College of Arts, Society & Education

Karen Cavu

Doctor of Philosophy (Education)
karen.cavu@jcu.edu.au

Pascal Agbadi

Lecturer, Social Work
pascal.agbadi@jcu.edu.au

Leonard Freeman

Senior Lecturer, English Education (Primary Education)
leonard.freeman@jcu.edu.au

Subhashni Taylor

Adjunct Senior Lecturer
subhashni.taylor@jcu.edu.au

Peta Salter

Associate Professor, Curriculum and Pedagogy
peta.salter@jcu.edu.au

Ines Zuchowski

Associate Dean, Research
ines.zuchowski@jcu.edu.au

Jemma Hamley

Lecturer, Social Work
jemma.hamley@jcu.edu.au

Rosita Henry

Adjunct Professor
rosita.henry@jcu.edu.au

Michael Ackland

Adjunct Professor
michael.ackland@jcu.edu.au

Advancing analytical techniques and research capacity in bioarchaeology in Southeast Asia

Anna Willis

01 Jun 2025 - 31 Dec 2025

Biological sex determination of human skeletal remains is fundamental for building an accurate biological profile for individuals from archaeological and forensic contexts. This project aims to determine the biological sex of 85 infants and children from an Iron Age site in Thailand using a new method that targets a sex-specific peptide in tooth enamel. This would enable examination of sex-based patterns in disease and mortality during infancy and childhood. The project will be bring together a team of MCRs from JCU and Thai researchers, mentored by Lead-CI, Domett, to build research capacity and soft diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming to submit an ARC Discovery Project Grant.

LabNorth: Building Cultural Capacity and Strategic Alliances for ARC Linkage Success

Rohan Lloyd

01 Jun 2025 - 31 Dec 2025

Funding is sought to expand the network and research of LabNorth, a Roderick-funded research initiative focusing on bolstering the key arts and culture infrastructure and practice in Northern Australia (and including researchers from JCU, CDU and Flinders Uni). Funds are sought to bring together key stakeholders to a two-day workshop at the end of July to build strategic relationships and explore common challenges and opportunities in supporting arts and culture in the North.

Embedding digital technology in learning, teaching and assessment in HPE

Tamra Jones

01 Aug 2024 - 30 Jun 2025

Assessment practices traditionally utilised used in schools to evaluate physical capabilities of students are often superficial, inaccurate, and potentially biased leading to unreliable reporting (see DinanThompson & Penney, 2015). Furthermore, resultant of academic focus on literacy, numeracy and STEM subjects, what happens in HPE, flies ‘under the radar’, thereby avoiding accountability to be purposeful and meaningful (see Penney, 2020, Penney, in press). This research project aimed to determine how the use of digital technologies could address this identified problem.

A Model of Care Framework for Indigenous Men in Townsville (TIMA project )

Wili Suluma

01 Jul 2025 - 31 Jan 2026

Indigenous men face significant health disparities compared to non-Indigenous Australians, with a life expectancy gap of 8.6 years and higher rates of chronic disease, mental health issues, and social challenges (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023). These disparities are compounded by historical trauma, ongoing impacts of colonisation, and barriers to accessing culturally safe services and supports (Dudgeon et al., 2014; Markwick et al., 2019). Existing research demonstrates that models of care developed with Indigenous leadership and cultural groundedness show significantly better engagement and outcomes (Harfield et al., 2018; Gibson et al., 2020). The project will engage with the Townsville Indigenous men community which includes Indigenous elders, individuals, men’s groups and associations, Indigenous organisations and services who support Indigenous men in accordance.

Peer Mentoring and Community Building Among Australian and Korean Working Holiday Makers

Sujin Kim

30 Sep 2025 - 31 Aug 2026

This project seeks to enhance Australia–Korea people-to-people engagement through a bilingual peer mentoring program and a digital platform tailored for current working holidaymakers. It will connect Korean participants in Australia with Australian participants in Korea through structured mentoring sessions, intercultural exchange activities, and the formation of a sustainable support network. In addition, an alumni storytelling initiative — featuring former participants of the Australia-Korea Working Holiday Program (referred to as 'working holiday alumni') — will showcase the diverse experiences and contributions of past participants. While the project supports all participants, it pays particular attention to the gendered experiences of female working holidaymakers, recognising their unique challenges and contributions. Through these efforts, the project promotes cross-cultural understanding, career resilience, and long-term bilateral ties—bridging geographic distance and fostering digital and human connections between Australia and Korea.