About me
Ugh, I hate talking about myself, is there anything more boring? I don't think so. But, I suppose I better or there will be things that are not comprehendible. Here's the summary:
I was born a poor farm girl (seriously poor, no blankets in winter, eating beans out of the garden poor), went to the local public school where I read the entire library before I left, but despite that I had teachers in high school who said "don't worry dear, you will be a good housewife", even my own family thought I would just get married and have kids. This is because that's what they wanted for me! Forget that I had a good head on my shoulders, they only saw me for me as a potential mother, full stop. I didn't study for my exams that got me in to Uni because I spent way too much time doing farm jobs and learning Shakespeare (I do love him so!) so I was shocked to get in, chose my subjects at random and landed in psychology which I promptly fell madly in love with.
Since then I have dedicated my life to creating a better world with what I know.
Inventions
Let's invent!
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Let's face it, not enough women invent things, or if they do they are the first to get dismissed by those who could support and grow those inventions in to products that are sold around the world. If you're reading this, now's your chance to think about that. If you get a chance to support a female inventor, either by investing or purchasing the product... do it. Do your bit to balance the world.
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The reasons why women inventors are not supported are very interesting. I wrote an article on that, particular to female founders in tech... bit of a dramatic headline but that's the internet for you...
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A female founder explains why women are wasting their time trying to raise capital in Australia
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TLDR:
1. Most venture capitalists are men,
2. Most men follow people they aspire to be like,
3. Most men don't want to be women. This means that
4. ... the networks of venture capitalists are largely made up of men,
5. Which gives them the false impression that few women invent things and that's why it's okay that they end up mainly funding male inventors.
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This problem applies in a whole bunch of domains, how many times have we heard "not many women want the top job", or "women just aren't interested in X knowledge domain" or "women are just not interested in working here". Yeah.
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Some women have told me not to talk about this problem because it alienates men, I find it just draws out the smart ones! I do like filtering, don't you? Saves a lot of time!
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Let's change this one problem. Follow a female inventor today! You can start with me and I have loads in my network:
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Gheorg is AI enhanced help for children with one or more of the top 5 mental health conditions for children, around the world
We are disrupting the way families access mental health help for children.
Delivering help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and in the comfort of home, their own language and culture
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With a portal for parents, and a connection to treaters
Stage: In Market and Funded, in 78 countries
Gheorg Stage 1 was a REAL robot
This is Gheorg's body, designed by me in 2015.
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An IP registered design
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His face was designed to be extremely expressive
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The phone sits under the screen and drives the robot's actions
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He was designed to run with children and survive a big throw at the wall (as kids often do when they are unwell)
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He was entirely sustainable and almost entirely recyclable
OUR NEW SITE IS
Flourishmate
A wearable app developed by some of the world's leading experts in the psychology of leadership and performance in the workplace.
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Measures employee well-being in real time and displays it on a dashboard for managers to improve in real time
It is built on over 60 years of employee engagement and organisational culture experience in organisations around the world, of all shapes and sizes. Published in scientific journals internationally.
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Putting the power of work engagement in the hands of the employee. Let's change the world of work from the bottom up!
The CLI
The CLI
A world first measure for leadership in complex environments
The CLI has been built and tested on over 1000 leaders working in complex areas such as in extreme environments, crisis management and sustainability.
The CLI is currently housed at Macquarie University at the Australian Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability
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We are exploring a partnership with the University of Chile to continue developing the tool
EI GRO
EI GRO
In the early 2000's a student of mine and I discovered how to increase 2 aspects of emotional intelligence using a simplified "app" which was really a couple of cobbled together systems linked to people's phones and text message nudges
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We used the MSCEIT to test and pre and post the intervention and nearly fell over backward when we had a strongly significant result of change on two aspects!
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Tested on 600+ managers
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This technology is also housed at Macquarie University.
Research
Ah research. Also very much a male domain, with only 1 in 3 scientists being women across the world. I wonder how many of these women are working on science that has relevance to them, and even has female subjects, with most research done on men of.... you guessed it... University age. Funny that.
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I have been published in the top tier journals in my area and only write when I have something to say. I don't write papers just to get research points for promotion. Don't get me wrong, I tried! I just can't do it.
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My researchgate is here.
