Visiting Professor-at-Large to enrich campus culture

One of Australia’s leading comedians will join UNSW next year as an artist-in-residence.

Corporate satirist Rodney Marks has been appointed Visiting Professor-at-Large, with the aim of enlivening the intellectual and cultural life of the University. He will participate in a range of activities across campus, including Orientation Week. His appointment is in keeping with the University’s strategic priority of improving the student experience.

Rodney is an AGSM alumnus, having graduated with an MBA in 1982. During his time at AGSM, Rodney wrote and produced the inaugural AGSM comedy review, There’s No Accounting For Taste. In 1988, Rodney received a Masters in Public Administration from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

He is a co-author of the humorous dictionary of management terms The Management Contradictionary. More about the book can be found at its website: www.contradicta.com

“I’m truly excited to be back at my alma mater. The role is to perform comedy for student audiences: discovering, articulating and addressing their issues," Rodney says. "The hope is to make student life on campus more engaging, fun, positive and flamboyant.”

Rodney has previously been artist-in-residence at Harvard, the AGSM, UNE and the Macquarie Dictionary. He has performed in Australia and overseas for leading international businesses. These include the Boston Consulting Group, British Telecom, BT, Burns Philp, Cathay Pacific, Coca-Cola Amatil, Energy Australia, Ernst & Young, Fairfax, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, KPMG, Lend Lease, McDonald's, Macquarie Bank, NAB, Qantas and Zurich Insurance.

He begins his half-time position with the University on January 1, 2007.