Meet the Team

Leadership Team

Professor Sue Walker

Professor Sue Walker

Leader, Early Years Research Lab

Professor Susan Walker’s research interests concern children's developmental outcomes and the role of early intervention in early childhood. Susan has extensive expertise in survey methodology and quantitative data analysis.

Associate Professor Michelle Neumann

Associate Professor Michelle Neumann

Deputy Leader, Early Years Research Lab; Honours Course Coordinator

Associate Professor Michelle Neumann (Gold Coast Campus) is an academic in the field of early childhood education, literacy, and educational technology. Michelle has had over 10 years’ experience working as a primary and secondary school teacher and is a registered Teacher with Education Queensland.

Dr Wendy Boyd

Associate Professor Wendy Boyd

Associate Dean (Education)

Wendy Boyd joined Southern Cross University in February 2009 with professional expertise in early childhood education and care. She taught for 25 years leading a large early childhood centre that was continuously assessed as high quality.

Alicia Phillips

Dr Alicia Phillips

Early Childhood Course Coordinator

Alicia Phillips joined Southern Cross University in 2015 with a wealth of teaching experience in educational contexts ranging from early childhood education and care settings, primary schools and tertiary education.

Jubilee Smith

Jubilee Smith

Primary Course Coordinator, Associate Lecturer

Jubilee Smith is currently completing her PhD with Southern Cross University investigating early childhood educator decision making with digital technology. Jubilee has presented and published from the initial research which led to her PhD topic.

Dr Charmaine Bernie

Dr Charmaine Bernie

Vice-Chancellor Senior Research Fellow

Dr Charmaine Bernie is a Vice-Chancellor Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Education's Early Years Research Lab at Southern Cross University. Charmaine is passionate about early years care and research for children and their families.

Dr Liberty de Rivera

Dr Liberty de Rivera

Vice-Chancellor Research Fellowship

Dr Liberty de Rivera is a Vice-Chancellor Research Fellow in the Faculty of Education. Her research interests include analysing and evaluating policies and their implementation in the areas of education for sustainable development, climate change, and disaster risk reduction. Central to her research is the idea of cognitive justice—what, or whose knowledge, is emphasised or neglected in the process of policy transfer.

Associate Members


Contact the Faculty of Education

Executive Team

T: 07 5589 3463

E: EAEducation@scu.edu.au

Executive Team

Course Coordinators

Course Coordinators

Professional Experience Team

T: 02 6620 3138

E: educationplacements@scu.edu.au

Professional Experience Team

Education Research Team

T: 07 5589 3123

E: educationresearch@scu.edu.au

Research Management Team

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