Beauty
As Head Teacher of Beauty and Makeup at TAFE NSW, Ultimo, Trina Storey-Hollis remains up-to-date and current on all the latest beauty and makeup developments through exposure to the Australian Expo Team, as well as being a guest speaker across many industry seminars and collaborating and building industry partnerships.
Trina considers her main duties as a TAFE NSW teacher to be to provide relevant, high quality and creative learning to skill the workforce of the future, as well as offering the support that allows International students to immerse themselves in the local culture and community.