People
UON researchers
Professor Margaret Alston
Margaret is a Professor of Social Work in the School of Humanities and Social Science at UoN. Prior to coming to Newcastle, she was Professor of Social Work and Head of Department at Monash University, where she established the Gender, Leadership and Social Sustainability (GLASS) research unit in 2008. Previously, Margaret worked at Charles Sturt University for 21 years.
T: 61 2 4921 6702
A/Professor Wendy Foote
Wendy is an Associate Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Science at UoN. Wendy has had extensive experience in different theatres of social work practice and research, with a career which has included working with families and children in health, welfare and forensic settings. Wendy’s research interests have been inspired by her experiences as a practitioner. Wendy has recently returned to academia after spending seven years as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies.
T: 02 4055 3041
E: wendy.foote@newcastle.edu.au
A/Professor Penny Buykx
Penny is an Associate Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Science at UoN. Her research interests include public health, alcohol and other substance use policy, access to treatment systems, hard to reach populations and rural health. Prior to joining the University of Newcastle, Penny spent almost five years at the University of Sheffield in the UK. She has also worked for Monash University School of Rural Health (Bendigo), Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre (Melbourne), and the National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University (Perth).
T: (02) 4921 7786
E: penelope.buykx@newcastle.edu.au
Dr Sascha Fuller
Sascha is an environmental anthropologist and UoN's Pacific Node Coordinator, based at the Secretariat for the Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in Apia, Samoa. She has carried out research in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal and the Pacific. Her research interests include the intersection of gender with climate and environmental change, development aid, migration and education. Sascha is currently working on a number of projects in the Pacific and supports PhD students to work in the region. Sascha's most recent article on education, dowry and gender relations in Nepal is now available via: https://doi.org/10.1111/taja.12361
T: +685 7507968
Dr David Betts
David is a Lecturer in the Social Work program in the School of Humanities and Social Science at UoN. His research interests include gerontology, the social well-being of older sexual and gender minorities and clinical social work practice. His clinical practice background includes working as a registered social worker in New Zealand in the field of health and as a community support worker. Dr Betts’ PhD focused on older sexual and gender minorities developing supportive interpersonal and community networks, evaluating concerns facing the research cohort as they age, and critiques the reliance on legislation and social policy as a benchmark for social change.
T: (02) 4921 5782
Dr Helen Giggins
Helen is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Built Environment, in the discipline of Construction Management. Helen has a unique cross-disciplinary background, having research and teaching expertise in the disaster management, construction management, and computing and data security. The current focus of her research is in the field of disaster risk reduction (DRR), with particular interest in addressing the underlying vulnerabilities of women in this context.
T: +61 2 4921 6424
Sabrina Syed
Sabrina is a a casual researcher at the Centre for Gender, Leadership and Social Sustainability (GLASS). She is also an international doctoral student at the University of Newcastle who is exploring stories of international female doctoral students through her project. Prior to that, Sabrina worked as a University lecturer in Bangladesh, working closely with students and policy-makers to improve the teaching-learning environment within the University. She has also served as a consultant in various international and national level development projects.
Sabrina has a keen interest in community development practices and social activities. She has engaged in multiple social justice and human rights programs over the years. Sabrina is particularity passionate about women's rights and wants to reach equality in society by reducing discrimination through raising awareness and introducing best practice. As part of her social responsibility, she voluntarily writes for women and students. All the publications are accessible via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-syed-5499631b/.
T: 0469 024 686
Dr Kotryna Fraser
Kotryna is an Associate Lecturer in Exercise and Sport Sciences (Sport Psychology) at the School of Environmental and Life Sciences at UoN. She is an earlier career researcher, educator and a practitioner with a passion and background in Sport and Performance Psychology. Kotryna also is an accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist in Psychology Support under British Association of Sport and Exercise Scientists (BASES). She has a strong interest in: feminism, equity, social justice and inclusion in sport; applied interdisciplinary practice in sport; practitioner and coach development; mental skills development training; and positive youth development through sport.
T: +61 (0) 2 434 84141
Loan Lam
Loan Lam recently graduated from the University of Newcastle. Investigating the career journey of female executive leaders in higher education in Australia and Vietnam, Loan Lam’s doctoral research focused on what strategies female executive leaders have utilised to overcome barriers in their workplaces, maintained their current positions and obtained leadership roles. Loan Lam proposed a leadership framework for potential leaders in empowering themselves to be ready for moving ahead in career ladder. Her research interest is educational leadership, gender equity, teaching and learning, ICT and quality of education and social justice. Loan Lam has worked as a university lecturer in universities in Vietnam.
E: thiloan.lam@uon.edu.au
Jenny Mason
Jenny is an adjunct Research Fellow at UoN. Jenny has had a long career in public administration at the state and commonwealth level, which has included experience as the head of the Department of Juvenile Justice in NSW and later as the head of the Department of Family and Community Services. She was the head of Research and Policy for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Jenny has taught in public policy at the University of Sydney and at Macquarie University, as well as undertaking consultancy work for a number of non-government agencies. Jenny’s research interests focus on reform to the funding and regulation of non-government agencies delivering human services, particularly in the field of child protection and aged care.
Student researchers
Victoria Boyle
Victoria is a fourth-year Social Work (Honours) student with an estimated completion date of December 2020. Victoria is completing her final university placement as part of the GLASS research group. In the gender inequality sphere, Victoria is particularly passionate about rape culture, double standards in sex, media portrayal of domestic violence and internalised misogyny. Outside of this, Victoria has interests in adolescence mental health, grief and loss (in particular, grieving processes) as well as intimacy and sexual health for individuals with disabilities. Victoria is eager to expand her knowledge and research in these areas to provide awareness and advocacy.
