Professor Anna Sullivan is Interim Dean Research for the College of Creative Arts, Design and Humanities. She has held a number of leadership roles incluidng, co-Director of the Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion (CRESI) and Professorial Lead (Research Performance and Evaluation) in UniSA Education Futures, and Acting Dean of Research in UniSA Creative for six months.
Professor Sullivan’s research contributes to a greater understanding of educational issues related to exclusion and inclusion. Her current program of research draws largely on critical policy studies to examine ways in which policies are developed and enacted at various levels of education. The ‘critical’ in these studies enables her to examine the ways in which this broad policy work includes and/or excludes people, particularly those whom are most vulnerable. Prof Sullivan’s interests centre on three major interrelated areas of investigation:

Early career teachers’ work. She investigates issues related to early career teachers. In particular, her work has sought to understand the ways in which teachers’ work can be restructured to enable their success and how school leaders can support early career teachers to stay in the profession.
School leadership and education policy. Much of Prof Sullivan’s research examines ways in which school leaders develop and enact policies in ways that make schools better places for teachers and students.
School discipline and student behaviour. Prof Sullivan is interested in ways in which policies and practices can support students and teachers to prevent behaviour issues emerging and then to intervene in ways that support re-engagement.

Prof Sullivan continually attracts research funding, totalling over $3 million. She has been a Chief Investigator on many research projects (including 5 ARC Linkage and 2 ARC Discovery Projects), most involving collaborations with partner organisations. Her research has informed education policy and practice internationally.
Prof Sullivan is a sought after supervisor of higher degree by research students in the areas of school leadership, teachers’ work, teacher retention, critical policy studies, school discipline and classroom management.
Prof Sullivan is a member of the editorial board for Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice. This journal provides an international focal point for the publication of research about teachers, teacher education and teaching in schools, colleges and universities.
Prof Sullivan is recognised as a leading Australian who is influencing the way in which education research is being reported in the media. She was the co-founder and inaugural Board Chair of the Media Centre for Educational Research Australia (MCERA). MCERA was committed to improving public understanding of key educational issues by providing the media with authoritative, independent and accessible insights from education research. MCERA was named South Australian finalist in the Social Change Maker Category of the 2019 Telstra Business Awards. This category is for organisations whose core purpose is to achieve a “positive social impact” and which are “applying innovative solutions to address social issues and better the world we live in.” MCERA was awarded the 2019 Australian Council for Educational Leaders SA Media Award, which is presented to a journalist/media organisation who has reported on educational matters in a published forum at a local or national level. This award recognises a significant contribution by an individual or media organisation towards creating or facilitating depth and balance in public debate or profiling on educational matters in the media. This award is one that acknowledges positive journalism in education.
Her belief in the importance of making education research accessible has led her to appear in numerous print, radio and television media on issues related to student behaviour, school discipline and early career teachers.
Prof Sullivan brings over 10 years school teaching experience to her research and lecturing having taught in the Primary, Middle and Secondary years of schooling across South Australia, New South Wales and England.
Her experience and achievements have been repeatedly recognised by others:

Prof Anna Sullivan bestowed the University of South Australia Education Futures Senior Career Researcher Award, 2024.
Awarded the 2019 Distinguished Contribution to Research in Educational Leadership Award by the Australian Council for Educational Leaders South Australia Branch. This Award is an acknowledgement of the significant contribution of a researcher in creating new work or use existing work in creative ways to generate tools in and encourage dialogue for critical thinking by practitioners, about, or related to the practice of leading in schooling or other educational contexts. This award recognises an outstanding body of research that is forward-thinking, innovative and representative of new ideas and perceptions in education.
Named as one of The Educator magazine’s top 50 educators for 2017 for her substantial contribution in raising the public profile of educational research in Australia and encouraging fellow researchers to engage with the media to inform and reach the general public about research projects and outcomes. This award recognises people at the forefront of innovation and leadership in the Australian education sector.
Additionally, Prof Sullivan was an Executive Member for the Australian Association for Research in Education in 2021-2022 and 2016, when she assumed the roles of Research Development and Policy Advocacy Executive Officer, and the Communications Coordinator.
Prof Sullivan (with Johnson, LeCornu and Peters) was awarded the Teachers and Teaching Theory and Practice Journal Outstanding Article Award, 2015 by the International Study Association on Teachers and Teaching. This award was for "Promoting Early Career Resilience: a framework for understanding and acting", published in Teachers and Teaching Theory and Practice, Vol 20, No 5, October 2014.
She was Co-Leader of the Leadership, Teaching and Learning Research Group, within the Centre for Research in Education, UniSA 2014-17.
In 2015, Prof Sullivan was awarded the Academic Excellence - Teaching Award (2014), Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences, University of South Australia. This award recognises outstanding teaching performance which is supported by excellent Student Evaluation of Teaching and research informed teaching.
She was also awarded the 2014 High Achievement in Student Evaluation Attainment Award for Postgraduate Teaching, Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences, University of South Australia.
Prof Sullivan (with Johnson, LeCornu and Peters) was presented with the Centre for Research in Education, University of South Australia, and Research Publication Award in 2014. This award was for the book "Early Career Teachers: Stories of Resilience." Springer.