I am the Online Course Facilitator for the Bachelor of Journalism, Bachelor of Digital Media and Bachelor of Communications and have responsibility for leading the development and delivery of online teaching for Adelaide University Online students in those programs. My role involves providing high-quality online course development and teaching to undergraduate students and to coordinate the day-to-day activities of casual teaching staff.
 
As a digital media storytelling specialist with more than 25 years’ experience as a journalist, media adviser, digital media creative and corporate communications manager I have an intimate knowledge of the South Australian, Australian and international media, political, education and business landscapes and bring this industry focus to my work as a Teaching Academic.
 
Throughout my career I have experienced massive changes in journalism and digital media creation, business models and publication forms along with significant changes in Higher Education curriculum design and delivery.  Digitisation is revolutionising modes of, and opportunity for, learning and as Professor Glyn Davis, in his book The Australian Idea of a University, argues, “experimentation, innovation and resilience are the only way Australia’s universities will endure”. Some academics would be overwhelmed with the need for ongoing innovation but as a working professional, industry connected teaching academic who was part of the talented academic team developing, launching and overseeing the success of UniSA Online to be awarded GOLD status in the 2024 Global Online Learning Rankings, I see this changing landscape as an enormous opportunity.
 
As an innovative, outward-looking academic with a strong commitment to graduate employment outcomes my research focus is on the design and delivery of authentic and engaging learning experiences that prepare digital media and journalism graduates for professional practice. In 2025 I was awarded a UniSA Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning  - For leadership embedding authentic, technology-enabled formative feedback that enhances equity, engagement, collaboration, and learning outcomes in asynchronous online environments.
 
As a media professional I am passionate about news, storytelling and entrepreneurial media business models. As an academic, I combine my working industry knowledge with my educational experience and research findings to implement authentic and engaging learning experiences for students to build both their technical skills and their professional practice capabilities.And my PhD research - Let's Get Real: Developing Authentic, Industry Relevant Curricula in Journalism and Media Communication Education - is examining how higher education journalism and media communication programs in Australia can prepare students to enter and succeed within an industry undergoing rapid technological and professional transformation.
 
I have been a member of the Hunter Institute of Mental Health Mindframe Education Advisory Board overseeing the MindFrame guidelines for the responsible reporting of mental health and suicide.  I am a judge and social media manager for the MEAA Walkley South Australian Media Awards (2003-present), have been a SA Press Club Awards judge and a member of many professional organisations including the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia Incorporated (JERAA Inc), the Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (AANZCA), MEAA Women in Media and Women in Innovation.
 
As an industry-focused teaching academic, in a discipline that is always changing, I strive to constantly update my professional practice skills and knowledge and embed best-practice approaches into my curriculum development and teaching practice. This professional practice has included being a co-developer and director of the entrepreneurial digital media storytelling business Stories Well Told that works with a range of clients and creative agencies across Australia. Working on a range of digital media projects for clients further motivates me to deliver authentic learning experiences that will genuinely prepare Adelaide University students for rewarding and successful careers in digital media and digital journalism.