
Dr Meaghan Katrak Harris
Senior Lecturer
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci (Social Work)
- Email:meaghan.katrakharris@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:49215765
Career Summary
Biography
Dr. Meaghan Katrak Harris is a social worker, academic, and writer whose career spans diverse facets of the field. With extensive experience in direct practice, community development, research, and education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, she brings a holistic perspective to social work. Her research focuses on exploring communities and developing creative, place-based solutions to challenges faced by rural and regional areas. Meaghan is part of the high impact Name.Narrate.Navigate program which delivers direct service, professional training, resource design and research for youth violence.
Meaghan is particularly passionate about the arts as a vehicle for social justice and the telling of untold stories. Her current creative portfolio includes a collection of memoir-based essays that evolved into a play, alongside her co-written screenplay "Two Mile to Town". This fictional drama set in a small soldier settlement town in Australia in the 1960's, explores the intersectionality of the community within the historically factual context of assimilationist policies. With her team, Meaghan is actively developing a proof of concept for this screenplay as a community arts initiative in her hometown, where the story is set.
As a Senior Lecturer in Social Work, Meaghan is dedicated to social work education, combining her academic expertise with community engagement and creative practice to inspire future social work professionals.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University
- Bachelor of Social Work, La Trobe University
- Master of Social Work, Monash University
Keywords
- Social Work Education
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Senior Lecturer | University of Newcastle School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci Australia |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Book (3 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
Howard A, Rawsthorne M, Joseph P, Terare M, Sampson D, Katrak-Harris M, 'SOCIAL WORK AND HUMAN SERVICES RESPONSIBILITIES IN A TIME OF CLIMATE CHANGE: Country, Community and Complexity', 1-212 (2022)
This book provides an accessible, research-informed text for students, social workers and other social service workers and community development workers focused on prac... [more] This book provides an accessible, research-informed text for students, social workers and other social service workers and community development workers focused on practically linking climate change to social justice. The book is designed for: Those who want to embed an understanding of climate change and its social justice impacts in their everyday practice Those keen to explore the explicit but also often invisible ways we see injustice playing out and exacerbated by climate change Those interested in embarking on research and action which addresses climate change in an inclusive, creative and fair way Utilising existing and current research with organisations, government and communities, it examines key themes and contexts where work has been done and where more work is needed to design and implement inclusive and just action on climate change. With a core position revolving around the idea and practice of justice ¿ for earth and everything that lives here, it draws on First Nations worldviews, critical analysis, community-led approaches and complexity theory, to outline some practical ways to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change as well as a strategy to reshape our life and work for the longer term. It will be required reading for all scholars, students and professionals of social work, social welfare, community development, international development, community health and environmental and community education.
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| 2016 |
Howard A, Katrak M, Blakemore T, Pallas P, 'Rural, Regional and Remote Social Work : Practice Research from Australia' (2016) [A1]
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Open Research Newcastle | |||||||||
| 2015 | Katrak M, 'Welfare, Social Work, and an Indigenous Community Mission to Town' (2015) | ||||||||||
Chapter (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Sampson D, Katrak Harris M, Rawsthorne M, Howard A, 'Way more than a Town Hall Meeting: Connecting with what people care about in Community Led Disaster Planning' (2021) |
Journal article (4 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Blakemore T, Rayment-McHugh S, Menzies K, Randall E, Rak L, Harris MK, McCarthy S, 'Now.See.Hear!: A Visual Conversation Tool for Trauma-Informed Practice with Justice-Involved Youth', Australian Social Work, 78, 429-441 (2025) [C1]
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| 2025 |
Rak L, Blakemore T, Randall E, Harris MK, 'Don't Worry About Her; Intersectionality, and the Role of Systems and Structures in the Embodied Experiences of Young Women's Use of Violence', Australian Journal of Social Issues (2025) [C1]
Systems and structures designed to protect and support young people, specifically (in this paper) young women, are ironically the same systems that maintain gender disp... [more] Systems and structures designed to protect and support young people, specifically (in this paper) young women, are ironically the same systems that maintain gender disparity. Consequently, this has influenced the embodied identities of young women who experience and use violence. Such systemic and structural intersectionality has impacted upon and is enacted through generations of women, especially those who are more likely to be disproportionately impacted by micro and macro layers of discrimination due to age, race, religion, dis/ability and socioeconomic status. This paper draws on the narratives and experiences of 24 young women aged 13¿18 who have experienced and used nonfatal violence. Their narratives chart the role of systemic oppression, community expectations, hierarchical group dynamics and identity formation in their experiences of violence. Findings centre on the experiences of young women, their words providing insight into motivators and drivers of female violence, which to date has been under-researched and often poorly understood.
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| 2025 |
Rak L, Randall E, Katrak-Harris M, Blakemore T, 'Who I Am, and Why That Matters', Youth, 5, 83-83 [C1]
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| Show 1 more journal article | ||||||||
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 2 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $2,253,953 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20241 grants / $2,244,862
Supporting Adolescent Boys Trial: Newcastle - Name.Narrate.Navigate (NNN).360$2,244,862
Funding body: Department of Social Services
| Funding body | Department of Social Services |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Prof Tamara Blakemore, Ms Louise Rak, Dr Shaun Mc Carthy, Dr Chris Krogh, Mr Daniel Ebbin, Assoc Prof Sally Hunt, Dr Jean Carruthers, Dr Meaghan Katrak Harris |
| Scheme | Families and Communities Supporting Adolescent Boys Trial |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2024 |
| Funding Finish | 2026 |
| GNo | G2400975 |
| Type Of Funding | C2100 - Aust Commonwealth – Own Purpose |
| Category | 2100 |
| UON | Y |
20141 grants / $9,091
Evaluation of Financial Sustainability Project: Hunter Early Childhood Intervention Services$9,091
Funding body: Department of Family and Community Services
| Funding body | Department of Family and Community Services |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Amanda Howard, Prof Tamara Blakemore, Dr Meaghan Katrak Harris, Mrs Miriam Bevis |
| Scheme | NSW Organisation Transition Fund |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | G1401007 |
| Type Of Funding | Other Public Sector - State |
| Category | 2OPS |
| UON | Y |
Dr Meaghan Katrak Harris
Position
Senior Lecturer
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
College of Human and Social Futures
Focus area
Social Work
Contact Details
| meaghan.katrakharris@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | 49215765 |
