We have recently welcomed several new Board directors. Over the coming issues of Gatherings, we’ll meet them and learn a little more about them. Today, we meet our new Queensland director, Mandy Chandler AE, who shares the Board tasks she’s most excited about, her passion for training and working with dogs, and the superpower she wishes she had.
Can you tell us a little bit about you?
I am delighted to serve as the Queensland director for IPEd. I am an Accredited Editor with 20 years of professional editing and writing experience.
I am currently employed as an editor with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Prior to that, I worked as a scientific writer and editor for QUT’s Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre, where I helped secure over $27.5 million in research funding. My freelance portfolio includes major projects for Powerlink Queensland and publications ranging from academic research papers to memoirs and fiction. I hold a master degree in chemistry, a graduate certificate in editing and publishing, and a diploma in journalism, and I am currently working towards a Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing at UQ.
What most excites you about this new role?
Some things I’m looking forward to in this role are:
- Advancing professional standards across the editing industry: Contributing to the development and refinement of continuous professional development through my involvement in the Standing Committee on Professional Development.
- Navigating the evolving landscape of AI and technology in editing: Leveraging insights from IPEd’s Working Party on Artificial Intelligence to help shape policies and guidance that support editors in adapting to technological changes while maintaining editorial excellence and professional integrity.
- Strengthening connections between industry, academia and professional development: Using my background spanning scientific research, commercial editing and educational institutions to foster partnerships and grow IPEd membership.
Why did you decide to join the IPEd Board?
I joined the IPEd Board because I love editing, and I wanted to support the growth of the profession throughout Australia and New Zealand. I believe that now more than ever we need leaders who are willing to tackle the challenges facing our profession and find solutions that will allow us not only to survive, but also to thrive as editors in a rapidly changing world.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy training and working with dogs and volunteering at the RSPCA. I also love to read and crochet. Recently, I crocheted a Panzer E4 army tank and the sword from the legend of Zelda for my nephews.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
If I could have a superpower, I would like the ability to quickly and easily find anything that I (or someone else) was looking for because one of the biggest things we spend our time on is trying to find misplaced items. Also, it would be amazing if I could use my power to help find missing people.