Dr Cavaleri has a background in languages, linguistics, academic literacy and TESOL and she has worked in both teaching and specialist learning support roles. Prior to joining ECA, Dr Cavaleri worked as a lecturer in teaching methodology and curriculum design at Western Sydney University and as the Manager of English Language Proficiency and Learning Support at Navitas. She has taught a range of students including undergraduate, postgraduate, domestic, international and online students and is passionate about helping students develop their academic skills and reach their educational goals.
Dr Cavaleri’s teaching experience ignited her interest in feedback and academic writing development, which led to her PhD research examining technology-mediated feedback. Her research investigated the effect of different modes of feedback given to first-year undergraduate students and the variables that affect students’ uptake of teachers’ feedback, such as level of English language proficiency. She completed her PhD at western Sydney University and was awarded the Australian Postgraduate Award. Dr Cavaleri has presented her research at national and international conferences and has been invited to facilitate faculty development sessions at a number of Australian universities. Michelle’s current research areas of interest include feedback literacy, academic writing development and supporting first-year students.
Dr Cavaleri holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics, a Masters in TESOL and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Languages and Linguistics from Western Sydney University.
Associate Professor Ahmad Saedisomeolia currently holds a position at the Higher Education College of Health Sciences, Education Centre of Australia (Higher Education). Additionally, he serves on the Academic Promotion Committee, ECA Academic Board, and CHS Course Advisory Committee. Moreover, the School of Human Nutrition, McGill University, Canada, has appointed Dr. Saedisomeolia to “Research Scientist Affiliate” since 2024.
Previously, Dr. Saedisomeolia worked as a Senior Researcher/Lecturer at the School of Human Nutrition, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, from 2021 to 2023. He earned his PhD in Nutrition from the University of Newcastle, Australia, in 2008, with Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in “Nutrition in Public Health” and “Nutrition Sciences and Dietetics”, respectively.
Between 2008 and 2020, Dr. Saedisomeolia held various faculty positions at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, including Full-Professor and head of Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, and Vice-Dean for Education. During this time, he also worked as a Research Fellow at the School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, and as a Research Affiliate with the University of Sydney from 2014 to 2015.
Dr. Saedisomeolia has an impressive professional portfolio with 98 publications primarily featured in leading journals, maintaining an H-index of 29 and accumulating over 3500 hours of lecturing experience. He has also collaborated with industry organizations, serving as a Nutrition Expert for the European Union and Scientific Chair for International Conferences on “Functional Foods and Healthy Supplements,” hosted by Merck Company in Dubai in 2017 and 2018.
Professor Day graduated as a Registered Nurse and Midwife. He obtained a post registration Bachelor of Nursing degree in 1991. Following a clinical career that included midwifery, operating theatre, acute surgical and aged care, he moved into acute hospital management and worked in both Queensland and New South Wales. He obtained his Master of Health Management degree from the University of New England in 1999.
From 2005 – 2008, Professor Day was responsible for leading the development of innovative health leadership programs for both middle managers and executives for Queensland Health. Professor Day has had diverse operational roles both in Australia and internationally. He has worked as a Chief Executive Officer, Director of Clinical Services, Director of Nursing, Major Projects Manager, Director of Workforce Development in the South Australian Department of Health, Director of Leadership and Development in the South Australian Department for Education and Child Development, Director of Clinical Education, Training and Research, and Chief Quality and Safety Officer.
From an academic perspective, he has been Discipline Lead for Health Services Management at Griffith University, Deputy Head of School – Academic and International in the Griffith University School of Nursing and Midwifery, Professor of Health Services Management in the Griffith University School of Medicine and Visiting Professor in the College of Health Management and Economics at Gulf Medical University.
Internationally, Professor Day has taught in Singapore, Hong Kong and in the UAE. He has conducted health consultancies in Australia, China, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Dubai.
Professor Day obtained his Doctor of Health Services Management Degree from the University of New England in 2005. His research focused on the morale of Registered Nurses in Queensland. He has a track record of over 60 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. He is currently updating the 2nd edition of his co-authored text “Leading and Managing Health Services- An Australasian Perspective. Professor Day has co-authored the text “Healthcare in the Arabian Gulf and Greater Middle East – A Guide for Healthcare Professionals” which is due out in late 2023.
Away from work, Professor Day loves traveling with his wife, working on his 54-year old wooden boat and playing guitar.
Dr John Read has significant international professional and educational experience. John has worked in the human resources development field since 1980, in the Asia Pacific since 1996 and for six years in the Middle East.
