Lea Sublett is Deputy Director – Alumni and Community Relations in the Advancement Office.

Prior to her recruitment to UQ in April 2007, Lea worked for five years in the Middle East for the Australian Government, representing the Department of Education, Science and Training in a diplomatic role. In this role, she assisted Australian education and training providers with their market entry to the Middle East and North Africa and worked with a team to promote studying in Australia in 15 countries (in English, Arabic, Turkish and Farsi).

She led the first Australian delegation on education and training into Libya, negotiated with the Saudi Arabian Minister of Higher Education to send more young Saudis on government scholarship to study in Australia, worked in partnership with AusAid to establish the Iraq Endeavour Fellowships for Iraqi academics to undertake research and study in Australia and spent time working in Oman, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

Lea has extensive experience in alumni relations in higher education and has worked for the universities of Melbourne, Wollongong and Southern Queensland. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Asian Studies.

In her spare time, Lea loves travelling (her favourite destinations include Paris, Sicily, Cairo, Istanbul and Corsica), reading books about travel, French movies, running and competing in fun run events.