Margaret Heffernan OAM

Dr. Margaret Heffernan OAM

Senior Lecturer

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Details

College: School of Management
Department: Management
Campus: City Campus Australia
margaret.heffernan@rmit.edu.au

ORCID: 0000-0001-7056-6227

Open to

Collaborative projects
Industry Projects
Join a web conference as a panellist or speaker
Media enquiries
Membership of an advisory committee
Mentoring (short-term)
Teaching provision
Career advice

About

QUALIFICATIONS | PhD: University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, 2 Dec 2011; M Arts [Communications]: Monash University; B Business [Bus. Admin] (Dist.): RMIT University; B Education: University of Melbourne /Federation University

A transformative, innovative, and high-impact leader whose ability to engender trust delivers results particularly for vulnerable communities experiencing socio-cultural inequities. Brings a sustained analytical, intellectual understanding of the transnational and transformation needs of diverse higher education cohorts, and management issues through a socio-ecological lens. Demonstrated success in:

Exemplary Education practices, transitioning and transforming higher education students through ‘strength’-based authentic, active and applied pedagogy, engagement, and adaptive authentic leadership
Leadership and Management: Chair-elect 2023-2027 Academy of Management (USA) Management Education Division (MED) ; School of Management: transnational educator across multiple international campuses
Engagement, teaching and research, proven record of initiative and success in leadership and relationship management of large teams and major project management.
Sustained Engagement roles in contributing to the University, national and global communities through representation on a range of committees
Impact through Engagement and Research with multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary CALD and Indigenous agencies, resulting in empowerment and strategic resources to overcome inequity and isolation, particularly in relation to social justice, women's health and business development through infrastructure, policy approaches in the public health sector (immunisation delivery) that has led to invitations as expert commentator and reviewer and attracted industry grants
Strategic Initiatives: To facilitate a coordinated national gynaecological cancer sector I initiated a petition which led to a Senate inquiry, and $1million seed funding for the establishment of the National Centre for Gynaecological Cancers: 2006
Leadership and Revenue Generation: Established critical partnerships in the gynaecological cancer and health sectors, helped raise its public image and recognition of women’s cancers, initiated and spear-headed several large-scale NFP /cancer projects including the $3million redevelopment of the Royal Women’s Hospital (RWH) cancer ward (1990s) which impacted >18,000 women including Indigenous women in regional and remote Australia; raised (pro-bono) >$7million from Government, corporate, public and philanthropic sectors to fund cancer and intensive care projects.
Cultural Intelligences: Partnerships with Indigenous and CALD peoples globally. Noteworthy outcomes include [1] Co-operative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health Research Showcase, Parliament House Canberra, 2008, for exemplary cross-cultural Indigenous research partnerships; [2] Northern Territory (NT) Government funding for the development of HPV vaccine resources in 5 Aboriginal languages in Central Australia; [3] Securing Australian Federal and NT government funding for a mobile Women’s Health on Wheels bus which delivers health services to women in remote Central Australia; [4] Contributor to Indigenous research manuals; [5] Consultant (2018-2019) to the Connected Beginnings Evaluation project exploring Australian Indigenous children’s’ school attendance;

Selected Achievements + Awards |

2024 AOM (USA): Awarded Outstanding Service to MED Division Interest Group Award, for dedication and exceptional servicet to the MED PDW and Program
2023: Distinguished appointment to the Management Education Division (MED) of the Academy of Management (AOM) (USA) the leading professional association for management scholars worldwide. 
2023 - RMIT SOM Dean’s Award for Learning & Teaching Excellence
2021: Women in Time – Inspiring Alumni, Loreto College Ballarat - Inaugural recipient
2021: RMIT COBL Impact Case Study - Indigenous Participatory Engagement
2018 Distinguished Alumna of Federation University for Outstanding Service to the Community.
2017 -2016 Women’s Researcher Network (WRN-RMIT) Committee member
2016: RMIT University Teaching Award in Category D3: Awards for a Transformative Student Experience - The First Year Experience
2016: GSK PHAA Immunisation Award $20,000: ‘INFORMING COMMUNITY’ Project with Horn of Africa migrants which resulted in the development of a health educator toolkit for education of HPV disease and adolescent HPV vaccinations
2014-current National Gynecological Cancer Foundation: Scientific Committee member
2013: Ian Permezel Memorial Award, $5,000
2008: CRCAH Aboriginal Research Showcase for research excellence, Parliament House, Canberra.
2006 Order of Australia Medal for distinguished services to women's health and the cultural Community
2005: Women of Achievement winner (Brain Foundation) for services to gynaecological cancer
2003: Heffernan M and Quinn MA. The Gynaecological Cancer Guide: Sex, Sanity and Survival. Michelle Anderson Publishing, Melbourne,
1997: British Medical Association Award: Certificate for Educational Merit (Co-Producer ‘Living with Cancer Educational Program’ video: Eve Ash for the Cancer Council Victoria)
1994: Advance Australia Foundation Award for Community Service

