Our Team
Our team consists of a multi-disciplinary group of academics and professionals, providing a purposive blend of experience and skills to the project.
Dr Retha de Villiers Scheepers
PhD Stell., MCom Potchef., HonsCL(Mktg) Potchef., BComm Potchef
Dr de Villiers Scheepers leads the Entrepreneurship Minor at USC and focuses on developing entrepreneurship skills university-wide. She was awarded a National OLT Citation for inspiring entrepreneurship students and a National Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM) Award for Excellence in Community Engagement, and holds a number of grants related to experiential entrepreneurship and teaching quality. She has published 15 peer reviewed journal articles, numerous conference publications, research reports, and scholarly book chapters.
Dr Renee Barnes
PhD La Trobe, MA(Research) La Trobe, GradCertTertTeach&Learn RMIT, BA Qld.UT
With more than 15 years experience, working as a journalist for organisations such as The Age and the ABC, Dr Barnes brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the project. She has been awarded for exemplary teaching and facilitated numerous industry training workshops on online journalism. Her research focuses on the sustainability of the journalism industry, in particular digital journalism, having published more than 15 peer reviewed articles, conference publications and book chapters. She holds numerous grants related to online journalism and the role of personality and participating online.
Dr Helen Fairweather
PhD NE (MIEAust), BEng (First class Honours) S Qld
Dr Fairweather teaches Environmental Engineering in the School of Science and Engineering (SSE) to Civil and Mechanical Engineering students. Helen is the SEE Research Director and Program Coordinator for the Master of Climate Change Adaptation by Research. She has participated in Startup Weekends, encouraging final year engineering students to develop their entrepreneurial skills. Dr Fairweather holds several grants, including an ARC Linkage grant to develop an innovative method to measure water flow. She has published numerous peer reviewed journal articles, conference publications and research reports on environmental engingeering.
Prof Michael Clements
PhD Lincoln, BCom (Hons) GAICD
Prof Clements is the Head of the School of Business, previously a Professor of Industry Engaged learning at Swinburne University, Melbourne and at the University of Wollongong as Director of Industry Partnerships, he has a strong track record in work integrated learning. Prof Clements has been lead investigator on eight research grants and has led an ARC Linkage and ALTC research grants. He holds four teaching and learning awards and was awarded an ALTC citation (2008) for his model on cumulative learning engagement for supply chain students. He has published more than 53 refereed journal articles, is a member of the Australian Institute for Company Directors.
Dr Jane Taylor
PhD (PubHlth) Sunshine Coast, MHlthProm Curtin, GDIntHlth Curtin, Bed Tasmanian State Institute of Technology
Dr Taylor is the Program Leader for the Public Health programs at USC and has led numerous USC research grants and Learning and Teaching grants (3) embedding best practice in flipped classroom approaches at USC. She is an active member of the Learning and Teaching USC Community, through the FOSHEE L&T Committee and regularly presents at National and USC L&T events. She has authored more than 22 research publications, with several scholarly contributions.
Irene Visser
MEd Sunshine Coast, GCProfLearning Sunshine Coast, DipDesignArts Georgian College
Ms Visser has a more than 30 years industry experience in graphic design, publishing and creative advertising, which she brings to teaching USC students. Her focus on teaching excellence has been awarded numerous times through the USC ABLE Award (Advancing the Blended Learning Environment, 2015), the Vice Chancellor and Presidents Award for Teaching and Learning (Sessional, 2013) and the Deans Award for Teaching and Learning (2009) and is currently co-leading an Exploratory L&T grant to increase student engagement by integrating social media technologies as a form of blended learning at USC.
Katryna Starks
MScience Walden, BA (Communications) Pepperdine
Katryna Starks is a PhD candidate and focuses on how video games can promote positive female identity during play and deliver affirmative outcomes in the lives of teenage girls. She is a sessional staff member at USC and lectures into the Serious Games program. She was awarded the USC 3 minute thesis FAB winner in 2014 and is passionate about creating opportunities for game design students to make a difference.