Miss Jean-Louise Olivier
Casual Customer Service Assistant
Student Central
Career Summary
Biography
Jean-Louise is a PhD Candidate in the Discipline of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Newcastle. Originally from South Africa and of French, Dutch, and German ancestry, she has spent most of her life living on the unceded Awabakal and Worimi Countries.
As a Sessional Academic, Jean-Louise contributes to various courses through tutoring, marking, and course development. In addition, she works as a Research Associate at Western Sydney University, engaging in a range of interdisciplinary research projects.
Jean-Louise's doctoral research is a collaborative project with women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, alongside staff and researchers at a centre for women and children from refugee backgrounds in Newcastle. Her work focuses on understanding how women navigate everyday care needs and create a sense of home in Newcastle. Using creative and participatory research methods and through practices of co-authorship, her study centres the knowledges and lived experiences of women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
Keywords
- Creative methods
- Critical Migration Studies
- Feminist Geography
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 440303 | Migration | 35 |
| 440601 | Cultural geography | 40 |
| 440610 | Social geography | 25 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Casual Academic | University of Newcastle School of Environmental and Life Sciences Australia |
Awards
Research Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2017 |
Jim Ross Geography Award: Highly Commended Presentation on a Human Geography Topic Geographical Society of New South Wales |
Scholarship
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2020 |
Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship – Academic Pathway Scheme (VC Scholarships) Australian Government Department of Education |
Teaching
| Code | Course | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG3300 |
Rethinking Development School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle This course critically evaluates the nature and direction of a range of pathways and conceptions of development. Using a range of theoretical approaches and case studies, we participate in and assess new approaches to development and review their enactment in real world settings. As part of these enactments, we distinguish how we might adapt these alternative approaches in a range of fields. The course looks at contemporary theories and practices of community development and social change, with a focus on Indigenous peoples, knowledges and practices, including yarning circles. The course includes an option for fieldwork guided by Indigenous custodians on Country. |
Guest Lecturer | 10/10/2023 - 10/10/2025 |
| GEOG1030 |
Global Poverty and Development School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle The distribution of wealth in today's world is the most unequal in history. While the economies of developed countries continue to grow, the size of the world's poor continues to increase with resulting social crises and instability. Global Poverty and Development explores this and other issues through an introduction to development studies, with a broad discussion of social, economic, political, cultural and environmental issues. It provides students with a base understanding of historical and contemporary theories and processes of development. It examines the persistence of poverty in the world, how it is created and how it is being responded to. It also explores poverty and development from the perspective of those who are poor, understanding poverty as a lived experience. The course also provides students with the skills to locate and compare a range of indices, measurements and reports about poverty, inequality and development. Students also undertake practical exercises to develop skills in describing development theories and their paradoxes. |
Sessional Academic | 1/6/2022 - 12/11/2025 |
| ENVS3006 |
Surviving the Anthropocene: Sustainability in the 21st Century School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle This course takes up the challenge proposed by philosophers, social scientists and scientists who argue that nothing less than a transformation of society is needed to move us towards a sustainable future. To respond to this challenge, students will critically examine conceptual, ethical and practical tools for rethinking and determining measures of sustainability. Insights from complexity theory, contemporary social thought, and non-western knowledges that can provide ways of reimagining cities, agriculture, everyday life, consumption and waste will provide opportunities for students to examine and evaluate current and proposed pathways and processes of transformation towards sustainability. Previous course title - Sustainability: Theory and Practice |
Sessional Academic | 28/2/2024 - 12/11/2025 |
| GEOG1020 |
Introduction to Human Geography School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle The course explores the ways in which global and local forces continuously shape socio-cultural and economic landscapes including cities and countrysides. Case studies are drawn from a mix of Australian and international examples. An important component of the course is the development of student skills and competencies in three major areas: the use and misuse of indicators of socio-cultural and economic change; techniques for field-based analysis of controversial local issues; and the distillation and communication of key arguments from relevant academic materials. Skills and concepts developed in the course are highly useful in other subject areas and for future employment opportunities. |
Sessional Academic | 1/1/0001 - 1/1/0001 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (4 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Olivier JL, Rezaie H, Najia N, Mee K, '‘Tea and Thread: Our Happiness!’ Creative Methods and ‘Researching-With’ Women from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds', Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 66, 177-187 (2025) [C1]
Creative methods offer caring ways to conduct research with people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. We reflect on the contributions creative methods, migration stu... [more] Creative methods offer caring ways to conduct research with people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. We reflect on the contributions creative methods, migration studies, and feminist care ethics bring to more caring qualitative research. Guided by feminist work on care and ethics, we expand how creative methods can be employed. Drawing on a range of research traditions, we further develop the concept of 'researching-with'. We propose researching-with as a methodological approach that takes seriously relationships and responsibilities in research practices. This approach advocates for conducting research collaboratively and in solidarity with research communities. The paper reflects on researching-with creative methods in a research collaboration involving women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, staff and volunteers, a PhD student and a supervisor involving a series of creative workshops at Zara's House in Newcastle, Australia. We expand on some of the methodological learnings of researching-with, including the possibilities and challenges of this methodological approach.
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| 2025 |
Olivier JL, Santleben SD, Baremgayabo FF, Amponsah M, Mee K, Hodge P, 'Taking shadow infrastructures of care seriously: towards more caring futures with women from migrant and refugee backgrounds in Newcastle, Australia', Australian Geographer, 56, 105-125 (2025) [C1]
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| 2023 |
Olivier J-L, Mee K, Power E, 'Infrastructures of Care for Public Housing Residents During COVID-19 Detention: Failures, Glitches and Possibilities to Care With', URBAN POLICY AND RESEARCH, 41, 70-83 (2023) [C1]
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Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2023 |
Gorman-Murray A, Prior J, Cadorin R, Vincent A, Olivier J-L, de Leeuw E, 'Urban policy, space and wellbeing: a move towards LGBTQIA+ inclusive planning', PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH & PRACTICE, 33 (2023) [C1]
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| Show 1 more journal article | |||||||||||
Miss Jean-Louise Olivier
Positions
Casual Customer Service Assistant
Student Central
Academic Division
Casual Academic
School of Environmental and Life Sciences
College of Engineering, Science and Environment
Casual Academic
School of Environmental and Life Sciences
College of Engineering, Science and Environment
Casual Research Assistant
School of Environmental and Life Sciences
College of Engineering, Science and Environment
Contact Details
| jean-louise.olivier@newcastle.edu.au |