Research fields

4206 Public health
3901 Curriculum and pedagogy
3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour
420606 Social determinants of health
450419 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social determinants of health
451907 Indigenous methodologies
390401 Comparative and cross-cultural education

UN sustainable development goals

10 Reduced Inequalities
3 Good Health and Well Being
4 Quality Education

Academic positions

Academic
RMIT University
College of Business and Law
Melbourne, Australia
1 Jan 2003 – Present

Non-academic positions

PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR ‘Living with Cancer Education Program (LWCEP) (Part time)
Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria
Education
Melbourne, Australia
1 Feb 1995 – 29 Nov 1996

Varied Education Roles in Primary + Secondary sectors
Department of Education
, Australia
1 Jan 1985 – 31 Oct 1991

Supervisor projects

Attitudes and Beliefs of Parents, School Teachers and School Nurses towards School-Based Sexual and Reproductive Health Education Programs in Oman
3 Mar 2015

The Job Seeking Experience of non-English Speaking Background (NESB) Skilled Migrants in Australia; Quality and Accessibility to Career Opportunities
3 Mar 2014

Teaching interests

Outstanding contribution to RMIT, COBL and SOM Education strategy through contributions to the University culture of continuing development and excellence.

2024 AOM (USA): Awarded Outstanding Service to MED Division Interest Group Award, for dedication and exceptional servicet to the MED PDW and Program.
2023 AOM (USA) : Elected as PDW Chair-elect of the Management Education and Development (MED) Division Interest group of the Academy of Management (AOM) USA.
2023 - RMIT SOM Dean’s Award for Learning & Teaching Excellence

PHILOSOPHY | Learning is Becoming; learning is Belonging; learning is through Contextual learning and an authentic, active and applied approach on an active learning continuum.

Børte et al (2020) contend there are three interconnected issues emerged as prerequisites for student active learning to succeed (1): better alignment between research and teaching practices (2) a supporting infrastructure (3) staff professional development and learning designs. Developing and implementing experiential learning curriculum is also key - Technology toolkits/SOTL / gamification/ Incremental pulse points to measure success and impact.

Fundamental to my success is harnessing and inspiring ‘people power’. Drawing on the approaches I have continuously implemented over my career, through a ‘relational leadership’ approach, I embed a ‘strengths-based’ culture to debate pedagogical issues, challenge assumptions, give peer support, and co-design solutions that will be fit for purpose. The Student LifeCycle Model which is focused on students as learners is similarly critical for teaching as critical stakeholders with their diverse range along the ‘experience continuum’, and as continuous SOTL professional development.

Interdisciplinary knowledge and skills

• Sustained outstanding teaching and course evaluations above the University Benchmarks – evidence available on request

• Leadership and management of academic consortia in a constantly changing environment – look what I and the B. Business Management team (June -December 2020); and my BUSM1162 1st year enabling course team achieved under crisis conditions! This required me to lead workflow and resource planning

• Over 25+ years of delivering courses to our range of offshore locations, including SIM, RMIT Vn, RMIT Europe, Mlaysia and Hong Kong;

• In-depth understanding of the global citizen and global mindset and internationalisation of higher education through professional membership and presentations at various fora in transcultural delivery; training of university-wide colleagues in transcultural /trans-national delivery

• Heightened experience of implementing governance frameworks and monitoring deliverables against KPIs through my extensive roles as course coordinator, course designer, and 2020 Program Manager, and current SEIQC committee member.

