My love of learning is a core value that connects to everything I do. I am passionate about supporting others in realising their educational aspirations, improving access to education, building agency and promoting lifelong-learning.
I have expertise in career decision-making and the study choice process: how people make choices about what degree to study and how the prospective student experience intersects with career decision-making and higher education recruitment. My research interests include student recruitment, retention, engagement and success in higher education, with a focus on student equity, the first-year experience, veterans and the military-connected community, and Work-Integrated-Learning.
My career in higher education spans 25 years, in Canada and Australia. I have recently returned to UniSA from a policy role with the Australian Government's Department of Education, Higher Education Access and Equity Branch. Prior to that, I enjoyed a range of experiences at UniSA. As an Academic Developer in the Teaching Innovation Unit, I partnered with academic staff to translate discipline expertise into transformative learning experiences for students. My work in the Defence and Space portfolio supported the development of research partnerships with defense industry and education projects connecting the graduate pipeline to this sector, and included the implementation of UniSA's Veterans' Engagement and Education Program (VEEP) in the Student Engagement Unit.  After several years in UniSA STEM as a Research Assistant, Project Manager and PhD student, I moved to UniSA College to undertake research on student engagement and it was my privilege to tutor in the Foundation Studies program. My early career was spent in the Canadian community college system as a registrar and in student advising, admissions and recruitment roles.