I am an ‘academic-hybrid’. I have experience in Communication and Cultural Studies, Education and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and my research and teaching is often a ‘blend’ of all three. No matter which disciplinary ‘hat’ I am wearing, I have a passion for research and a particular interest in conceptual and thematic analysis.

My PhD research (in Communication Studies) was a critical textual analysis of popular backpacker discourse. It was informed by literary, political, sociological and economic perspectives. The interdisciplinary methodology I used aligned with British cultural studies ideology, which intentionally challenged disciplinary conventions. After my PhD, I worked as a Research Associate on a two ARC Grants in the School of Education at Murdoch University. Here, I developed an appreciation for empirical (qualitative) methodologies and expanded my academic understanding to include Educational disciplinary practices. As a result of diverse academic experiences, my research and teaching interests are wide. My research in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is informed by my love of cultural theory, focusing on critical ethnography, academic identity, eLearning and conceptual philosophical perspectives. My academic teaching is infused with popular culture references and everyday life examples to enhance student engagement and to provide accessible introductions to complex skills and concepts