Associate Professor Allison Mandrusiak

Principal Practitioner – Experiential Learning

Positions: Program Director, Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) | Associate Professor, Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Allison's interest in experiential learning started early in her career, as she discovered ways to breathe fresh life into her cardiorespiratory physiotherapy curriculum. With this quest a success – students now regard clearing phlegm as fun! – she set her sights on spearheading experiential learning more broadly, notably clinical simulation and hands-on practicals.

Her broad influence on the experiential learning landscape has advanced practices nationally and internationally. Locally, her leadership of the construction of the Simulated Hospital Ward at UQ has created a home for the heartbeat of authentic simulations, with a throughput of thousands of students on their pathway to clinical practice. What started as a pursuit to put the pulse into cardiorespiratory has fuelled a broader commitment to supporting others in their experiential educational practices.

Allison is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has been recognised with numerous awards including an international Universitas 21 Award (2017), an Australian Financial Review Award for Learning Experience (2019), and a UQ Award for Teaching Excellence (2021).