Beryl Exley has had a remarkable impact on the education sector since beginning her teaching career in 1987, particularly for preservice teachers embarking on their own professional journeys.

After dedicating the first twelve years of her career to classrooms in both state and independent schools, her passion for literacy education led her to complete a Master of Education Honours and then a PhD.

She then spent seventeen years at the Queensland University of Technology, and a further seven years at Griffith University, shaping the next generation of teachers through Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs. Over her career, Beryl has secured over $2.25 million in research funding and published over 100 research articles and reports on literacy education and working with preservice teachers in ITE programs.

As a Professor and Deputy Head of School at Griffith University from 2018 to 2022, she played a vital role in the accreditation submissions for Griffith’s ITE programs, overseeing the student experience, and managing academic staffing, including mentoring program directors and accreditation officers. Her innovations have included improving student support for critical assessments and aligning coursework with professional standards, resulting in an increase in the pass rate for final-year preservice teachers.

In 2017, Beryl’s expertise earned her a role as an AITSL panel chair, assisting in the evaluation of ITE programs from other higher education providers for the last 8 years.

When COVID-19 disrupted professional experience placements in 2020, Beryl worked closely with other universities and the Department of Education to rollout an online professional experience for soon-to-be graduating preservice teachers. This initiative provided these preservice teachers with a new and highly sought after skill set and allowed them to graduate on time.

Beryl’s teaching excellence is highlighted by her mentoring of students who have presented at conferences and published in journals. Beryl’s expertise is also drawn on to provide commentary for radio, news, and online media articles.

Beryl’s work in education has been recognised with several accolades and titles, including being named a Principal Fellow of – and receiving a Life Member Award from – the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association in 2019, receiving a Teaching Excellence Team Award and an Award for Scholarship of Teaching at QUT in 2011, and being appointed by Julia Gillard as a National Literacy and Numeracy Week Ambassador in 2008.