People

Centre Leadership

hannah badland

Professor Hannah Badland - Director

Professor Badland's research examines how the environment is connected to health, wellbeing, and inequities in both adults and children internationally, with an interest in vulnerable groups. Her interdisciplinary, mixed-methods research program engages with end-users, typically policymakers and non-government organisations, to influence on-the-ground change. She is currently working on two major research themes. One is enhancing the social determinants of health for those with disability. The other focuses on reducing inequities in early childhood development. The emphasis in both these streams is investigating how local built and social environments support or hinder opportunity and understanding impacts of any inequity. 

Theme leaders

Prof. Hannah Badland - Theme co-lead, Community Wellbeing

Hannah Badland's research examines how the built environment is connected to health, wellbeing, and inequities in both adults and children internationally, with an interest in vulnerable communities.

Dr. Ellen van Holstein - Theme co-lead, Community Wellbeing

Ellen van Holstein is a Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow researching who gets to be included in different spaces and networks of ‘community’.

Dr. Emma-Louise Seal - Theme co-lead, Community Wellbeing

Emma’s research is driven by community-engaged research practices and participatory methodologies to establish a common purpose and collectively work towards social change.

Dr. Gemma Hamilton - Theme co-lead, Gender and Social Change

Gemma Hamilton is an interdisciplinary scholar in criminology and forensic psychology, internationally recognised for her work on family violence, sexual assault, policing, and investigative interviewing.

Melissa Laing - Theme co-lead, Gender and Social Change

Melissa Laing’s research investigates the intersection of housing and safety crises for marginalised pet owners (or companion animal guardians), and practice responses to support interspecies families.

Prof. Hariz Halilovich - Theme co-lead, Local Global Relations

Hariz Halilovich's research has focused on forced migration, diaspora studies, place-based identities and human rights (incl. right to education).

Dr. Elizabeth Kath - Theme co-lead, Local Global Relations

Elizabeth Kath investigates how people relate across boundaries of difference in the global era, including theories of migration, intercultural communication, reconciliation, and social/inclusion exclusion.

Dr. Kathryn Daley - Theme co-lead, Housing Insecurity and Homelessness

Kathryn Daley's work has examined issues of poverty, child abuse, homelessness, self-injury and mental health.

Dr. Patrick O'Keeffe - Theme co-lead, Housing Insecurity and Homelessness

Patrick O’Keeffe is a Senior Lecturer in the Social Work and Human Services Cluster at RMIT University. He is interested in how processes of marketisation, privatisation and financialisation affect young people, and how young people respond to these processes by creating subversive spaces.

Centre members

Dr. Rojan Afrouz - Senior Lecturer, Social Work and Human Services

Dr. Rojan Afrouz is a notable researcher with a proven track record in the field of Violence Against Women (VAW), family violence among migrant women and diverse communities and technology-facilitated abuse.

Dr. Amanda Alderton - Vice Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow

Amanda Alderton draws on her experience as a classroom teacher, researching across disciplines including public health, urban studies, and developmental psychology.

Dr. Monica Barratt - Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow

Monica Barratt has over 20 years' experience in health and social research in the areas of drug harm reduction and policy reform, with a specific focus on digital technologies, drug market dynamics and drug monitoring systems.

Dr. Alexis Bergantz - Senior Lecturer

Alexis Bergantz is a historian of Australia’s entanglements with France and the French Pacific.

Dr. Tamara Borovica - Research Assistant

Tamara Borovica's work focuses on embodiment and psycho-social approaches to mental health, wellbeing, and belonging.

Dr. Tuba Boz - Lecturer

Tuba Boz is a lecturer in Social Work and Human Services within the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University. Dr Boz leads the Migration, Mobility and Security Research Network (MM&S RN) at RMIT University

Christine Craik - Lecturer - Social Work and Human Services

Christine is a family violence accredited social worker, researching and working in the gendered violence and abuse field for over 30 years. Christine developed, coordinates and teaches into the ‘Working with Violence and Abuse’ course in social work and human services.

