Thank you and Farewell Professor Ann Roche

November 2021

We are pleased to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding leadership of Professor Ann Roche who has led NCETA over the past 21 years.  Ann is transitioning towards ‘retirement’ at the end of the year but will continue to be involved in the AOD and public health arenas in a variety of roles.  Under Ann’s leadership, NCETA has achieved global recognition as a research centre of excellence in alcohol and other drug use.

In particular, NCETA gained an international reputation for its ground breaking initiatives in workforce development:  Australia is recognised globally as the only country still to have a national workforce development strategy. Ann has worked tirelessly to promote evidence based research with an emphasis on translation of findings into every day practice aimed at reducing alcohol and drug related harms.  This work was especially evident in innovations in the Indigenous and NGO worker wellbeing areas, as well as in workplace AOD research. We wish Ann all the very best in the next phase of her ongoing contributions to public health and alcohol and other drug focused research.