Following completion of his MSc APHRM at the National University of Singapore in 2001, John did his PhD at Monash in Australia, completing a study of authentic leadership in local government organisations in 2012.
John has worked in the industry as a Consultant across the Top 500 companies in the Asia-Pacific and more recently as an internal Talent Enablement Partner with the major telecom company STC in the Middle East. He has taught at Singapore Management University and Curtin University Singapore among other teaching roles.
Mr Farago is the General Manager, Higher Education Quality at ECA Higher Education.
Mr Farago leads the development and implementation of governance, quality assurance, and compliance frameworks that underpin academic excellence across APIC, HELI, and CHS. With more than two decades of leadership experience in higher education and related sectors, he brings deep expertise in regulatory compliance, risk management, and institutional strategy.
Mr Farago’s career reflects a commitment to fostering transparent, collaborative governance and continuous quality improvement. He holds an MBA from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Arts (Economics – Social Sciences) from the University of Sydney. His regulatory expertise and strategic leadership strongly align with ECA’s mission to deliver innovative, high-quality education and its aspiration to achieve self-accrediting authority status.
Ms Goebel is a former teacher and has worked in the Higher Education industry for almost 20 years. She has held a variety of different roles including Faculty Management, Student Engagement, Course Coordination and Academic Operations at Navitas, Kaplan and APIC. Ms Goebel has a Master of Education with Merit (Educational Leadership) from the University of Sydney and is currently completing a Doctor of Education at UNSW where she is looking at supporting gifted students with ADHD in the classroom. She is passionate about students’ wellbeing and engagement and helping them achieve their goals.
Fiona is the Learning and Teaching Support Manager here at ECA. She has worked in various education roles supporting students in Australia, the UK, Turkey and South Korea. She specialises in developing resources and approaches to support international students and adults new to higher education. Fiona draws on students’ strengths to help them achieve their academic goals. She facilitates one-on-one sessions, presents webinars, develops resources and collaborates with academic staff to support students to develop study skills and academic and digital literacies. She covers topics such as time management, academic reading and writing, critical and reflective thinking, exam preparation, understanding and applying feedback and learning how to best approach assessments.
She has experience working with several disciplines including Business, IT, Education, Psychology, Nursing, Counselling, Social Work, Criminology and Coaching.
Fiona has a Diploma of Business, Bachelor of Education / Psychology and a Master of TESOL.
Ms Lovece has worked in the education sector for over 35 years both locally and internationally. She has experience in teaching, teacher training, coursebook writing and curriculum development, including large-scale education solutions. She has led teams as a manager and Academic Director and has over 15 years experience in the development of digital learning environments and the digital transformation of education providers.
As a lifelong learner, Ms Taylor has cultivated her experience in libraries with several degrees over several decades. She has held positions at a variety of institutions, from the Art Gallery of NSW to TAFE, National Parks & Wildlife, and the Federal Court of Australia. This broad experience ensures her knowledge is forever expanding, allowing her to give ECA-HE Staff and students the best possible Library experience for every possible scenario. Every day is a challenge, and Ms Taylor always tries anything once to meet that challenge and grow from it.
Dr Kavita Bhanwala is an accomplished academic and legal practitioner with over 15 years of experience in the fields of legal education and practice. Her research and teaching interests are informed by her extensive experience in commercial, criminal, and corporate law, which has seen her handle complex legal matters, offering her a well-rounded perspective on the legal landscape. Her career in legal practice has involved advising on and representing clients in intricate commercial disputes, corporate transactions, and criminal matters, all of which have contributed to her expertise in stakeholder management, risk analysis, and strategic decision-making. As an academician, Dr Bhanwala is committed to fostering a dynamic and engaging learning environment, where students are encouraged to critically analyze and engage with legal principles while understanding their practical applications in real-world contexts. Dr Bhanwala also possesses a strong focus on leadership, collaboration, and team development, drawing from her experience in managing diverse teams and projects within both academic and professional settings. Her commitment to academic excellence is reflected in her ongoing research contributions and her ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Her work is grounded in the belief that education should not only impart knowledge but also inspire critical thinking and cultivate ethical, responsible professionals.
Dr Tariq Maqableh is a Lecturer in Business, Finance, and Economics with extensive experience in higher education teaching, research, and academic coordination. He holds a PhD in Business from Western Sydney University, where he also completed a Master of Honours. He also holds a Master’s degree from the University of Technology Sydney and a Bachelor’s degree in Business administration.
