Hao Ong (Andy) Ding

Hau Ong is the Wellbeing and Inclusion Leader at Gleneagles Secondary College and previous to this he was the Art and Technology Teacher at a specialist school for young people with a disability. He enjoys developing partnerships with communities and organisations to advocate for the lifelong participation of children and young people with a disability in the arts and design. He believes that all students can enjoy and achieve their personal best through accessing a learning community, where they can develop resilience, independence and interests in nurturing their skills and creative voice.

Anthony Bacon

Anthony is a qualified Industrial Designer who has over 25 years’ experience of teaching Design & Technologies and VCE Product Design & Technology. He is currently Head of Technologies at Mentone Grammar. 

Bridget O'Leary

Bridget O’Leary is a Facilitator at Yarra Ranges Tech School, where she is responsible for remote regional programs, LGBTIQ+ inclusive team training, and running Human Centered Design Thinking programs. She is an enthusiastic champion of inclusive practices and received a recognition award from Monash College for LGBTIQ inclusive teaching practices/training for educators.

Christopher Simpson

Chris moved to Australia in 1999 and began a career in Medical Instrumentation and research, which re-invigorated his passion for electronics and design. Following this, he moved into education, working in various support roles before undertaking his DipEd and becoming a Design & Technologies & Systems Engineering teacher. He now works at Braemar College. He feels very passionate about all of the things that Design and Technologies can offer students that are not available anywhere else in school, with a really strong pull into Engineering.

Felicity McNamara

Felicity trained as a Furniture Designer, florist, and Historian before undertaking her teaching qualifications 16 years ago. She has been teaching Product Design and Technology at Carey Baptist Grammar School for the past 14 years. She is a VCAA assessor as well as Top Designs presenter for the VCAA Top Designs forums. Her interests are in resistant materials and increasing interest in incorporating new technologies into the classroom and in training the future problem solvers for society. 

Jacinta O'Leary

Jacinta has been strongly committed to Design and Technology since its inception. After teaching in the classroom for many years she moved to Distance Education. It was here she developed her writing skills. Since then she has written a lot of material for both teachers and students in this subject. This includes writing for VCAA, support material for teachers, text books and workbooks for students. She has regularly run professional development sessions for teachers and students for both DATTA Vic and VCAA. She has been a committee member of DATTA Vic for over 10 years. Jacinta is generous in her support of others in the field, sharing her resources and ideas. She is always willing to talk through issues with teachers or students.

Michael Gowers

Michael trained as a teacher in England before moving to New Zealand. While working in New Zealand he was a marker and assessor for the New Zealand Qualifications Authority in Social Science and ICT. He completed his Masters of Educational Management at Auckland University before moving to Melbourne. Since teaching in Australia he has focussed his efforts in the electronic and electrical field and now teaches pre apprentice electricians. As well as being Faculty and STEAM leader at his school, Michael also teaches junior technology and VCE Systems Engineering.

Monique Dali

Monique Dalli is the current President of DATTA Australia and committee member of DATTA VIC as well as Technologies teacher and Director of Learning and Growth at Xavier College, Kew. She passionate about curriculum and teacher development, she is an author, curriculum writer and sessional tutor at Southern Cross University teaching Technologies Pedagogy units.

Rianne Burroughs

Rianne teaches Technologies at Templestowe College. She is heavily involved in the VEX Robotics program, and even lead a team of female students from TC to win the World VEX Robotics Competition in the U.S!  Originally from Canada, she had a background in engineering prior to teaching.