Dr. Elroy Dearn - Researcher

Elroy Dearn is a qualitative researcher focussed on the areas of human rights, homelessness, institutionalisation, disability and mental illness.

Dr. Anamaria Ducasse - Senior Lecturer

Dr. Anamaria Ducasse's research focus is on assessment and feedback and pedagogy in both in higher education and additional language learning.

Jessica Findling - Associate Lecturer

Jess’ research focuses on the intersections of social work and criminal justice, with particular interest in topics relevant to refugees and family violence.

Dr. Maho Fukuno - Lecturer

Maho Fukuno is an applied linguist researching in the interdisciplinary field of translation studies, intercultural communication, applied ethics and language education.

Anahita Gangwani

Ana is a storyteller creating impact-focused content with ad rem creatives by placing people and their perspectives at the centre of every initiative.

Olga Garcia-Caro Alcazar - Lecturer

Olga's research interest is on community interpreting and translation, focusing on interpreting in domestic violence settings and access to services for migrant and refugee women.

Dr. Rachel Goff - Lecturer, Early Career Development Fellow

Rachel Goff's work examines how design thinking can facilitate self-determination, particularly in communities subject to structural inequity.

A/Prof. Erika Gonzalez Garcia - Associate Professor

Erika Gonzalez´s research focuses on the professionalisation of community interpreting & translation, and the impact language barriers have on non-English speakers.

Prof. Georgina Heydon - Professor

Georgina Heydon's research analyses the language of police interviewing and other forms of evidential language in the justice system.

Dr. Belinda Johnson - Senior Lecturer

Dr. Belinda Johnson explores intersections of social justice, bodies, places, emotions and creative practice, with a specific interest in disability.

Prof. Katherine Johnson - Dean, School of GUSS

Katherine Johnson is a leading researcher in LGBTQ+ suicide prevention, transgender health, and early mental health interventions for LGBTQ+ youth.

Dr. Natalie Jovanovski - Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow

Dr. Natalie Jovanovski is an award-winning health sociologist and Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University. Her research focuses broadly on the social factors that influence people’s food practices.

Dr. Godwin Kavaarpuo - Research Fellow

Godwin Kavaarpuo's research interests and publications are in affordable and social housing, real estate development and sustainability, and real estate innovation, with a geographic focus on Africa and Australia.

Prof. Renata Kokanovic - Professor

Renata Kokanovic is an interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersections of critical mental health studies, critical social theory and medical humanities.

A/Prof. Ahmed (Bawa) Kuyini Abubakar - Associate Professor

Bawa Kuyini has broad social work practice experience in mental health, disability and with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities.

Dr. Chen-Hui Miranda Lai - Senior Lecturer

Miranda Lai’s research interests cover public service interpreting and translation, police interpreting, forensic transcription, and vicarious trauma of interpreters and translators.

Dr. Caroline Lambert - Lecturer

Caroline uses her intersectional lived and living expertise to investigate social phenomena that impact the everyday lives of mental health families, carers, supporters or kin. Her research practice and design engage participatory methodology and is rooted in inclusive feminist philosophies.

Dr. Julian Lee - Associate Dean, Global and Language Studies

Julian Lee’s research has addressed the subjective experience of globalisation, and has sought to creatively explore themes in Global Studies through the use of popular culture.

Dr. Iris Levin - Senior Lecturer

Iris Levin’s research focuses on housing for disadvantaged communities, including social housing, housing for people from migrant and refugee backgrounds, and socially mixed communities.

A/Prof. Robyn Martin - Associate Dean, Social Work & Human Services

Robyn Martin is a critical social work academic and her research and teaching is informed by post-structuralist, feminist and intersectional theories and concepts.

