Lesley Hitchens

Professor Lesley Hitchens is UTS's Acting Provost and Senior Vice-President. As the primary academic officer, the Provost is the second-in-charge to the Vice-Chancellor and oversees the academic activities of the university.

Lesley Hitchens joined UTS in January 2008, serving as Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Law from June 2008 until early 2013. She commenced as Dean of the Faculty in February 2013. In 2015 was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. Lesley is also a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In 2018 she received the Financial Times Australian Legal Innovator Award.

Prior to commencing her academic career, Lesley practised as a commercial lawyer for seven years, first in Sydney with Allens and later with Herbert Smith (now Herbert Smith Freehills) in London. She spent 14 years in the United Kingdom commencing her academic career there with the University of Leicester. Prior to returning to Australia, she spent four years at the University of Warwick. Upon returning to Australia, Lesley took up an academic position with the University of Melbourne and later the University of New South Wales. She has also held visiting positions at universities in the UK including University of Manchester and Birkbeck College.