Dr Rowaida Sleem
Senior Lecturer
College of Health and Enablement
+61 8 8201 3802
place
Sturt South
GPO Box 2100, ADELAIDE, SA, 5001
Dr Rowaida Sleem is a Senior Lecturer (Academic Teaching Specialist) in the College of Health and Enablement at Flinders University. An award-winning educator with more than a decade of university teaching experience, she is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and recipient of both the 2024 Vice-President and Executive Dean (VPED) Award and the 2024 College of Health and Enablement Teaching Excellence Award.
Dr Sleem is recognised for her commitment to innovative, student-centred learning and teaching practices. She coordinates HLTH1004 Human Bioscience and AGES2003 Physical Activity and Ageing, where she works collaboratively with colleagues to enhance curriculum design, student engagement, and learning outcomes.
Within the College of Health and Enablement, Dr Sleem holds several leadership positions. She serves as the College Project Portfolio Lead for Safe and Inclusive Environments, leading initiatives that promote wellbeing, inclusion, and a positive learning culture across the College. She is also Chair of the Respect. Now. Always. College Working Group, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to advance sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention, awareness, and support initiatives.
Dr Sleem began her academic career at Flinders University in 2014 as a casual academic while completing her Doctor of Education (EdD). Through her dedication to excellence in teaching and student support, she progressed to a continuing academic appointment in 2022.
Her doctoral research focused on informing safer sex interventions to reduce sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates among young South Australians aged 18 to 24 years. Her teaching and research interests span human anatomy and physiology, quantitative research methods, sexual health, sexuality, and health promotion.
Committed to fostering student wellbeing, Dr Sleem has undertaken specialised training in responding to disclosures of sexual assault and is accredited as a Mental Health First Aider, enabling her to provide informed and compassionate support to students.
Beyond Flinders University, Dr Sleem is an Executive Member and founding contributor of the Education Focused Academic Special Interest Group (EFA SIG) within the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA). She was part of the team that developed the successful proposal establishing the EFA SIG in 2025, a national initiative dedicated to supporting, connecting, and advocating for Education Focused Academics across the higher education sector.
Qualifications
- 2024 - Flinders Leadership Mastery Experience (FLAME)- Silver
- 2023 - Flinders Leadership Mastery Experience (FLAME) - Bronze
- 2023 - Mental Health First Aider Accredited
- 2022 - Flinders Foundations of University Teaching (FFOUT)
- 2021- Doctor of Education; Disciplines Sexual Health/Sex Education (Flinders University). Thesis: Let's Talk About Safer Sex: An analysis to inform safer sex intervention using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
- 2017- Academic Internship for Doctoral Students (Flinders University)
- 2014 - Certificate IV Training and Assessment (TAFESA)
- 2014 - Certificate IV English Proficiency (TAFESA)
- 2013 - Master of Education and Teaching Biology (Lebanese University)
- 2007 - Bachelor of Biological Sciences (Lebanese University)
Honours, awards and grants
- 2026, Senior Fellowship, Higher Education Academy UK-Advance HE (SFHEA)
- 2025, Associate Fellowship, Higher Education Academy UK (AFHEA)
- 2024- CHE Teaching Excellence Award for demonstrating teaching excellence through the integration of inquiry-based learning, authentic assessments, and other innovative approaches including body painting and Play-Doh™ in teaching human anatomy and physiology (Prize AUD 3,000)
- 2024- CHE Vice President and Executive Deans (VEPD) Award- Education Level A/B Award
- 2024 - CHE Vice President and Executive Deans (VPED) Team Award.
Key responsibilities
Teaching Role:
- Topic Coordinator and Topic Lecturer for HLTH1004 and AGES2003
- Topic Lecturer: MIDW 2012
Leadership and Service role (at the College of Health and Enablement (CHE) and National level)
- 2026- Present: CHE Project Portfolio Lead, Safe and Inclusive Environments
- 2026-Present: Chair of Respect. Now. Always (RNA) working group at the College of Health and Enablement (one of the main key aims of RNA working group is “to raise awareness of sexual assault and sexual harassment and lift the visibility of support services for students and staff”).
- 2025-Present: Executive Member and Founding Contributor, Education Focused Academic Special Interest Group (EFA SIG), Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA).
- 2025-Present: Student Engagement/Experience Coordinator for Teaching Program 4: Health Sciences, Aging, Clinical Rehab and Palliative Care.
- 2023-2025: Co-chair of Respect. Now. Always (RNA) group at the College of Health and Enablement (one of the main key aims of RNA working group is “to raise awareness of sexual assault and sexual harassment and lift the visibility of support services for students and staff”.
- 2023- 2025: Work Health and Safety Representative (HSR) for the Health Sciences Working Group (Occupational Therapy Physiotherapy, Nutrition/Dietetics, Optometry, Rehab/Palliative Care, Speech Pathology, Audiology and Clinical staff lab).
- 2022- Present: Fire Emergency Warden- South Sturt Building Level 2
- 2022- 2024: Student Engagement/Experience Coordinator for Bachelor of Health Sciences
Professional engagement
- Member of Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists
- Member of Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA)
- Executive Member and Founding Contributor, Education Focused Academic Special Interest Group (EFA SIG), Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA)
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
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