Join Charles Sturt staff, students, alumni, and the wider community for a powerful conversation with The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG, reflecting on his career, coming out, and the importance of visibility and representation. The event is being held in recognition of National Coming Out Day and LGBTIQA+ History Month.

This event marks the official launch of Charles Sturt’s Michael Kirby Empowerment Scholarship, a collaborative initiative between the Charles Sturt Foundation and the LGBTIQA+ Ally Network. The scholarship is designed to help LGBTQIA+ students overcome barriers and thrive in their educational journey.

The event will be hosted by Associate Professor Cliff Lewis, whose research explores inclusion and belonging, especially for LGBTIQA+ communities. The discussion with Michael Kirby will be facilitated by Mark Nolan, Professor in Law at Charles Sturt’s Centre for Law and Justice, with expertise in law, psychology, and legal education. Opening the event will be our Chief Operating Officer, Michelle Crosby, who will share her personal journey.

The event will feature a live fundraising drive. All proceeds will go directly to supporting LGBTQIA+ students through The Hon. Michael Kirby AC Empowerment Scholarship, helping them excel both academically and personally. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

The event will be recorded, and participants will be able to enable captions as required.

📅 Thursday 16 October 2025
🕓 10:00am – 11:00am AEDT
📍 Online via Zoom (link provided upon registration)

This is a free event.

To make a tax-deductible donation to The Hon. Michael Kirby AC Empowerment Scholarship visit: Empowering LGBTQIA+ Students at Charles Sturt University - JustGiving

The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG
Michael Kirby is one of Australia’s most distinguished legal minds and human rights advocates. He served as a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1996 to 2009, following a long and influential career in law, education, and public service.

Throughout his career, Michael has been a tireless champion for equality, justice, and the dignity of all people. His advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights has made him a trailblazer in advancing visibility and inclusion in Australia and beyond.

Michelle Crosby (she/her)

Michelle is Chief Operating Officer at Charles Sturt University, leading key portfolios, including People and Culture, Student Experience, Marketing, IT, Finance and Safety and Wellbeing.

With senior leadership experience across government and private sectors, Michelle is deeply committed to building inclusive environments and driving positive change across the university. She holds multiple postgraduate qualifications and is a Fellow of CPA Australia.

Professor Mark Nolan (he/him)

Mark is an interdisciplinary legal scholar with qualifications in law, honours and doctoral training in social psychology, and a Master of Asian and Pacific Studies majoring in Thai language.

Before joining Charles Sturt as Director of the Centre for Law and Justice, he worked in teaching and administrative positions at the ANU College of Law for 18 years.

Mark is widely published on the subject of law and legal psychology, has a life membership with the National Judicial College of Australia, and is the Editor-in Chief of the journal Psychiatry, Psychology and Law.

Associate Professor Clifford Lewis (he/him)

Cliff is a Marketing academic at Charles Sturt. His research focuses on inclusion and belonging, specifically exploring the experiences of LGBTQ+ people.

He is passionate about using research to make the world more inclusive. Prior to academia, Clifford worked in senior roles in the market research industry, consulting on projects for State and Federal Government departments in Australia.