In Memoriam: Associate Professor Pippa Craig
BSc DipNutrDiet, MHPEd, PhD, Honorary member ANZAHPE 2016
We are saddened by the loss of a dear colleague who contributed much to the health professional education community, and particularly to ANZAHPE.
Pippa, who died earlier this year, had a career-long engagement across the landscape of medical and health professional education, initially as a community focused clinician, then moving into teaching, program evaluation and research. She was a collaborative researcher, mentoring others as they developed their research and publications. Her passion for learning, generosity, and good will for sharing her expertise was a catalyst for all who crossed her path.
Pippa contributed to the ANZAME/ANZAHPE community over many decades as a conference participant and presenter, Conference Organising Committee member, Conference Scientific Committee reviewer, and a valued member of the ANZAHPE Committee of Management (2009 – 2015) and FoHPE Editorial Board (2009-2019). During this time she was a strong supporter of changing ANZAME’s name to ANZAHPE, recognising the importance of a multiprofessional landscape. She also brainstormed the new logo with fellow CoM member, Andy Wearn. Largely unseen she played an active role with the working party for transitioning FoHPE from a paper-based journal to online, and supporting the processes to an indexed online international journal.
Beginning as clinical dietician focusing on public health, she took her first steps into health professional education at the University of NSW where she developed and taught a course in food and nutrition policy in the MPH program for several years presenting her novel approach to the use of role play at the 2006 ASCILITE conference. Working closely with the late Prof Raja Bandaranayake she developed a keen interest in program evaluation which continued throughout her career. She applied her expertise to lead evaluation initiatives for medical programs at the University of Sydney and University of Notre Dame. She also undertook several consultancies including the professional development modules for the Royal Australasian College of Pathologists, development of the Medical School Outcomes Database (MSOD) for the Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand – a crucial resource for the region. She also guided the Australian National University Rural Clinical School’s implementation of interprofessional learning.
Her research spanned a wide range of areas which continued into her retirement. Her primary nutritional research contributions explored the intersections of eating habits, nutrition education, obesity, culture, body perception and also maternal and newborn health in Australia and developing nations. Her commitment to welfare and Indigenous health is evidenced through her role in the ‘The Gudaga Study’, the NHMRC’s urban Aboriginal birth cohort study, a first in eastern Australia to provide longitudinal health data.
Her work in health professions education spanned evaluation, medical student study success, interprofessional learning and the student experience of curriculum initiatives. She made a strong scholarly contribution through her many co-authored publications and presentations.
What makes Pippa’s contribution particularly special to the health professional education community regionally was that she was a natural collaborator, an excellent communicator and always provided fresh, practical insights to advance our field. She had a wonderful caring nature with a deep understanding of all aspects of learning and teaching, mentoring, and scholarship.
We also remember her as a true creative, with chic haircut, colourful clothes and a love of jewellery – including flamboyant earrings. She began making her own jewellery and developed skills in casting and finishing silver works, especially rings. She was an expert in health professional education, but she had a wide knowledge across the arts and humanities too. A conversation with Pippa was always fun and one where you learnt something.
Pippa is survived by her two wonderful adult children and three grandchildren, and kept in close contact with her many colleagues. She will be sadly missed.
