Dr Emma Hamilton

I am a Senior Lecturer of History and Humanities in the Pathways and Academic Learning Support (PALS) Centre. I am an historian specialising in modern American and Australian histories, with a particular expertise in cultural histories and history on film. I am especially interested in matters of culture and representation as they relate to historical methodologies, and histories of gender, sexuality, age, and race across time and place. This expertise is reflected in my first scholarly monograph, Masculinities in the American Western Film, which reflects on the nature of historical representations - and their connection to gender - in the American Western film genre. I have published widely in this field and I have also contributed to the scholarship of teaching and learning, with a particular focus on transition pedagogies, online education and widening participation. 

A passionate enabling lecturer, I have facilitated a range of courses within PALS, with a particular focus on the suite of Australian History and Academic Literacies courses. I enjoy sharing in the educational journey of my students and working to find better ways to communicate historical ideas in the classroom.

It has also been my pleasure to serve PALS in a variety of roles since my appointment. The enabling programs provided by the University of Newcastle are the largest of their kind in Australia and have been successfully preparing students for entry into undergraduate pathways for 50 years. PALS also provides short, fee-free and discipline specific preparatory courses for all undergraduate students at UON, which is one of the ways we work to ensure that opportunities for perpetual learning and academic support are embedded throughout the student journey. I currently serve the Centre as the Convenor of the Online Open Foundation Program and an Academic Champion (SOTL). I have previously served as the Deputy Director of PALS, the Program Convenor of Diploma Programs, a Deputy Program Convenor (Callaghan), and as a Student Academic Advisor. These roles have allowed me to work closely with, and provide support to, both students and colleagues in these important programs. 

Prior to my appointment in PALS I enjoyed working as a researcher on a range of projects broadly related to history and/or cultural studies, including ARC and AusStage funded projects at the University of Newcastle, Macquarie University and Flinders University. I have also taught widely, coordinating large enrolment American and Australian survey courses, and specialised  courses related to African American experiences, women's history, sociology, classical studies, academic literacies for students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and research methodologies. I have taught using a variety of delivery modes including intensive, compressed, blended and entirely online courses across enabling and undergraduate programs.