Course Accreditation Committee

The purpose of the Course Accreditation Committee is to provide universities and training providers with a framework to build courses of excellence in exercise and sports science, to ensure that graduate outcomes are aligned with industry requirements, and to review and renew courses against the current course accreditation standards.

CAC Members

Associate Professor Kate Pumpa (Chair)

Associate Professor Kate Pumpa is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Accredited Practicing Sports Dietitian who teaches Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition at The University of Canberra. Kate is the convenor of the Bachelor of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation degree within the Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, and the current Performance Dietitian for the Australian Rugby Union Wallabies. Kate completed her PhD at the Australian Institute of Sport in 2008 before consulting as a Sports Dietitian to Leinster Rugby Club based in Dublin, Ireland. In 2010 Kate was appointed as an Assistant Professor at the University of Canberra, where she is currently employed in a teaching and research position. Kate has been an AEP and APD since 2003, working in private practice and within the University of Canberra’s student-led Exercise Physiology Clinic. Kate’s research focuses on two distinct areas; the evaluation and application of assessing energy expenditure in athletes to assist with nutrition prescription and body composition manipulation, and the evaluation of different exercise interventions to improve outcomes in cancer patients.

Associate Professor Amanda Benson 

Associate Professor Amanda Benson is the Course Director for Exercise and Sport Science at Swinburne University of Technology and is an ESSA-accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) and a registered teacher (VIT). She has considerable experience in curriculum development within Australia and New Zealand in exercise science and physical education. Her teaching interests are in clinical exercise physiology, physical activity and technology. Her research interests are in using exercise and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease across the lifespan, with specific interest in cardiac rehabilitation, type 2 diabetes, resistance training and wearable and sensor technology.

Ms Amanda Semaan

Amanda Semaan is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and has been practicing since 2012. Amanda currently works across both the practitioner and education field. Amanda is the co-director of a small allied health business working primarily in disability and mental health in Sydney (founded 2013). Her personal areas of expertise include mental health, intellectual disability and Aboriginal health. Amanda is also employed part-time with the University of Sydney (since 2012) as an Associate Lecturer in Work Integrated Learning. Amanda is a current research student at the University of Sydney. Her thesis title is Knowledge and attitudes of exercise physiology students to the mental health sector.

Associate Professor Annette Raynor

Dr Raynor is an Associate Professor in Motor Learning and Control at Edith Cowan University where she coordinates and delivers units in Motor Learning and Control and through her research aims to improve motor performance in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder and older adults; enhance talent identification in sport; and improve decision making under pressure. Annette graduated from UWA with a Bachelor Physical Education (Hons), Diploma in Education and PhD, before commencing her academic career at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore as a lecturer in Motor Learning and Control and Biomechanics. She took up a similar role at the University of South Australia (2000-2011) and held a number of leadership roles including Associate Head of School and acting Head of School. Annette was Head of School, Exercise and Health Sciences at Edith Cowan University from 2012-2015, a founding member of the Council of Heads of Exercise, Sport and Movement Sciences (CHESMS) Executive in 2012 and was elected as President of this Council in 2015. She has contributed to ESSA’s National University Course Accreditation Program since 2010 as both a reviewer and an executive council member and was awarded a Fellow of ESSA in 2020.

Dr Mandy Plumb

Dr Mandy Plumb graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor with a BSc (Hons) degree in Sports Science in 2000. Dr Plumb then gained a PhD (Mechanical & Metabolic Factors in Osteoarthritis) in Orthopaedic Surgery from the University of Aberdeen in 20005. Since then, Dr Plumb commenced a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the School of Psychology and Department of Child Health at the University of Aberdeen, developing an electronic tool to aid diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. In July 2007 Dr Plumb was offered a Sport and Exercise Science Lectureship in the School of Health Sciences at The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen Scotland, and in September 2010 joined Oxford Brookes University UK, as Senior Lecturer in Osteopathy as the Research Lead. In 2014 Dr Plumb joined Federation University and took on the role as Program Coordinator in Exercise and Sport Science in 2016. Dr Plumb's main research focus is to understand how children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) plan their movements, when performing a simple task like reaching and grasping an object, and then a more complex task that requires some kind of choice. By understanding simple and complex motor planning, it may provide some insight into how to tailor appropriate interventions to these children to lessen the negative later life consequences that are currently observed.

Associate Professor Andrew Williams

Dr Andrew Williams is an Associate Professor in Clinical Exercise Science at the University of Tasmania. He is a former course coordinator of the Bachelor of Exercise Physiology (Professional Honours), and former Director of the University Exercise Physiology Clinic. His main research focus investigates the role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease with particular emphases on the role of technology in encouraging healthy lifestyle behaviours and on the translation of clinical guidelines into clinical practice. He has been an active ESSA member since 2007, serving as a National Director, Research Committee Chair, Course Accreditation Reviewer, and member of the conference organising committee. He has been an ESSA Fellow since 2014. Andy also serves on the Australian Lung Foundation Social Inclusion Project Steering Group.

For more information about the CAC, please contact the ESSA Regulation Manager, [email protected]