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Papers I am currently working on:
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2024, In press, External mechanisms needed to improve use of digital mental health interventions
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2023, In press – Systematic review of mental health impacts of modern technology on children
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2023, In press – The use of technology in preventative mental health care for children, co-authored with Professor Vicki Anderson, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
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Published papers (one day I will put these in to topic areas or something):
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2018, Backyard Habitat Review, NSW Govt, published under creative commons: http://aries.mq.edu.au/projects/backyard-habitat-review/index.php
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2017, Questioning mindful parenting interventions, presentation, Australian College of Applied Psychology Research Conference
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2014, International Association of Business and Society Proceedings – Can organisations pave the way for community sustainability? An Exploratory Study in the Murray Darling Basin. Article written with my student Mary Bonich. http://instituteforsustainableleadership.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014_ISL_Conf_Proceedings.pdf#page=51
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2013, Journal of Business Ethics - An Exploratory Study in Community Perspectives of Sustainability Leadership in the Murray Darling Basin. Article written with my student Christine Harley and Dr Julia Irwin. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10551-013-1877-x
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2013, Journal of Business Ethics - Leadership for Sustainability: An Evolution of Leadership Ability - Article written with my PhD supervisor Professor Sue Benn. http://www.springerlink.com/openurl.asp?genre=article&id=doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1278-6
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2012, Journal of Business Ethics - The Corporation is Ailing Social Technology: Creating a ‘Fit for Purpose’ Design for Sustainability - Article written with my PhD supervisor Professor Sue Benn. http://www.springerlink.com/content/r46n228075878341/
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2012, Clute Institute Conference, July - Human Values Clustering Towards CSR Critical Mass and Business Advantage. Article written with my PhD supervisor Sue Benn.
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2011, Academy of Management Conference, San Antonio Texas – The Corporation is Ailing Social Technology: Creating a Fit for Purpose Design for Sustainability – Peer reviewed, accepted, to be presented August 2011
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2009, Journal of Business Ethics - Sensemaking, Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility. Article written with research colleague Tamsin Angus-Leppan and my PhD Supervisor Professor Sue Benn
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2009, ANZAM Conference, Melbourne – Shareholder behaviour and Corporate Social Responsibility – peer reviewed, accepted, presented in December 2009.
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2009, Oxford Ashridge Conference, London – Sensemaking, Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility – Peer reviewed, accepted May 2009
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2002, Psychology Masters Thesis results published by my supervisor Professor Richard Heath in Nonlinear Dynamics in Psychology and the Life Science Journal.
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2001, Australian Psychological Society Industrial and Organisational Psychology Conference – Poster presentation of the 360 Degree Feedback process I developed at University of Newcastle
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Research Centre Achievements:
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In 2015, the Institute won two Environmental Heritage Awards for projects designed to increase community connection to indigenous communities and habitats for wildlife
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My contribution to funding achieved through links to industry has tripled the institute’s income to date
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The development of the now very well-known Advancing Sustainability Leaders (ASL) program for sustainability leaders in local government, and successfully obtaining refunding of such in 2014
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Obtaining statistically significant behaviour change in the ASL every time it has been run
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Teaching and Mentoring etc
The one area of my life where there are significantly more women than men. Sigh!
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In here I also include my psychological private practice, where I am a nationally registered senior psychologist, and Organisational Psychologist. I have not yet sat down to work it out, but I have likely helped 10k people there. I deeply respect them all for the hard work they put in.
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Postgraduate teaching
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Develop and deliver 4 subjects per semester: Organisational and Individual Change, Professional Practice (Ethics), Organisational and Individual Performance, Training and Development.
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Supervise up to 4 research students (Masters and Honours students), ensure they complete their theses in the allocated 9 months.
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Supervise 2 DPsych (to complete in 2 years) and 1 PhD student.
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In 2011 I drastically re-shaped and improved the Organisational and Individual Change course so much so that it finally got positive reviews from students, for the first time in its history
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In 2012 I was so successful in inspiring students that Macquarie granted me special license to train higher degree research students
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In 2014 I successfully negotiated for and then re-engineered the Organisational and Individual Performance so that psychology students were finally speaking positively about business
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Undergraduate teaching
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In 2018 I instituted a lunch club for students to develop support each other in seeking their first professional roles. This included seminars with experts to develop a resume and meeting prominent psychologists to discuss their career paths.
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STAY TUNED!
Stay in touch
Don't expect me to be emailing you every day, but when I update, you will know!