I am a proud Ngunnawal woman from the ancestral lands of Canberra, and I bring more than twenty years of lecturing experience to my current role as an academic within the Pathways program. Teaching pathways students at the beginning of their academic journeys is a privilege I deeply value, and it drives my commitment to creating accessible, engaging, and inclusive learning experiences. Over the course of my career, I have designed and delivered numerous subjects across multidisciplinary fields, developing curriculum and instructional approaches for both online and face-to-face settings.

My expertise lies in Aboriginal social theory, Aboriginal pedagogies and philosophies, pathways education, hyflex teaching, cultural intelligence, the creation of culturally inclusive spaces, and the ethical use of AI. My PhD, It’s time: An Aboriginal Social Theory, for, by and with Aboriginal People, introduced a unique Aboriginal Social Theory at both national and international levels. Grounded in the guidance of Aboriginal intellectual elders, scholarly works, and autobiographies, this research employed yarning, Dadirri, storytelling, strengths-based approaches, and narrative therapy principles. I am now preparing my thesis for publication as a book. My current research continues this trajectory, examining the impact of my consultancy work on the teaching practices and broader lives of early childhood educators.

At the core of my teaching is a passion for equity and accessibility in education. I strive to create meaningful learning experiences that are relevant to students’ lives and underpinned by Universal Design for Learning. My pedagogical approaches reflect this commitment and draw on Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, and Doing, alongside contemporary methods such as 21st-century pedagogies, embodied learning, gamification, student-centred design, and assessment-based learning.

Beyond my teaching, I have led impactful consultancy initiatives. Most recently, I collaborated with C&K Childcare and Kindergarten through the Queensland Government’s Kindy Uplift program. With $92,000 in funding, I developed and delivered a series of four workshops titled Expanding Cultural Intelligence: Looking within, to expand our cultural horizons. This initiative launched in 2024 in Townsville and Cairns, later expanding to Mackay and Rockhampton, and now includes an online component in phase two.

I have also contributed to numerous workshops and seminars, including Standing on Story Ground: Exploring theory through Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, and Doing; the AARE Theory Workshop on co-creating knowledge; and presentations such as Looking Within to Expand Our Cultural Horizons: How to create inclusive spaces and practices. In 2025, I have been invited to present at the NSW Paediatric Allied Health Seminar Series on Supporting Resilient Jarjums and to contribute to the NSW Health Education & Training Institute’s Jumbunna Podcast Series.

The principles of knowledge, empathy, reciprocity, trust, respect, and empowerment are foundational to my teaching and research. These principles are never taught in isolation but rather interwoven to create the cyclical dynamic essential for meaningful and transformative learning. This philosophy is evident in my teaching practices, where I design materials and assessments that allow students to demonstrate skills such as cultural self-awareness, cultural intelligence, inclusive practice, and the ability to communicate complex concepts through tools like mind maps, podcasts, and professional reports. My aim is always to ensure students’ learning is relevant, practical, and empowering.

I have also taken an educative approach to academic integrity, developing a strengths-based learning activity that has resulted in zero cases of academic misconduct since its implementation. Beyond the classroom, I contribute to the university community by volunteering each year on the Medicine Selection Interview panel, supporting both Indigenous and non-Indigenous prospective students as they take their first steps toward a career in medicine.