A/Prof. Kerry Mullan - Associate Professor 

Kerry’s main research interests are cross-cultural communication and differing interactional styles, particularly those of French and Australian English speakers. She also researches in the areas of intercultural pragmatics, discourse analysis, language teaching and conversational humour.

A/Prof. Yasothara Nadarajah - Associate Professor

Yasothara Nadarajah's research covers a range of fields – and the question of how ethnography and fieldwork may open a space for difficult conversations about the past and injustices; and offer the potential for healing.

Dr. Jindan Ni - Senior Lecturer

Jindan Ni is a senior lecturer in Global and Language Studies at RMIT University. Her research interests are Comparative Literature Studies and Translation Studies, mainly focusing on the Japanese and Chinese literary works.

Dr. Sharlene Nipperess - Associate Professor, Social Work

Dr. Nipperess is an experienced social work researcher with expertise in research ethics and qualitative research methods, including participatory, inclusive and human rights-based research methodologies. Her research focuses on social work policy and practice mainly in forced displacement, mental distress, disability and family/carer lived experiences, housing and homelessness.

Dr. Caroline Norma - Senior Lecturer

Caroline Norma is a historian of modern Japan and a lecture in the Translating and Interpreting program.

Dr. Nerkez Opacin - Research Fellow

As a researcher and educator, Nerkez adopts a multidisciplinary approach, specialising in nature-based solutions for social prescribing, peacebuilding education, and the critical analysis of intervention programs to foster community engagement and support at-risk populations.

Dr. Sarah Polkinghorne - Research Fellow

Sarah Polkinghorne is an information science researcher focusing on how people become and stay informed, and on practices and systems that support access to information.

Prof. Anastasia Powell - Professor

Anastasia Powell is a criminologist specialising in prevention, policy and practice reform addressing family and sexual violence.

Dr. Jing Qi - Senior Lecturer

Jing's work is centrally concerned with epistemic and sociolinguistic justice through advancing and applying theories and practices of multilingualism, interculturalism, global mindedness, and digital and AI technologies. Jing is the SERC HDR Liaison.

Dr. Bess Schnioffsky - Research Assistant 

Bess Schnioffsky is a feminist researcher whose work explores the intersection of gender and race in sports in Australia and the Pacific region. With a background in international and community development, her research advocates for the transformation of sports into sites for positive social change.  

Clare Thompson

Clare excels in delivering quality change and project management, building effective networks, understanding people and processes, and achieving stakeholder satisfaction.

Dr. Karen Villanueva - Research Fellow

Karen Villanueva is focused on how urban neighbourhoods shape child health behaviours and outcomes.

Prof. Aiden Warren - Professor

Aiden Warren's teaching and research interests are in the areas of international security, US national security and foreign policy, US politics , international relations , WMD proliferation, nonproliferation and arms control, and emerging technologies.

Dr. Juliet Watson - Senior Lecturer

Juliet Watson's recent research projects have included investigations of pregnancy and homelessness, family violence and homelessness, housing support for older women, social housing, and feminist activism.

Sarah Williams

Sarah identifies as a pracademic working as an intercultural community development practitioner/ youth worker spanning almost two decades and additionally serving on a number of peak multicultural bodies. Sarah's research methodology involves Action Research investigating creative sites for social change focussing on racial social justice issues.

Prof. Bruce Wilson - Director, European Union Centre of Excellence

Bruce Wilson is Director of the European Union Centre of Excellence at RMIT, providing insights to and leading research and debate on EU-Australian relations, encouraging mobility for staff and students, and for building partnerships between Australian universities and organisations and their European counterparts

Margareta Windisch - BSW Field Education coordinator

Margareta Windisch is a qualified social worker and social work lecturer. Her research explores the intersection of gender and climate change, with a particular interest in older women and urban heatwaves.

Dr. Maki Yoshida - Lecturer

Maki Yoshida is an applied linguist whose research interests lie in the field of language, gender and sexuality studies and foreign/second language education.