Dr Maqableh has taught across several Australian higher education institutions, delivering undergraduate and postgraduate courses in economics, statistics, finance, business strategy, and management. Throughout his teaching career, he has been actively involved in curriculum delivery, student mentoring, assessment design, and supporting diverse cohorts of domestic and international students. His teaching philosophy focuses on bridging academic theory with real-world business practice, encouraging students to develop strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills that are relevant to contemporary organizational environments.
His research interests focus on intellectual capital, financial technology (FinTech), digital transformation, knowledge management, and organizational performance. He is particularly interested in the impact of emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and cloud-based systems on business strategy and organizational innovation. Dr Maqableh has published research in international peer-reviewed academic journals and continues to contribute to scholarly discussions in the fields of business and management.
In addition to teaching and research, Dr Maqableh actively contributes to the academic community through research supervision, academic collaboration, and participation in scholarly activities. He is committed to maintaining high standards in higher education through research-informed teaching, student engagement, and continuous academic development.
Dr Ana Paula de Moura Campos Carvalho e Silva is a clinical and public health researcher specialising in musculoskeletal pain, compensable injury systems, and implementation science. She is a Lecturer in Health Management at the College of Health Sciences (ECA Group) and a Research Fellow at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research.
Her research focuses on improving outcomes for people with low back pain and whiplash associated disorders through epidemiology, large cohort studies, digital health implementation, and translation of evidence into clinical and insurer settings. She has led national implementation projects—including the My Whiplash Navigator—and contributes as a chief investigator on MRFF funded research. She also served as the lead author of the assessment chapter in the Australian Clinical Guidelines for Whiplash-Associated Disorders (Fourth Edition).
Dr Carvalho e Silva has secured more than $738,000 in competitive grants and funding, published 36 peer-reviewed papers, and contributed to international collaborations, such as the Global Burden of Disease Study and WHO. Her work has been recognised through multiple awards, including best presentation prizes and the Australian Government Global Talent Visa.
She is actively engaged in teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, coordinating and lecturing in postgraduate units on governance, safety, digital health, and information management in CHS ECA. She also delivers physiotherapy tutorials, simulation-based learning, and curriculum-aligned content on whiplash management. She supervises master’s and honours students across musculoskeletal and digital health topics and contributes to research leadership through committee roles, mentoring, and editorial work.
Dr Parvesh Saini is an accomplished academic and researcher with over fifteen years of experience in engineering education, academic leadership, and interdisciplinary research across India and Australia. He has held senior academic and administrative roles, including Head of Department and Department Coordinator, and is currently associated as Research Coordinator, Research Supervisor, and Lecturer with Higher Education Leadership Institute, Melbourne. He is also engaged in lecturing roles within higher education institutions in Melbourne. His professional expertise spans control systems, power electronics, solar photovoltaic systems, artificial intelligence, optimisation techniques, and project management education.
Dr Saini has an extensive publication record comprising more than fifty peer reviewed journal and conference papers, multiple book chapters with international publishers, and five Indian patents, including one granted patent. He is a recipient of multiple research awards and has successfully led international conferences, faculty development programs, and industry focused workshops. His teaching portfolio includes undergraduate, postgraduate, and research supervision, with a strong emphasis on curriculum design, student mentoring, applied capstone projects, and research integrity. Dr Saini actively contributes to academic governance, accreditation processes, and industry aligned education, reflecting his commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and leadership in higher education.
Dr Jafar Hamra is a teacher, researcher, and industry practitioner with extensive experience across project management, information technology, cybersecurity, and engineering education. He holds a PhD in Engineering (Project Management & Complex Systems) from the University of Sydney and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®). His research expertise includes social network analysis, complex systems, emergency management, and digital safety, with multiple peer-reviewed publications in high-impact international journals such as Education and Information Technologies, Fire Safety Journal, and Knowledge-Based Systems. He has presented his work at international conferences across the USA and Europe.
Dr Hamra has taught and coordinated undergraduate and postgraduate subjects at numerous Australian and international institutions, including the University of Sydney, UNSW, Swinburne University, UTS, Western Sydney University, University of Tasmania, Kaplan Business School, and others. He has developed and reviewed many project management and IT units, supervised postgraduate research students, and received multiple teaching excellence awards. His industry experience includes serving as Project Manager in the manufacturing sector, successfully delivering large-scale projects within time and budget and securing significant government contracts. He maintains strong industry links through professional training delivery, PMI membership, and consultancy engagements in Australia and the Middle East.
