Kim Snepvangers

Biography

Dr Kim Snepvangers has been recently appointed an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education. As a Principal Fellow Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) Kim is an award-winning educational leader in creative ecologies with expertise in industry partnerships at scale, recognised with a 2018 AAUT national citation. Kim works alongside the Higher Degree Research Team in the Education Doctoral (EdD) program and as a member of the Sustainability, Environment and the Arts in Education (SEAE) research cluster.

Research

Through her early work as a secondary teacher and Indigenous Liaison Officer, Kim saw that outcomes of collaboration with Indigenous community members greatly supported students. Kim has co-authored and researched with Indigenous colleagues for the last 8 years, as well as having worked in a range of educational contexts with Indigenous partners for the last 25 years. Kim consistently engages with high profile Indigenous-led exhibitions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Mentors, to reveal previously invisible histories in the Australian settler colonial context. She has co-edited 3 books, over 20 book chapters and journal publications with research interests in archival practice-based research across visual and performative artforms, visual ecologies and creativity.

Community engagement

From 2014 to 2018, Kim was Co-Convenor of the Australian Association of Research in Education Arts Education Practice Research Special Interest Group (AEPRSIG). This group hosted ‘Creativity Summits’ in partnership with leading creativity researchers, universities and institutions. Internationally, Kim is an elected World Councillor for the International Society for Education Through Art (InSEA/UNESCO) and a member of the Publications Board as well as the Editorial Boards of Arts Research Journal, Aalto University and Art Education Australia. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor and a Scientia Education Academy (SEA) Fellow at UNSW.

Supervision

Kim has extensive experience in Higher Degree Research supervision and completion and has supervised PhD, Research Masters and Honours students across arts education, art practice and museum studies. Her outstanding track record in meeting supervision metrics was recognised in 2016 with her appointment as a UNSW PhD Scientia Supervisor. Leadership positions on university research committees and her significant contributions to policy development through the Women in Research Network (WIRN) share best practice and mentoring of new researchers.

Teaching

As a UNSW Teaching Fellow Kim was awarded Strategic Education Funding of $200,000 for her research: New Approaches to the Development of Professional Identity through Independent Critical Reflection. In 2018, she received InSEA’s inaugural ‘Award for Excellence in Research in Education through Art’ in recognition of this competitive award. Kim has over 13 years-experience as a Head of School at UNSW. As Head of a large department, she had responsibility for two Initial Teacher Education Degree Programs, so she brings a mix of high-level scholarship, practical experience in three secondary schools (11 Years) as well as extensive knowledge of National Standards and the Australian Curriculum in the preparation of graduates in the teaching profession.