Associate Professor Thiru Vanniasinkam is a teaching/research academic and Program Director at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW. Thiru has worked in the USA and Australia and has over 20 years of experience teaching microbiology and immunology at introductory and advanced levels. Thiru is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education academy (UK) and has received national awards and citations for her teaching. Thiru collaborates nationally and internationally with other educators on education projects, publishing in international peer reviewed education journals. In addition to university teaching, Thiru promotes microbiology more widely in the community, promoting microbiology to local primary and high school students and supporting professional development in microbiology for healthcare professionals in regional NSW.