HDR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT |

Ongoing -2018 | Internal | Education | COBL Graduate Discipline-based professional development - COBL PhD Master Influencer Workshops

Successfully contributed to the COBL PhD professional development series, training and mentoring COBL HDR students in research communication, and success in the SOM, COBL and University 3MT finals

SOTL RESEARCH | CURRENT

2024| TITLE: Strategy And Gamification for Education Success – the SAGES project

Awarded SOM L&T SOTL grant: $10,000
Explore the impact of innovation tools in learning design on the learning preferences of undergraduate students studying a Business program. The project will explore diverse design principles and game mechanics to motivate users to participate in learning activities (Gündüz et al. 2020).

Current -2023 | TITLE | Student Academic Literacy And Diagnosis (SALAD): A collaborative discipline-specific approach to self-diagnosis of academic capabilities in diverse student cohorts.

The development of a transitional Student Academic Literacy And Diagnosis (SALAD) strategy will be a collaborative business discipline-specific digital approach to self-diagnosis of academic capabilities.

2022-2021 | TITLE | ROTE | Impact of a relational leadership pedagogy on student satisfaction through a sentiment analysis approach

AWARDS AND GRANTS |

2024 | Strategy And Gamification for Education Success – the SAGES project. Awarded SOM L&T SOTL grant: $10,000

2023 | RMIT L&T Festival – It takes a village (sharepoint.com) Title: Rethinking ‘Signature Pedagogies’ - the radical transformer for innovative entrepreneurship within the ‘4 Gogies’ village. Competitive selection (1 of 50/94 submissions accepted).

2020 | VC Education Project Bridge grant to to digitally enhance its Blended Learning pedagogy (a COBL Strategic focus 2020-2021). The course design will contribute pedagogically to adoption by other courses in 2021. Awarded $8,000.

2018 | Innovation grant: RMIT College of Business Academic Development Group Innovation Project (Blended Learning & Authentic Assessment) for the ITM common core course: development of key concept videos relating to Topics 1 -11: $4,000

2017 | School of Management grant: Digital Innovation in Learning and Teaching: Develop Phase 1 interactive digital audio-visual Lectures including self-managed assessment tasks: $12,341.54

2106 | Teaching Award: RMIT University Teaching Award -Category D3: Awards for a Transformative Student Experience - The First Year Experience: Enhancing the first-year experience of students, across transnational delivery locations, by the application of Quality MattersTM standards, redesigning Blackboard and introducing digital tools

LEADERSHIP | Transnational educator across multiple international campuses; various leadership positions across Victorian primary and secondary education sector

Ongoing - 2021 Senior Lecturer, College of Business & Law, School of Management
2020 Program Manager – B. Business Management (Jan-Jun: Acting /Manager July -Dec)
2020 SEIQC (School Education Innovation Quality Committee) member -School of Management
2020-2018 Course Coordinator -1st year Postgraduate enabling course: Management 1 - Managing People
2018 School of Management Work-Load Committee
2018 -2016 Women’s Researcher Network (WRN-RMIT) Committee member
2016 RMIT Teaching Award for the Transformative Student Experience - The First Year Experience award
2016-2017 Course Coordinator: Introduction to Management course, with ~ 5,000 students per annum across Australia, Singapore and Vietnam, 45+ teaching staff
2016-2013 Trans-National Education course for new academic staff – inaugural co-designer and facilitator
2015-2014 Representative: Early Career Researcher (ECR) College of Business Research Committee
2015 -2013 College of Business ECR representative RMIT University Network Steering Committee
2014 Member of the RMIT College of Business Design Thinking for Business taskforce to incorporate design principles into curriculum design.
2014-2013 ECR representative School of Management Research Committee
2011 Strategic Course renewal member for the redevelopment of the 1st year undergraduate course
2005: Course development ‘Key architect’ in the Program renewal of B. Bus Admin –Melbourne, Hong Kong and Singapore arising from stakeholder feedback and industry advisors.

Research interests

Interests |

Socio-ecologica and cultural l determinants of marginalisation and vulnerability in public health policies and management frameworks
Health literacy and the impact of transubstantive error phenomena on CALD populations
Comparative and cross-cultural education for social impact
Business and Management curriculum and relational pedagogy

Research Methods | Qualitative:

Socio-ecological frameworks
Indigenous/First Nations and trans-cultural research methods and reciprocity
Community participative action research
Thematic coding frameworks

Current Research |

Invited member 'End Food Waste: Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre -collaborating on research project with industry, and UQ on food waste in aged care facilities .
Member : Centre for Organisations and Social Change : transformative and social change projects. Research themes focus: driving osational social change to advance gender equality, multicultural inclusion, health and wellbeing and positive ageing.
MENA region and HPV disease elimination – a collaboration with Oman Saltan Qaboos university: cross- cultural communications and the impact of transubstantive error on public policy interventions: recent publication.
SOTL| see Teaching Summary

