Susan Gair

Adjunct Associate Professor Susan Gair is committed to social justice, reconciliation, and improved social policy and social work practice, particularly in regional areas. Her teaching and research interests have focused on preparing the Australian social work workforce to meet real world challenges by embracing Indigenous ways of working, critical reflection, integrity, respect, critical empathy and evidence-based practice. Her research interests include child adoption policy and practice, exploring racism, student poverty and  improving outcomes for young people & families. Recent industry partnerships include national research seeking to optimise grandparents' contact with grandchildren after child protection concerns and intervention; groundbreaking research on the impact of inadequate income on students' study success; and co-produced research with a local diversionary centre exploring the views of young people at risk of offending about services delivered to them.

A/Prof Gair's leadership in her field is demonstrated with her research findings and publications informing national social policy. For example, research findings on student poverty informed national submissions by the AASW and St Vincent de Paul Society National Council to the Commonwealth Government highlighting the inadequate rate of Youth Allowance (2018) and submissions to the 2019 Senate Inquiry into the Newstart Allowance. She was an expert witness to the Commonwealth Inquiry into past forced adoptions, and she regularly has given media comment in her areas of expertise.

A/Prof Gair presented research findings on student poverty to the European Social Work Research conference in Denmark in April, 2017, and was an invited speaker to ANZSWWER conference, Auckland. Findings from the 'Grandparents Matter' study were presented in Auckland (2017), and at the ACWA conference, Sydney (2018). A/Prof Gair recently discussed the Grand Challenges for Social Work with colleagues at the University of Washington and University of Southern California, USA (Aug, 2019). Her interests in creative research methods culminated in her co-authored book 'Sharing Qualitative Research: Showing Lived Experience and Community Narratives' published by Routledge. Her 2021 co-authored book (Palgrave) explored neoliberalism in higher education.

A/Prof Gair's other professional communications and engagements have included:

• Writing for 'The Conversation' where her articles have attracted over 100,000 readers.
• Writing groups for social work practitioners including at Queensland Health.
• Community women's writing groups in North Queensland - publications with Black Ink Press.
• Editorial Board membership and Reviewer for national and international Journals.
• A/Prof Gair is currently the Editor of the journal of Australian Social Work.