After a 7-year term Professor Anthony (Tony) Mills has decided to stand down as the Head of School of Architecture and Built Environment at Deakin University. Tony started at Deakin in 2011 and was promoted to Head of School in 2013, he will return to his underlying role as Chair of Construction Management commencing in March 2021.
Reflecting on his term Tony said that “being the Head always brings challenges, and my term was no different, we faced many tough situations, but I think the School has grown and developed far beyond what I first imagined”. Looking back on some highlights Tony likes to point out that, teaching is now close to the best in the University, and research outputs and grant income have grown exponentially. “We are now considered by our peers to be a world class School (University Rankings rank Architecture/Built Environment at Deakin in the Top 200), and we are in a far better place than we were only a few years ago. I would like to thank all the staff for their valuable contributions without which we would not have got there”.
When asked why he was standing down, Prof Mills replied “my current contract has naturally come to an end, and I’ve decided that I need to move on to other challenges. I have had a long period as Head of School, and it is now time for a new person to develop the next direction for the school”.
Tony will be taking an extended study leave in 2021, before returning to regular academic duties in 2022. Tony is keen to remain a professor at Deakin University and is looking forward to contributing as a member of the Deakin Academic Board and also Deputy Chair of the University Teaching and Learning committee. Outside the University Tony remains a Director of the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, and Chair of the Education Committee, and a Director of the international umbrella group namely, the Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors.
