 She was one of six national Teaching Award winners announced by Federal Education Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson.
'I congratulate those academics and institutions recognised for their commitment to excellence in university teaching,' Dr Nelson said.
The awards, valued at $40,000 each, celebrate those who have 'demonstrated the highest levels of dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm for their efforts on behalf of their students'. They also aim to raise the status of university teaching.
Dr Wertheim, an Associate Professor in the School of Psychological Science, is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society who specialises in clinical, health and peace psychology. She is a pioneering member of Psychologists for the Promotion of World Peace.
Dr Wertheim teaches and co-ordinates professional psychology courses and postgraduate coursework programs. She also teaches negotiation skills to law and legal studies students. With a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Connecticut, she joined La Trobe in 1982. Her teaching is informed by internationally-recognised research leadership in two fields.
The first is conflict resolution, including factors that lead to forgiveness and reconciliation. She has lectured UN staff and diplomats from around the world on preventive diplomacy and peace making. She is also a key figure in an ambitious two-year project to support Victorian primary school teachers in enhancing relationships in their schools and teaching children to handle conflict constructively.
Peace-making, Dr Wertheim says, starts in the playground. This project helps children to learn how to meet their own needs while considering the needs of others around them.
The second is research into eating disorders and concerns about body image, especially among adolescents and women suffering from conditions like bulimia. She has developed programs designed to prevent these disorders.
Dr Wertheim also won the 2004 Australian Psychological Society Directorate of Science Excellence in Teaching Award. A colleague, Adjunct Professor Ross Day, also received an award from the Society, for his extensive contribution to Australian psychology.
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