Naomi is a Vice-Chancellor's Research Fellow in the School of Arts and Humanities and (acting) Associate Director of ECU's Strategic Research Centre for People, Place and Planet.
Background
Naomi is a social worker, social justice and environmental activist, and feminist participatory action researcher from the rural community of Margaret River on Wardandi Boodja in Western Australia. She has 20 years of community development and social research experience in Australia and internationally in areas such as gender justice, climate justice, environmental activism, and homelessness and affordable housing. She has worked in in grassroots rural community organisations, local government, international development organisations such as Oxfam Australia and International Women’s Development Agency, and universities including Monash University and ECU. Her countries of work experience include Australia, Peru, United States, Honduras, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, India and Thailand. Naomi has participated in over 300 radio, print and television interviews regarding social justice and environment issues. She was previously an elected Councillor at the Shire of Augusta Margaret River (2017-2021), and she has been the Chair of Just Home Margaret River Inc since 2015.
Professional associations
- 2017 to 2021 - Augusta Margaret River Shire Council (Elected Member)
- 2017 to 2022 - Adjunct Research Fellow, Department of Social Work, Monash University
- 2016 - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Women and Gender Constituency (NGO representative)
- 2015 to present - Just Home Margaret River Inc (Co-founder and Chairperson)
- 2014 - United Nations Women’s Major Group (NGO representative)
- 2014 - United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Open Working Group (NGO representative)
- 2014 - United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, 58th Session (NGO Representative)
Awards and recognition
National and International Research Positions
- 2024 to 2027 - Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award
- 2017 to 2022 - Adjunct Research Fellow, Department of Social Work, Monash University
- 2016 - Bridging Postdoctoral Fellowship, Monash University
University and National Teaching Awards
- 2022 - Honour Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Media in 2022, ECU Media Awards
- 2020 to 2022 - Vice-Chancellor's Research Fellowship
Other
- 2020 - Regional Aspire Award, Business Events Perth
- 2017 - Early Career Publication Prize, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University
- 2017 - Stella Giles Award for Achievement in Women’s Rights, Soroptimist International WA
- 2015 - Postgraduate Publication Award, Monash University
- 2008 - Most Outstanding Social Work Thesis, Department of Social Work, Monash University
- 2007 - Margaret Yandell Fieldwork Prize, Department of Social Work, Monash University
Research areas and interests
- Feminist Participatory Action Research methodology
- Feminist and decolonial climate justice
- Rural social justice
- Gender justice
School research grant
Title: Climate Justice and the WA Community Sector
Funding: $1,660 from SAH internal funds.