Dr Charles T. Hunt

Dr Charles T. Hunt is a Professor of Global Security at RMIT University and Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, New York/Geneva.

Michael Emslie

Michael's research demonstrates a long-held passion and deep commitment to explore, pursue and promote good practice in human service and in particular youth work.

Rachael Hains-Wesson

Rachael is a distinguished academic renowned for her contributions to creative writing and higher education teaching and learning.

Higher Degree by Research members

Gemma Beard

Gemma Beard's research investigates image-based sexual abuse, including legal and regulatory responses, with a particular focus on victim-survivors' interpersonal experiences seeking justice in the Australian context.

Joann Cattlin

Joann Cattlin's doctoral research investigates the role of the university in enabling societal impact of research and her broader research interests include information behaviour, research culture and knowledge production.

Elina Rong Cheng

Elina's research examines how Chinese international students' information behaviours influence their financial expectations and experiences when studying in Australia.

Somaieh Ebrahimi

Somaieh's PhD research focused on Iranian migrants' experiences of neighbourhood connections and perceptions of the suburban built environment in Melbourne.

Desmond Gagakuma

Desmond's research focuses on enhancing urban liveability by integrating indigenous wisdom with modern urban planning and design principles to create inclusive, sustainable, and equitable cities.

Michelle Gissara

Michelle Gissara's current work explores Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and gender-diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander's lived experiences of image-based sexual abuse.

Abraham Zarate Heras

Abraham Zarate's research examines the role of digital technologies in reshaping the migration experiences of Latin American migrant communities in Australia.

Natasha Karner

Natasha Karner's research examines the impact of emerging technologies, like Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Weapons Systems, on global security, governance and norms.

Ruby Manson

Ruby Manson is a feminist researcher interested in investigating gender and patriarchy within disaster governance in Australia and the Pacific.

Sinead McKinlay

Sinead McKinlay's research investigates Victorians' relationship with nature through their own words and within local and state government biodiversity policies.

Daniel Pitman

Dan Pitman's research focuses on the intersection of politics, social change, and governance in international gender equality and gender-based violence policy.

Muhammad Omer Shabbir

Muhammad Omer Shabbir is a PhD candidate at GUSS, focusing his research on the evolving US-China arms race in space and its broader implications for global security.

Tom Short

Tom Short's research explores the lived experience of young people who have received a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.

Emily Spiller

Emily Spiller's research examines transitions in American nuclear weapons policy, from 1939 to 1974, with an exclusive focus on the President as the critical decision maker on all matters concerning the bomb.

Tarun

Tarun's research aims to understand how extreme environmental events like flooding produce mobility and immobility in the state of Bihar, India.

Hwee Ping Teo

Hwee Ping Teo's research explores the use of war memory by the state and how it has shaped the nation of Singapore.

Sylvia Thompson

Sylvia Thompson's research focuses on how displacement impacts the lives of Romani refugees in Poland in the aftermath of Ukrainian-Russian war.

Rebecca Weiner

Rebecca's research focuses on understanding how the built and travel environments relate to child development, mental health and wellbeing, and social connection.

Zichen Zhao

Zichen's research focuses on Chinese literature in English translation, interdisciplinary translation studies and women in translation.

Betty Haralambous

I have worked in research for over 2 decades and in the human services sector for almost 4 decades. I have a strong research track record including publications, successful grant applications and leading research projects.

David Paull

David Paull's research focuses on Latin American and Latin European international students in Australia, exploring why students from these regions demonstrate prima facie similarities in various aspects of their student mobility.

Nazanin Masoudi

Nazanin Masoudi is a PhD candidate focusing on identifying neighbourhood features that promote participation, inclusion, and well-being for children with disabilities.

Honorary members

Prof. Guy Johnson - Professor

Guy Johnson’s research is focused on theoretical and applied questions relating to the dynamics of homelessness and housing – why some people become homeless, why some people remain homeless, and why some people exit homelessness.

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torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.