His teaching philosophy integrates academic rigour, industry relevance, and student-centred learning, with a strong emphasis on critical thinking, systems thinking, and practical application of project management methodologies such as PMBOK, Agile, and PRINCE2.
Mr Aiman Al-Sabaawi is a PhD researcher in Cybersecurity at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia. His doctoral journey is supported by the QUT Tuition Fee Sponsorship and the prestigious QUT Postgraduate Research Award (QUTPRA) Scholarship. In 2018, he earned a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity from QUT, building on earlier academic achievements, including a High Diploma in Data Security from the University of Information Technology and Communications (UoITC) in 2002 and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Mustansiriyah University in 2001, both in Baghdad, Iraq.
In 2025, Mr Al-Sabaawi was awarded Associate Fellowship (Indigenous Knowledges) of Advance HE (AFHEA) in recognition of his attainment against the Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education.
Currently, Mr Al-Sabaawi works as a Principal Cyber Security Advisor at SECBLOK (since 2024), a Sessional Academic at Queensland University of Technology (since 2023), and a Lecturer at Asia Pacific International College (APIC) in Brisbane (since 2024). From 2004 to 2014, he served as a Sessional Academic and Senior Programmer at Al-Nahrain University and Baghdad University in Baghdad, Iraq.
Over the years, Mr Al-Sabaawihas published multiple articles in top-tier Q1-ranked academic journals, reflecting his commitment to impactful and high-quality research.
Mr Al-Sabaawi is an active member of several professional organisations, including IEEE (since 2017), the Australian Computer Society (ACS), the Australian Information Security Association (AISA), the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR), and the Australian Mathematical Society (AustMS). In 2023, he joined the QUT Centre for Data Science, further strengthening his commitment to advancing research in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data science.
Dr Md Faiz Shah is an experienced academic with more than fifteen years of international teaching, research, and supervision experience across Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Bangladesh. He specialises in project management, risk and resilience, applied research, and higher education leadership. He completed his PhD in Policy and Planning Sciences (Risk Engineering) at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, under the prestigious Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Scholarship, followed by postdoctoral research in disaster and emergency management.
Dr Shah teaches postgraduate and undergraduate courses in project management, research methodology, applied research, and MBA units at APIC, and supervises Master of Research students at HELI. His research focuses on disaster risk reduction, seismic vulnerability, risk communication, and community resilience, with a strong record of peer‑reviewed publications, competitive grants, and international conference presentations. He has collaborated with government agencies, NGOs, and industry partners on emergency preparedness and resilience initiatives.
Dr Shah is committed to student‑centred learning, academic integrity, and innovative curriculum design, and brings a strong industry‑engaged perspective to his teaching and supervision.
Dr Mohammed Al-Zobbi has over 25 years of experience in both academic and industry settings. Worked as an Infrastructure Engineer and Cybersecurity Specialist across data centers, government departments, and enterprise environments in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Oman, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Led enterprise-level projects for organizations including JPMorgan, Western Sydney University, the Yasser E-Government System for the Saudi Arabian Government, and EMR improvements for the Australian Health Department. My research interests include Big Data, Blockchain Systems, and Cybersecurity. Additionally, Dr Al-Zobbi have experience collaborating with TEQSA, ACS, and AQF in the development of academic programs, including MIT and BIT degrees.
Dr. Fizza Sabir is a Senior Lecturer at HELI, ECA, Australia, and the coordinator for units offered in the Master of Research and Master of Project Management & Business programs. She also supervises Master’s research projects and theses. A registered Higher Degree Research (HDR) supervisor since 2016, she has successfully supervised both PhD and Master’s candidates to completion.
Dr. Sabir has coordinated and taught a range of postgraduate courses, including Qualitative Approaches to Research, Research Design, Introduction to Wellbeing, Leading Wellbeing, Educational Psychology, Project Management, and Education, Culture, and Diversity (ECD). With more than 20 years of professional experience, her expertise spans teaching, research, and training across public and private sectors in Australia and internationally. She has designed and delivered professional development programs for secondary and tertiary educators, as well as employees in diverse organisations.
She is committed to excellence in teaching, passionate about enhancing student experiences, and highly experienced in supporting international students and their wellbeing. In addition to her academic roles, Dr. Sabir has extensive experience in project management, monitoring and evaluation of education and development projects, managing project activities, supervising teams, and leading curriculum development initiatives. Her research interests/publications focus on wellbeing, inclusivity, spirituality, human behaviour, research autonomy, and teacher–student relationships. She values her methodological journey from quantitative to qualitative research and appreciates the meaningful connections between these approaches.
