Our Team

Andrew is a Professor of Communications and ethnographer who has undertaken large-scale projects exploring community, the public pedagogies of place in urban developments, and the enhancement of social harmony with partners including the Canadian Government, Australian Government Department of Education and Training, Education Queensland, state and local governments, and a number of community and not-for-profit organizations.

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Southern Queensland, Master of Applied Science from Charles Sturt University, and PhD from the University of Southern Queensland.

Stewart is a Professor in Curriculum and Pedagogy in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. His research examines the democratisation of schooling systems, increasing access and equity in education and how schooling can respond to critical social issues in complex contemporary times.

Stewart holds a Bachelor of Music from the Queensland University of Technology, Bachelor of Education, Master of Educational Studies, and a PhD, all from the University of Queensland.

Celmara Pocock is Director of the Centre for Heritage + Culture. She is an anthropologist who researchers people’s attachment to places. She works in partnership with communities, including First Nations communities, and state and commonwealth government agencies.

The Youth Community Futures project contributes to the Connected Communities research theme in the Centre for Heritage + Culture.

Alarnah has worked closely with young people as a sporting coach, welfare advisor, and administration officer in the higher education context and is always excited to hear their stories. Having recently completed her studies at the University of Southern Queensland, Alarnah is passionate about understanding identities, interpersonal relationships, modes of creativity, and especially, how young people navigate the world, specifically, through ethnographic methods of research.

Youth Community Futures caught Alarnah’s attention due to its emphasis on collaboration. The opportunity to work alongside young people in the region, support connection to community, and envoke positive change in regional contexts was not one she could pass on, especially being a young person herself.

Danika comes from Birpai Country, and has previously tutored First Nations students in both high school and university settings. She is currently researching the cultural distinctiveness of contemporary Aboriginal People for her Honours thesis.

Danika wants to bring her experience of working with young people into the Youth Community Futures Research Program.

Danika holds a Diploma of Education from the University of Sydney, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Queensland, and is currently undertaking her Honours research project with completion expected mid-2023.

Following a career in arts management in both Canada and Australia, Rachael transitioned into academia and now researches in the areas of identity, belonging, space and place. Her PhD project examined the phenomenological and discursive practice of place for lifestyle migrants and her writing explores social imaginaries, discourse and material culture from an ethnographic perspective.

Rachael’s previous work links closely with this project, exploring social engagement, connection to community, communication and opportunity in rural Australia, so she jumped at the chance to be involved in this project.  

Rachael holds a Bachelor of Arts from Griffith University, a Masters of Arts from the University of Southern Queensland, and a PhD, also from the University of Southern Queensland.