Astrophysicist Professor Rachel Webster AO appointed new College Council President

Following the Annual General Meeting of the Wesley College Council on 4 May 2022, we are delighted to announce that Professor Rachel Webster AO has been elected as our new College Council President.

Professor Webster is a current Wesley parent and is a passionate educator, having spent more than twenty years teaching and researching in the areas of astrophysics, astronomy and physics.  She is a well-respected member of her field, the author of more than 200 academic publications and a regular presenter at international conferences.

Last year, in honour of National Science Week, Professor Webster spoke to students about her work and encouraged them to keep an open mind and explore the different areas of study and career paths available to them.

‘To solve an important problem, you don’t necessarily need to have the best marks at school or university.  You need to have tenacity to learn the skills, and creativity to solve problems,’ she said.

‘A scientist who simply works in the confines of their discipline will rarely develop a fundamentally new understanding.  What you need to be able to do is learn new things all through your career and know when to venture into a new domain in order to better understand the problem at hand.’

‘In the past, people thought they could study just one discipline and that would be enough.  But increasingly, I think we’ve come to realise that while we might specialise in one area, we need to understand many others as we live in a world that is deeply connected.’

We look forward to Professor Webster bringing tenacity and creativity to her new role on the Wesley College Council.

The College Council and community also acknowledge the distinguished service of outgoing President of Council, Marianne Stillwell and extend our sincere thanks for her enthusiasm, passion and contribution to the College and the independent school sector.