Professor Ruth Wallace

Doctor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Education (Primary), Graduate Diploma in Education, Graduate Certificate of Research Management

Dean – College of Indigenous Futures, Education & the Arts, Charles Darwin University

Director – Northern Institute

Professor Ruth Wallace is the Dean of the College of Indigenous Futures, Education & the Arts and Director of the Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University. Her research interests relate to the links between social policy that addresses the concerns of people and systems remote from core decision making processes. Her research also relates to the identities of marginalised learners has impacted on the development of effective learning and workforce development pathways. This work is situated in regional and remote areas of Northern Australia and Indonesia, with a specific focus in research approaches to improve service delivery and adaptation, undertaken with Aboriginal people in remote and regional areas.

Ruth leads research that focuses on collaborative approaches to workforce development and engagement with community, governments and industry that are sustainable and scalable. Ruth was the social science technical advisor for the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre, with a focus on building resilience through community engagement and collaborative knowledge and management systems for biosecurity surveillance.

Ruth provides strong research leadership in a complex and multi-disciplinary setting, and for building the Institute’s profile among key stakeholders including government agencies, industry organisations, Indigenous communities and in the wider non-government sector. In 2016 Ruth became the first female Australian researcher to be awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Agriculture and Life Sciences (Sponsored by Kansas State University) building on her research engaging remote communities in biosecurity surveillance in regional communities.

Research Interests

Ruth has a strong relationship and working history with Vocational Education and Training – across regional and remote WA, QLD and NT in VET. Her PhD focuses on the needs of learners in regional areas in relation to education and education systems. Ruth's research interests relate to the links between identity, marginalised learners and the development of effective learning and workforce development pathways. This work is situated in regional and remote areas of Northern Australia and Indonesia, with a specific focus in research approaches to improve service delivery and adaptation, undertaken with Aboriginal people in remote and regional areas. Professor Wallace’s research connects to digital systematic learning pedagogies, literacy and numeracy learning and approaches to workforce development through remote based enterprises.

Her areas of expertise include:

Workforce development in regional and marginalised areas
Policy implementation in regional areas
Regional development and growth in remote areas
Mobile end technology based learning
Learning identity
Aboriginal enterprise development in remote areas
Regional development and governance in Northern Australia and neighbouring regions
Marginalised learners and access to knowledge systems
Community engagement

Current Research Projects

2019-2021
> Female participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) NT Department of Trade, Business and Innovation $ 80,000 Principal investigator
> Aboriginal Participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Industry Development Operational Fund NT Department of Trade, Business and Innovation $ 80,000 Principal investigator

2019-2020
> CRCNA Northern Australian Communication Analysis CRCNA - Developing Northern Australia $ 2,500 Chief investigator
> CDU Innovator in Residence (Aboriginal Stem) Project Agreement NT Department of Trade, Business and Innovation $ 36,000 Principal investigator

2018-2019
> Provision of Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS) Evaluation Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet $ 841,186 Project manager

2017-2020
> Knowledge network on mining encounters and Indigenous sustainable livelihoods: cross perspectives of the circumpolar north and Melanesia/Australia (MinERaL) Universite Laval $ 71,667 Principal investigator/Chief investigator
> Women in STEM - Catalysing women's science collaboration program Department of Industry, Innovation and Science $ 155,000 Chief investigator

2016-2020
> Cities of the North: Urbanisation, mobilities and new development opportunities for sparsely populated hinterlands The Swedish Research Council Formas $ 1,133,493 Researcher

Professional Positions, Memberships & Awards

2020 - Board Member, Sir Roland Wilson Foundation Board
2016 - President, Australian Vocational Education & Training Research Association (AVETRA)
2016 - Social Science Technical Advisor, Plant Biosecurity CRC Science Committee Advisory Panel
2015 - Program Leader, Education, Capacity Building and Workforce Development, ‘growNorth’ Collaborative Research & Development Program
2012-2016 - Former Program Leader, Secure Futures, Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)
2014 - Member of Developing Northern Australia Conference Advisory Committee
2014 - Public Officer and Board Member of ATSI Women’s Fund Inc, ATSI Women’s Initiatives Inc.
2013-2015 - Board Member and Program Director Australian Collaborative Research Network
2012-2015 - Member of the National Executive of the Australian Collaborative Education Network
2010-2015 - Editorial Board member for the International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning
2010 - Editorial Board member for the International Journal of ePortfolio
2010 - Member of anzMLearn
2010 - Member of the International Sociological Association
2009 - Member of the E-Portfolios Reference Group for the Australian Flexible Learning Framework
2009 - Member of the National Institute of Regional and Rural Australia
2008-2016 - Vice President and member of the Executive Committee, member of the International Journal of Training Research committee, Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA).
2008-2015 - Convener of the annual AVETRA – CDU OctoberVET Research Seminar
2007-2012 - Editor of the Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts
2007-2012 - Referee for the following journals and conferences;
                      International Journal of Training Research
                      Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Conference
                      Adult Learning Australia
                      Australian Council of Adult Literacy
                      MLearn Conference
2017 - Staff Mobility Erasmus Scholarship – CDU & University of Bergen, Norway
2016 - Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Agriculture and Life Sciences, sponsored by Kansas State University
2016 - AIM Leadership Excellence Award Leader/Manager of the Year for Northern Territory/ State Finalist National AIM Leadership Excellence Awards
2013 - Honourable mention IMS Global Learning Consortium Awards, San Diego
2012 - Vice Chancellor’s Award, New Researcher, Charles Darwin University
2012 - Bronze Medal, Australian Regional Finals IMS Global Learning Consortium
2009 - Research Commercialisation Training Scheme Scholarship, Commonwealth Government
2008 - New Researcher Scholarship, National Council of Vocational Education and Research
2008 - Best Early Career Researcher Paper, Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association, and the National Council of Vocational Education and Research

Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Supervision

Principal Supervision (Current)	Principal Supervision (Completed)	Associate Supervision (Current)	Associate Supervision (Completed)
Johanna Funk Jeanie Govan Thomas(Tom) Gray Ganesh Koramannil Simon Morris Rebecca Pearse Robert Porter Alison Reedy Jan Salmon Emma Schuberg Barnes Benjamin(Ben) Van Gelderan Gemma Wickens Lolita Wikander Terry Dunbar	Hanandyo Djardito Theofransus Litaay Deasyanti Adil Ratna Dyah Suryartri Jayson Inbanez Noel Finch Jenny Robinson Paul Royce Wayan Mudita Don Zoellner Karen Borgelt Tracy Woodroffe	Sarah Ajowi Maria Alexi Heidi Hodge Jagath Bandara Pathirage Janet Skewes Christine Tarbett- Buckley Ana Vuin	Susanna Saffu Helen Wozniak