Dr Jodi-Anne Smith

Position

Senior Research Fellow

School / Work Unit

Learning Community Partnerships

Contact Details

+(61 3) 9925 7757

jodi-anne.smith@rmit.edu.au

Location

Building: 215
Level: 3
Room: 17

Bundoora West Campus

Portfolio

College of DSC Office

Jodi-Anne Smith


On this page:


Key Activities

Dr. Jodi-Anne Smith is a Senior Research Fellow in the Learning Cities Program of the Global Cities Institute of RMIT University. She is a Chief Investigator and the Project Manager of the ‘Developing effective School-Community Learning Partnerships for Sustainability (SCLPfS)’ project. The SCLPfS project is an Australian Research Council Linkage project being conducted in partnership with RMIT University, Sustainability Victoria, Foundation for Young Australians, CERES, Western Port Greenhouse Alliance, Association of Independent Schools Victoria and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

The SCLPfS project will operate from 2009-2011. The research objectives of the project are:

  • To analyse patterns of approaches and outcomes of the range of existing School-Community Learning Partnerships for Sustainability;
  • To identify the factors that are facilitating and limiting the enhancement of educational as well as social and natural capital outcomes of different approaches to School-Community Learning Partnerships;
  • To identify principles for the establishment and management of effective learning partnerships;
  • To identify the capabilities required of the different stakeholders in building effective School-Community Learning Partnerships for Sustainability and the associated learning processes that can assist in developing these capabilities; and
  • To identify the factors that influence the adoption of the lessons learned about effective School-Community Learning Partnerships for Sustainability

- Visit Jodi-Anne Smith, project website (Opens in new window).

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Applied Science (Environmental Health), Flinders University, 1995
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Natural Resource Management, University of Adelaide, 1997
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of New England, 2004

Professional credentialss

  • Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training, School of Volunteer Management, 2001
  • Diploma in Professional Counselling (Abuse Counselling), Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors, (ongoing)

Teaching

Jodi-Anne has been involved in teaching workshops and courses in the public, private, community and tertiary sector. In the public sector from 1994-2001 she focused on the training and support of local government staff, management and elected members to improve the sustainability of their Council’s practices and their strategic planning. She also managed sustainability education programs for residents and business personnel within the local government areas she was involved with. In the private sector since 2002 she has been involved in the design and facilitation of leadership development programs for middle managers including coaching of them when required. She has also been a strategic change consultant helping organizations to alter their current practices and plan for the future. In the community sector since 2004 Jodi-Anne has designed and facilitated personal development workshops to help people overcome their fears, to break free from repetitive patterns and to heal from the impacts of child abuse.

In the tertiary sector Jodi-Anne taught the subject ‘Engineering Research Practice’ at UniSA in 2004 and from 2005-2007 was involved in helping UniSA staff to review their teaching practices and course materials as a Lecturer in Professional Development and Project Officer in the Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment. This included assisting with the development of new program approval documentation, a redesign of sustainability related programs to include a common first year, development of a guide to assist staff to complete their program evaluation reports and research into and implementation of best practice ‘first year experience programs’. The First Year Experience Program (FYEP) involved a team of people in the design of support websites for students and staff, redesign of course materials and teaching practices, student mentoring, focus groups with students, plus coordination of a range of activities, such as ‘Ask Me Week’, designed to make it easier for students to transition into the university. The FYEP was successful at improving retention rates in the courses involved and similar initiatives were subsequently implemented within other Divisions of UniSA as a result.

Jodi-Anne’s initial role at RMIT University from Oct 2007 – Mar 2009 was as a Senior Research Fellow in the Climate Change Adaptation Program of the Global Cities Institute. Her role involved facilitating scenario thinking workshops to help communities to develop stories about what could happen in the future for their locations and to use this in climate change adaptation planning.

Research and scholarship

(All links, PDF’s and Word doc open in new window)

Book Chapters

Smith JM, Mulligan M and Nadarajah Y, 2009 forthcoming, Scenarios for engaging a rural Australian community in climate change adaptation work. In: Ford JD and Ford LB (eds), 2009 forthcoming, Climate change adaptation in developed nations, Springer, Netherlands.

