Gary Mayer Velan

Professor Gary Mayer Velan is a distinguished academic at the University of New South Wales with over 30 years of experience in medical education. He currently serves as Co-Director of the Scientia Education Academy (July 2019 - present) and Academic Mentor at UNSW, following his tenure as Senior Vice Dean (Education) in Medicine (2018), Associate Dean (Education) in Medicine (2016), Director of Learning and Teaching Development within the School of Medical Sciences (2011-2018), and Head of the Department of Pathology (2005-2016).

His educational background includes MB BS (Hons), DipHEd, and PhD from UNSW. He holds professional affiliations as a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) and Member of the Australian College of Educators (ACE).

Professor Velan's research focuses on educational innovations including Web-based assessments, virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials, concept and knowledge maps, and their impact on learning outcomes in medical education. His work bridges medical science and pedagogical innovation, with particular emphasis on technology-enhanced learning environments and assessment methodologies.

His extensive publication record includes 67 journal articles, 3 book chapters, and numerous conference presentations, demonstrating sustained scholarly contribution to medical education. His research has been characterized by practical applications that directly impact teaching and learning in medical contexts.

• Faculty of Medicine Dean's Scholarship for Excellence in Teaching (1996)
• NSW Minister for Education Quality Teaching Award (2003)
• Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2007)
• Multiple UNSW Vice Chancellor's Awards for Teaching Excellence
• UNSW Scientia Education Academy Fellow (2016-2021)

Professor Velan has successfully secured over $4.5 million in research funding, including significant grants from ALTC, Health Workforce Australia, and National Broadband Network. His leadership extends to developing the myEducation Portfolio system for UNSW staff to showcase teaching achievements. He has supervised numerous research students with a focus on medical education assessment, contributing significantly to the development of future medical educators.

His laboratory and team work centers around the Scientia Education Academy and the Biomedical Education Skills and Training (BEST) network, where he has led initiatives to transform medical education through technology integration and evidence-based pedagogical approaches.