E: victoria.boyle@uon.edu.au
Kadina Barker
Kadina is a Student in the Social Work program at the school of Humanities and Social Science at UoN. She has a personal interest in working from a strength-based practice with families with a focus of trauma in the health and education sectors, with a particular interest working alongside Aboriginal communities. Currently Kadina is working alongside GLASS as part of her third-year placement and is conducting early research into how peak bodies are currently managing and responding to changed circumstances of the recent crisis of fires and COVID-19.
Chloe Barton-Bishop
Chloe is a 3rd year Social Work student with research interests including gender, women’s rights, mental health and clinical social work.
Olivia Bolgev
Hi, my name is Olivia Boglev. I am a third-year Social Work student.
My interests include child focused research, particularly in the settings of mental health, grief and loss, and trauma. I am also interested in trauma work on a broader scale.
Additionally, I am interested in societal groups deemed at risk or vulnerable, such as the elderly or victims of domestic abuse.
Email: olivia.boglev@uon.edu.au
Phone: 0432 654 607
Lucy Brown
Lucy is a third year Social Work student at UoN. As part of her 500-hour professional placement, Lucy will be participating in a research project that explores the contracting relationships and outcomes between Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and the government. The project intends to examine how we can hold governments accountable when working with NGOs and other charitable organisations. Lucy has a particular interest in this topic as she spent three years volunteering abroad with different NGOs around the world before going on to pursue her studies.
Kellayla Coppelin
Year of study: Bachelor of Social Work (third year)
Research interest: My research interests are finding the underlying disadvantages children with trauma backgrounds experience and how that can be improved within the education system, families and children in out of home care and inequality in sports regarding gender.
Email: kellayla.copelin@uon.edu.au
Alicia Dalgleish
Alicia is a third- year Social work student undertaking a placement at GLASS under the guidance of Margaret Alston. Alicia has a passion and interest in the social well-being of older people and plans to further her research and understanding of gerontology as she moves throughout her Social Work Honours Degree.
Riley McFarland
Riley is a third year Social Work student who is especially interested in how gender can impact opportunities in sports. Another interest is youth from traumatic backgrounds and structuring the most nourishing learning environments for them.
Contact number: 0402506995
Brandylee McGrath
Brandylee McGrath is a 3rd year social work student undertaking her field placement. Her research areas of interest include mental health, gender and sexuality and access to services.
Email: c3280883@uon.edu.au
Matilda Morgan
Matilda is a 3rd year Social Work student at UoN.
Matilda has a keen interest in gender; especially women’s issues and feminism. She is also passionate about the inequities surrounding the criminal justice system and the juvenile justice system.
Linda Peters
Linda is a 3rd year Social Work student at UoN. Linda’s research interests include homelessness, vulnerability and the normalisation of ageism in the context of older women, with an interest in addressing the negative impacts on health and wellbeing.
Madelaine Smith
Madelaine is currently in her third year of a Bachelor of Social Work (Honors). Madelaine has a keen interest in the political atmosphere in the developing world. In her quest for knowledge, Madelaine has completed volunteerships in India, Zambia as well as an extended volunteer placement (1 year) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Madelaine is completing a placement with GLASS and as part of her role she will be liaison between an Australian Research Team and Penn State University.
In her spare time, Madelaine fronts an indie-rock band and can be found wearing sequins and playing electric piano.
Lydia Taylor
Year of Study: Third Year Social Work
Research Interests: Mental health of adolescents, poverty and inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, global poverty
Email: lydia.taylor@uon.edu.au
Phone: 0404675229
Phoebe Tinkler
3rd year Bachelor of Social Work student
Area of interest: Trauma informed care
Contact: c3258570@uon.edu.au
Kristy Tyrrell
Kristy is a 3rd year social work student with the University of Newcastle with an expected graduation date of 2021. Her research interests include mental illness, intimate partner violence, social justice, and clinical social work.
T: +61 432425921
E: kristy.tyrrell@uon.edu.au
Mirren Whitehead
Mirren is completing her third year of the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) degree at UoN. After completing her studies so far, Mirren has developed a keen interest in working with women and children who are experiencing domestic and family violence. Mirren is extremely interested in researching, understanding and aiming to debunk the myths that surround domestic violence in Australia and internationally.
T: 0432 073 562
External researchers
Dr Kerri Whittenbury
Kerri is a Lecturer in Sociology at Monash University. Kerri is also a sociologist with research interests in women and gender, rural communities, rural and farm families, irrigation communities and gender and climate change. Kerri is currently working on several research projects that focus on the gendered social and health impacts of climate change and drought.
Margareta Windisch, PhD candidate (Monash University)
Margareta is an experienced educator who has worked in Community Services and Social Work programs in the Australian TAFE and Higher Education sector for the last nine years. Margareta has a strong interest in Community Development practices and social action and has been engaged in many social justice and human rights campaigns over the years. She is particularity passionate about climate justice and women's rights and is a PhD candidate at Monash University, focusing on the nexus of urban heatwaves and gendered social vulnerability.
GLASS Centre staff
GLASS Associates
GLASS works closely with the following groups to promote gender equality, social inclusion and sustainability. If you are interested in joining our international network of gender centres, please contact us.
Gender & Disaster Pod: https://www.genderanddisaster.com.au/
50/50 by 20/30 Association: https://www.5050foundation.edu.au/who/director/
Monash Sustainable Development Institute: https://www.monash.edu/msdi
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.