Researcher

My Expertise

 

Workplace cultures in high-risk environments – Focused on isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) settings.
Leadership and organisational behaviour – Examining governance, decision-making, and group dynamics.
Interdisciplinary research applications – Applying sociological insights to science, technology, and operational challenges.
Cross-cultural management – Understanding values, social adaptation, and policy impacts.

Keywords

Fields of Research (FoR)

Leadership, Applied sociology, program evaluation and social impact assessment, Rural sociology, Sociological methodology and research methods, Sociology and social studies of science and technology, Pacific Peoples sociology, Sociology of health, Sociology not elsewhere classified, Health policy, Rural and remote health services, Public health not elsewhere classified, Multicultural, intercultural and cross-cultural studies, Workplace wellbeing and quality of working life, Organisational behaviour, Strategy, management and organisational behaviour, Music not elsewhere classified, Risk policy

Biography

I am a lecturer and researcher at the UNSW Canberra School of Business.
I am an applied sociologist specialising in workplace cultures and leadership in isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments. 
My research examines how values, governance, and social dynamics shape behaviour in high-risk settings. 
I have a broad and varied background, including extensive experience in broadcast and classical music, print media, health policy, rural...view more

I am a lecturer and researcher at the UNSW Canberra School of Business.
I am an applied sociologist specialising in workplace cultures and leadership in isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments. 
My research examines how values, governance, and social dynamics shape behaviour in high-risk settings. 
I have a broad and varied background, including extensive experience in broadcast and classical music, print media, health policy, rural and remote, government advisory roles, and lecturing in strategy, leadership, and management. 
I have contributed to interdisciplinary projects on elite sport, classical music, non-clinical respite care, consumers in healthcare, and applying sociological insights to complex operational challenges. 
I am currently part of a cross-disciplinary team using multimodal data analysis to enhance decision-making in aviation, exploring the importance of the intersection of science and sociology in rapidly changing environments.

I’m also interested in how modern systems of human resource governance and leadership knowledge serve teamwork and outcomes for other isolated communities or sectors, including classical music, Family Day Care, the military, the international development and aid sector, the Arctic and Antarctic, rural and remote health care, the space sector or a small team culture in the public service. How well will modern systems of human resource governance and leadership knowledge serve teamwork in far flung settings such as remote workers in Central Australia or communities isolated by climate-change-driven natural disasters? And if we have not solved the challenges around isolated living in small, dispersed settlements on earth, what can we expect to find when we send a small group to the Moon or to Mars?

I also have extensive experience as an academic journal editor and peer reviewer, having been a full-time research publications officer overseeing the management and publications for a multi-disciplinary academic journal.

I am a third culture kid who became a third culture adult. I am a member of the Public Service Research Group (PSRG), the Australian Sociological Association (TASA) and the International Sociological Association (ISA).

My PhD was on the development of the culture of non-Indigenous workers in remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia. My research relates to how government policy affects workplace cultures and how those cultures then affect outcomes for communities.
 


My Grants

UNSW Canberra School of Business Research Fundings: Project title: Substance use in Australian orchestras

UNSW Course Design Institute Implementation Grant

UNSW Canberra School of Science Seed Funding: Project title: Enhancing Decision-Making in Aviation Environments through Multimodal Data Analysis: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach


My Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy


My Research Activities


My Research Supervision


Areas of supervision

Grounded theory methodology

Qualitative research

Workplace Cultures and Leadership

Organisational behaviour in ICE (isolated, confined, extreme) environment

Leadership, governance, and decision-making in complex operational setting

Workplace culture and group dynamics in high-performance teams

Interdisciplinary Research and Applied Sociology

The intersection of sociology and science in professional environments

Cross-Cultural Management and Policy

Cultural adaptation and policy impacts on diverse workplaces

The role of values and governance in shaping staff behaviour

Ethics, risk, and regulatory challenges in professional settings

Sector-specific supervision

Military and Defence leadership training and education

Elite performance environments (sport, classical music, healthcare)

Workplace stress, resilience, and mental health in demanding professions

 

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Location

Contact

+61-2-5114 5139

Follow

Videos

Substance use in Australian orchestras