Dr Michael Ondaatje

Work Phone	(02) 4921 5219
Fax	(02) 4921 6940
Email	Michael.Ondaatje@newcastle.edu.au
Position	Senior Lecturer School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle, Australia
Office	MCLG26a, McMullin Building

Biography

Michael Ondaatje is Senior Lecturer and Head of History at the University of Newcastle. Born in Perth, Western Australia, Michael was awarded his PhD, with Distinction, from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2008. That year his thesis on black conservatism was recognised with the Robert Street Prize for the most outstanding PhD across all of the University's disciplines. Michael’s primary research field is African American history. In 2010 his first book, Black Conservative Intellectuals in Modern America, was published by the University of Pennsylvania Press and became a Top 20 International Bestseller in U.S. history. In 2011, the book was recognised with the University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence.

Michael is also the winner of several major teaching awards at the national, university and faculty level, and a regular commentator on American history and politics for ABC radio. He has been a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the Rothermere American Institute in Oxford and a Researcher-in-Residence at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. In 2011, Michael was invited to deliver the Annual Human Rights Day Address at the United Nations Association of Australia.

Michael’s next major project will be a biography of the late-nineteenth century African American leader and educator, William Hooper Councill.

Qualifications

PhD, University of Western Australia, 2008
Bachelor of Arts (Honours), University of Western Australia, 2001

Research

Research keywords

Affirmative Action
African American History
Black Conservatism
Civil Rights Movement

Research expertise

My research focuses on twentieth century African American history, with a particular interest in the history of black conservatism, the civil rights movement as well as affirmative action and racial poverty.

Languages

English

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
219900	Other History And Archaeology	100

Centres and Groups

Centre

Humanities Research Institute

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

Member - Australia New Zealand American Studies Association (ANZASA)
Member - American Historical Association (AHA)
Member - Organization of American Historians (OAH)

Committee/Associations (relevant to research).

Member - Executive Committee, Australia New Zealand American Studies Association (ANZASA)

Editorial Board.

Member - Australasian Journal of American Studies (AJAS)

Appointments

Senior Visiting Research Fellow Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford (United Kingdom)	01/01/2011 - 01/04/2011
Research Associate United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney (Australia)	01/01/2011 - 01/12/2011
Whitfeld Research Fellow University of Western Australia (Australia)	01/07/2007 - 01/02/2008

Awards

Recognition.

2011	National Award for Teaching Excellence (Early Career) Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) (Australia) Excellence in Teaching
2010	Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence (Early Career) University of Newcastle (Australia) Excellence in teaching
2010	Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) (Australia) For creating exceptionally engaging teaching environments and embedding innovative resources in newly-developed American history courses that have inspired and motivated students to learn.
2009	Excellence in Teaching Award Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle (Australia) Excellence in teaching
2008	Graduation Ceremony University of Western Australia (Australia) Valedictorian
2007	Excellence in Teaching Award (Early Career) University of Western Australia (Australia) Excellence in teaching
2006	Peter Coleman Award Australasian Journal of American Studies (Australia) Best article published in the Australasian Journal of American Studies over a two year period – “Counterfeit Heroes or Colour-Blind Visionaries”

Research Award.

2011	Vice-Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence (Black Conservative Intellectuals in Modern America) University of Newcastle (Australia) :
2008	Robert Street Prize - Best PhD across all disciplines at the University of Western Australia in 2008 University of Western Australia (Australia) “The prize is awarded to the student whose PhD thesis, of all theses passed with distinction in a designated 12-month period, has, in the opinion of the Board of the Graduate Research School, made the most outstanding contribution to its field.”

2011

Vice-Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence (Black Conservative Intellectuals in Modern America)
University of Newcastle (Australia)
:

2008

Robert Street Prize - Best PhD across all disciplines at the University of Western Australia in 2008
University of Western Australia (Australia)
“The prize is awarded to the student whose PhD thesis, of all theses passed with distinction in a designated 12-month period, has, in the opinion of the Board of the Graduate Research School, made the most outstanding contribution to its field.”

Invitations

Keynote Address: Martin Luther King, the United Nations and the Struggle for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Day Address United Nations Association of Australia, Australia (Keynote Address)	2011
Keynote Address: Saviors or Sellouts? Black Conservative Intellectuals in Modern America, Perspectives on Power Conference University of Queensland, Australia (Keynote Address)	2011
Keynote Address: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race: An Historical Perspective, Limina Conference University of Western Australia, Australia (Keynote Address)	2009

The University of Newcastle, Australia