Professor Tom Lowrie

Tom is an esteemed expert in research-related consultancy. Tom has been one of the University of Canberra's Centenary Professors since 2014 and Director of the renowned STEM Education Research Centre (SERC).

Tom's career includes diverse roles, from primary school teaching to educating undergraduate and postgraduate students in mathematics education and research methods. He also held administrative positions as Head of School, Head of Campus, and Research Director.

Tom's internationally recognised research focuses on how primary-aged students use spatial reasoning and visual imagery to solve mathematics problems, including the role of graphics in mathematics assessment. Recently, his work expanded to explore students' use of digital tools and dynamic imagery for problem-solving, and he developed spatial curricula for primary and secondary classrooms.

Leading the Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA) project, a significant Australian Government initiative to promote STEM and digital literacy among children, Tom's influence reaches far and wide.

Over the past six years, he has secured over $19.7 million in nationally competitive research projects, including five ARC Discovery Grants, the impactful ELSA project, and a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Government Partnerships for Development Grant. Tom collaborates closely with influential partners such as the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the World Bank, The Pearson Foundation, and education jurisdictions.