Sue is a Senior Lecturer in the Social Work program in the School of Arts and Humanities.
Current Teaching
- SWK1102: Philosophy, Knowledge and Ethics
- SWK3112: Advanced Interpersonal Skills
- SWK4111: Collective Interventions
- SWK4121: Activism and Social Change.
Background
Sue's research and education interests are principally concerned with raising awareness of the connections between healthy ecosystems (family, organisations, communities and eco-systems) and human well-being, and then developing strategies to improve and change these relationships. In particular, her research and education focuses on addressing the wicked problems of climate change, ecosystem degradation and mass extinctions using a loss and grief framework. Her approach focuses on supporting the change process for individuals, families, organisations, and communities, locally, nationally and internationally as we work to both mitigate and adapt to ecological degradation and resultant wicked problems like climate change and pandemics.
Awards and Recognition
- AASW Finalist Agent of Change Category Social Worker of the Year Award 2014.
University and National Teaching Awards
- 2019: ECU Teaching and Learning Grant 2019.
- 2012: UWA Teaching Fellowship - Awarded with Katrina Stratton to research how social work field educators can support social work students on placement.
- 2004: Teaching Internship - Awarded in competition by the Teaching and Learning Committee at the University of Western Australia.
National and International Research Awards
- 2004: Australian Federation of University Women (WA) Joyce Riley Bursary – Postgraduate bursary to fund travel costs for a return trip to East Timor to complete qualitative interview process.
- 2004: Dean’s Postgraduate Award - Awarded in competition to assist with costs to attend and present a paper at the Education and Social Action Conference at the University of Technology, Sydney.
- 2003: Grace Vaughan Award - Social justice and human rights award to fund travel costs to East Timor to conduct qualitative interviews for PhD research.
- 2002: Australian Postgraduate Award - PhD scholarship at the University of Western Australia. Topic: Social work responses to Terrorism
- 2011: Jayasuriya Prize - for the highest Honours dissertation mark Topic: "I'll guess you'll never look at the newspaper the same way!"
Other
- 2001: Margaret Stockbridge Memorial Prize.
- 2001: Convocation Prize - for the highest aggregate in Year 4 of the Social Work course.
Research Areas and Interests
- Critical Social Work;
- Eco-social work;
- Ecological grief Community Gardens.