Mrs Judi Geggie

As Director of the Family Action Centre Judi Geggie has advocated strongly for research to inform community development and family services policy and practice, with considerable success. Important research areas of the Family Action Centre include family strengths, community development with marginaised communities, men and boys, including fatherhood and organisational change with a focus on strength-based practices. As an administrator of an organisation with 35 staff, Judi has concentrated on advocacy and development of research initiatives. Her efforts have brought in almost $5 million in research income to the Family Action Centre from 2001 to 2006. While not having a specific research focus to her role as director, Judi has nonetheless published in the fields of interest of the FAC; been an invited keynote at several international and national conferences and has negotiated and developed many research collaborations with international and national agencies and organisations that have lead to changes in government policy and in innovative models of practice being adopted in areas of family and community work. The Google Scholar search engine was used to determine how many people have cited Judis work. A Google scholar search using the search terms Judi Geggie Australia found 3 publications, with 1 citation. Another Google Scholar search using the search terms Judi Geggie Family Action Centre found a total of 6 publications, with a total of 2 citations. An ordinary Google search under Judi Geggie Australia found 27 results. An ordinary Google search under Judi Geggie Family Action Centre found 19 results.

Research Expertise
Ms Geggie is an intellectual leader in the field of family strengths practices and organisational change based on the strengths approach. She has particularly fostered the concept of the strengths approach in men and boys work and Indigenous community development. She has developed several important international, national and internal university collaborations with researchers, institutional partners and practitioners in this field and has contributed to the development of new models of practice being adopted across government and community services in several countries including Australia, China, Korea and Mexico. As director of the centre, Ms Geggie has initiated and provided intellectual leadership for over 20 new family and community research projects.

Teaching Expertise
Ms Geggie has been an invited lecturer to students in Social work, social welfare, education and allied health degrees at the University of Newcastle.

Administrative Expertise
Ms Geggie has been director of the Family Action Centre since 2000 and the assistant director from 1991 to 2000. Under her leadership, the research functions of the Family Action Centre have grown to the extent that FAC has brought in almost $5 million in research funding in he period 2001 to 2006. Under Ms Geggie's leadership, the research and dissemination functions of the FAC are now in equal proportion in staffing and funding to the community programs functions of the FAC.