PhD RESEARCH | Graduated Dec 2011, University of Melbourne

Thesis Title: ‘Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines: the attitudes and intentions of Australian health providers and parents from three diverse cultural groups toward HPV vaccination of pre-adolescent children’

New PhD highlights the need for cultural sensitivity in implementing (HPV) vaccines

PhD Research Impact:
Reciprocity: Informed public health vaccine policy and assisted in the effective implementation of the HPV vaccine into the general community, especially for Indigenous and CALD populations globally. Current translation of methodologies in Oman, MENA region

Evidence available on request.

RELEVANT AWARDS & GRANTS: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7056-6227 ; Scopus Author ID: 36447304300

2019-2013, 2007: Industry Travel Grants for international conferences to disseminate HPV research: bioCSL Pharmaceuticals [Seqirus] - $3,000; $5,000
2016: GSK PHAA Immunisation Award $20,000: ‘INFORMING COMMUNITY’ Horn of African HPV Resource Project. OUTCOME: 2016 -2017 A multicultural multi-disciplinary team initiated and led by Margaret Heffernan developed a pilot public health education resource
2013: Ian Permezel Memorial Award, RMIT University for conference attendance to present HPV research findings $5,000
2013: RMIT College of Business Research Grant for a pilot HPV vaccine uptake study in Australian CALD populations: $15,000 - led to the 2016 GSK industry grant
2012: RMIT Early Career Researcher International Travel Award $5,000
2012: RMIT Early Career Researcher Publication Scheme -$4,983
2011 - IPV conference Berlin (RMIT travel grant) ($5,000)
2009 - IAAH Conference Kuala Lumpar (RMIT travel grant) ($4,514)
2009, 2006: GSK Pharmaceuticals education grant for HPV research – $5,000 per annum - $10,000
2008: CRCAH Aboriginal Research Showcase, Parliament House, Canberra. My PhD research was selected as an exemplar of Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal collaborative partnerships: 13 March
2007: PHERT PHAA Researcher Postgraduate Scholarship Award -$8,000
2007 - Travel Grants for IPV conference/CSL Pharmaceuticals ($5,000)
2007 -2006 inc. CCRE in Child and Adolescent Immunisation MCRI Fulltime Postgraduate Scholarship -$23,400 per annum
2007, 2006, 2005: RWH PhD Study Scholarship- $15,000: ($5,000 per annum)
2007, 2006: CRCAH Study Grant - $10,000: 2007 + CRCAH In-kind project
2006 Order of Australia Medal for distinguished services to women's health and the Arts Community
2005: Women of Achievement winner (Brain Foundation) for services to gynaecological cancer
2001: Federation Peoplescape, Canberra, ACT (for Services to Community)
1996: British Medical Association Award for Educational Merit (Co-Producer ‘Living with Cancer Educational Program’ video for the Cancer Council Victoria)
1994: Advance Australia Foundation Award for Community Service

Networks | Brings a broad network of collaborators, nationally and internationally and is an invited member of the IPVS Society Educator’s subcommittee with the goal of reducing HPV morbidities globally.

Dissemination | Publishes in the top disciplinary journals and presents at diverse for in public health and higher education.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7056-6227
Scopus Author ID: 36447304300
Aus-Scimex listed expert, Margaret engages in extensive media activity, including multiple expert media interviews in 2020-2021 on Covid-19 issues for Australian migrant populations. Evidence available on request.

Other Media | My sustained body of work with complex sectors (Indigenous & CALD populations) continues to build my inter-cultural reputation, impacting internationally and nationally in cross-cultural public health and policy. This has led to expert membership of scientific committees and media commentary. Evidence available on request.

SciMex, a repository of scientific expert commentators, across mainstream media - have given multiple media interviews including during the pandemic my insights on educating Melbourne's migrant population on COVID-19.
Media statements / interviews: Multiple Media including:2020 COVID-19: Feb - July - 5 interviews/newspaper statements: ABC + ABC Science (radio) + News + The Age + SciMex
The resources generated from my work for these culturally and linguistically diverse population groups have led to changes in Government policy (as reported in 2019) with many people now empowered and able to give informed consent to what can be without adequate knowledge mystifying public health initiatives.