Rate My Professor Simon Evans

Professor Simon Evans is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of New England, having joined the institution in January 2022. An accomplished constitutional lawyer and senior university leader, he holds a BSc (Hons) in Pure Mathematics and Computer Science and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Sydney, complemented by a PhD in Law from the University of Cambridge. Prior to his current role, Evans served as Provost of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce at La Trobe University in Melbourne, where he led academic culture, strategy, and performance across the college and its four schools. From 2010 to 2018, he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) at the University of Melbourne. Earlier positions at the University of Melbourne's Law School included Deputy Dean, Director of Teaching, and Director of the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies. His leadership experience spans international strategy, teaching innovation, and comparative constitutional research initiatives.

Evans' research specializations lie in constitutional law, with a focus on constitutional property rights, the just terms doctrine, parliamentary human rights scrutiny, and comparative constitutional studies. Key publications include 'Constitutional Property Rights in Australia' (2004), 'When is an Acquisition of Property Not an Acquisition of Property?' (2000), 'The Meaning of Constitutional Terms: Essential Features, Implied Meanings and Deliberate Vagueness' (2006, University of New South Wales Law Journal), 'Plain Packaging of Cigarettes and Constitutional Property Rights' (2012), and co-authorship of Winterton's Australian Federal Constitutional Law: Commentary & Materials (2017). He directed the Legislatures and Human Rights Project at Melbourne Law School, which evaluated the human rights performance of Australian parliaments. In 2018, Evans was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. He retains a keen interest in the intersections between science, technology, and the social sciences and humanities, reflecting his diverse academic foundation.