Dr Julie Rowlands researches from within a critical sociology of education perspective in the areas of governance, higher education systems, academic quality assurance, education leadership and organisational change. Her work has been published in high-impact international journals including the British Journal of Sociology of Education, Critical Studies in Education and Studies in Higher Education. Julie’s findings on academic boards have been used by a number of universities around Australia and internationally as a basis for board member education programs. Prior to her academic work, Julie served as a senior manager in higher education governance for more than 15 years. She is currently a senior lecturer in education leadership at the School of Education, Deakin University, where she is a member of the strategic research centre Research for Education Impact (REDI).