Smith J, Mulligan M, Nadarajah Y & Zalchendler Y, 2009 forthcoming, "Community, scenarios & narratives of action: reflections on a case study in the Hamilton region of Victoria". In: Martin J, Rogers M & Winter C (eds) Climate change in regional Australia: Social Learning & Adaptation, VUURN Press Inc, Ballarat, Australia

Smith JM, 2006, "Voice of experience: education". In: Martin P & Verbeek M (eds) 2006, Sustainability Strategy, Federation Press, Sydney, p200-203

Refereed Conference Papers

Smith JM, 2003, "Using action inquiry and systems thinking to improve practices – review of three local governments initiatives for reducing stormwater pollution from the construction sector". Australian New Zealand Systems Conference, Melbourne Australia.

Smith JM, 2000a, "Why is the move to sustainability so slow? Understanding the relationship between government, business, the public and its impact" International System Dynamics Society Conference, Bergen Norway. Also chaired the sustainability stream.

Smith JM, 2000b, "Educating business on sustainability- why most attempts limit their own success" International System Dynamics Society Conference, Bergen Norway.

Smith JM, 2000c, "Redesigning education programs for business sustainability". International System Dynamics Society Conference, Bergen Norway.

Non-refereed Conference Papers

Smith JM, 2004, Obtaining behaviour change not just raising awareness, National Australian Association of Environmental Education Conference, Adelaide, Australia

Smith JM, 2002, "Behaviour change the true measure of success from environmental education programs for business personnel", National Australian Association of Environmental Education Conference, Brisbane Australia

Smith JM, 2002, "Redesign of Government education programs for business sustainability: a systems approach", International Local Agenda 21 Conference, Adelaide Australia

Smith JM, 1999, "The ability of system dynamics approaches to assist in solving environmental health problems", National Conference of the Australian Institute of Environmental Health, Adelaide.

Non-refereed Publications

Smith JM, 1997, "The role of local government in working with industry and residents on environmental management", Environmental Health News, quarterly magazine of the Australian Institute of Environmental Health, SA Division. (3/97).

Smith JM, 1996, "Environmental Health Officer roles into the 21st Century" Environment SA Magazine, quarterly magazine of the Conservation Council of SA. (5/96).

Smith JM, 1996, "Food Handlers Update" Environmental Health News, magazine of Australian Institute of Environmental Health, SA Div (6/96)

Smith JM, 1995, "The use of economics in saving our environment" Environmental Health News, magazine of Australian Institute of Environmental Health, SA Div (12/95)

Invited Speaker

Smith JM, 2005, "Obtaining behaviour change not just raising awareness" Australian Association of Environmental Education, SA Division Workshop, Adelaide 22 June 2005

Smith JM, 2002, "Government education programs for sustainable business", SA Division of Environment Institute of Australia (9/02).

PhD

Smith JM, 2004, "Redesign of government sustainability education programs - from raising awareness to obtaining behaviour change", University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales

Grants
  • ARC Linkage Project ‘Developing effective School-Community Learning Partnerships for Sustainability’ 2009-2011. Chief Investigators: Prof John Fien, Prof Annette Gough, Dr Jose Roberto Guevara, Dr Leone Wheeler, Dr Jodi-Anne Smith
  • RMIT University Emerging Researcher Grant 2008 ‘Design of psychologically based educational tools for climate change mitigation and adaptation’

Teaching and research interests

  • Understanding complex systems and solving problems – systems thinking, scenario thinking and organisational learning
  • Effective sustainability policy, education and regulatory approaches for governments to use
  • Sustainable industrial practices - what industry can do and ways to help them do it
  • Sustainable communities – creating communities we can be proud of through dialogue, capacity building, scenario planning, school-community learning partnerships and community development projects
  • Understanding human behaviour and ways to promote changes to behaviour for sustainability – environmental psychology, organisational change, consciousness studies, counselling theory
  • Assisting individuals to heal and become fully functioning human beings – personal development, inner leadership, and emotional intelligence theory

Awards

  • Reg Waite Award (Opens in new window) 1999: recipient of the Gold Medal Reg Waite Award for 1999, which is designed to recognise those young Australians who will make a contribution to the nation, by helping them further their training and education.
  • Queen’s Trust Achiever (Opens in new window) 1999: recipient of a Queen’s Trust Grant which recognises successful young Australians and aims to help them realise their full potential, encouraging them to use their expertise to help others.
  • Institute of Municipal Management, Active Learning Management Regional Challenge (SA): member of winning team 1999 and runners up in the Australasian Final.
  • Young Australian of the Year Awards (Opens in new window) (SA) 1998 – 2001: top ten finalist in environment category 1998, semi-finalist in 1999, and finalist in 2001 (Then became too old!). Finalist in career category 2000.

Professional associations

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