April 2026 – conference papers x 2
Transforming the External Doctorate Experience: Agency, Connection and Success in a Distributed Research World (sole author)
Peer Power: Boosting the Graduate Research Experience through Mentorship (co-author KD, EL)
Quality in Postgraduate Research National Conferences, Adelaide
August 2025 – Visualise Your Thesis CQUniversity 2025 winner
Sit, Stay, Read!
CQU Visualise Your Thesis overall winner for 2025.. I received a $2,000 support grant and moved forward as the CQUniversity representative in the international finals in Oct 2025.
URL link: https://youtu.be/LCKdJK4BLo4
13 th August 2025 – conference presentation
Lights, Camera, Compliance! Competing in the 2025 3MT and VYT
Research Communication Week – CQUniversity
In this workshop, participants gained insider tips on crafting engaging research presentations for the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) and Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) competitions. Drawing on experience as both a CQU Visualise Your Thesis and 3MT winner, I shared strategies for balancing storytelling, clarity, and creativity with the strict compliance requirements that define these competitions.
31st July – 1 Aug 2025 – conference paper
Paw-sitive Reading: How Dogs Can Help Struggling Readers Thrive
National Education Summit, Brisbane 2025
Libraries have become dynamic hubs that can offer personalised, inclusive learning experiences. This presentation will explore how reading-to-dog programs, implemented in both school and public library settings, provide a unique “out of the box” approach to addressing literacy challenges among K-12 students. Programs such as Galilee Reading Dawgz (ACT), SHARE (QLD) and Yarra Plenty Region Libraries (VIC) offer structured 1:1 reading sessions with a volunteer and dog team. These sessions foster student’s reading engagement, fluency, and emotional well-being.
21-25th July 2025 – conference session and mentoring support for duration of conference
RHD Training Intensive Program for post confirmation of candidature students, Rockhampton QLD
Session Title: 3 Minutes to Wow: Turning Research into a Story
Condensing a PhD into three minutes isn’t about dumbing it down – it’s about sharpening it up. This session will offer behind-the-scenes insights, rookie tips, and creative strategies that helped me win CQUs 2024 3MT and take my research to the international stage.
7-9th July 2025 – Symposium Presentation
CQUniversity School of Education and the Arts and School of Engineering and Technology Research Symposium
2-6th July 2025 – Conference Papers x 2
Australian Association for Teachers of English / Australian Literacy Educators Australia National Conference
Title: Unleashing Literacy: How Canine Companions Make ‘Pawsitive’ Reading Connections
Session length and type: 10 minute lightning talk
Title: Paws and Effect: Dogs as Partners for Struggling Readers
Session length and type: 25 minute oral presentation
March 2025 – conference attendance and support for students
RHD Training Intensive Program for pre confirmation of candidature students, Rockhampton QLD
The CQU RHD intensives offers a carefully curated 5 day program of skill-building sessions designed to meet the needs of candidates across all disciplines. I was invited to attend and support delivery of workshops. I built connections with new and ongoing students as part of my RHD mentor role and supported staff as needed.
November 2024 – online conference presentation (CQU RHD Intensive)
10 Tips to Crush Your First Year as a RHD student
Presented at the CQU RHD Online Intensive in 2024 as a co-presenter with Kellie Dyer and Edina Lobo.
October 2024 – book chapter
Try And Stop Her
24 Unstoppable Business Women Share Their Inspiring Stories
This book is a collection of stories from incredible women in business (myself included), sharing the ups, downs, and everything in between about building a business, overcoming challenges, and making bold moves. Get a signed copy here.
August 2024 – Three Minute Thesis
Paws for thought: Unleashing the benefit of reading-to-dog programs
CQU 3MT overall winner and runner up people’s choice award winner. I received a $2,000 support grant and moved forward as the CQUniversity representative in the semi final international 3MT event for 2024.
URL: https://youtu.be/7WsOgOHpvwI?si=v-T0lMzwPTzEaVVv
August 2024 – Visualise Your Thesis
Barking Up the Right Tree: Insights into Reading-to-Dog Programs for Children
July 2024 – Conference attendance
RHD Training Intensive Program, Rockhampton QLD
The CQU RHD intensives offers a carefully curated 5 day program of skill-building sessions designed to meet the needs of candidates across all disciplines and stages of candidature. I attended this in person opportunity as both an RHD student and an RHD Student Mentor.
Feb 2024 – Conference paper
Sharing the throne: Why teaching oral communication matters and how to do it
WA Teaching and Learning Forum 2024 – Support for Academic Learning Team, Murdoch University (co-author Ann Ranson)
In today’s dynamic academic and professional environment, the practical importance of effective oral communication cannot be overstated. This presentation focused on the concrete reasons for teaching oral presentation skills to university students and how it directly benefits their academic and future career prospects. This session explored the tangible advantages of teaching these skills, including bolstering self-confidence, sharpening critical thinking, and refining communication abilities.
2023 – Conference paper
Feeling, seeing, and experiencing learning and teaching in the new “Boola Katijin” building at Murdoch University
Association for Academic Language and Learning National Conference 2023 – Support for Academic Learning Team, Murdoch University (multiple co-authors)
This paper explored how understanding ways to effectively use the learning spaces plays a significant role in teaching and learning. It enables both students and educators to construct meaning through their interactions with the content, and with one another, within the environment.
2023 – Conference paper
Reading with Dogs: Canine assisted reading programs as a literacy intervention
AATE/ALEA Conference 2023 (sole presenter) as an early career research student introducing my research in a 15min lighting session.
2019 – Conference paper
Volunteering and Community Engagement in Trauma Informed Settings
2019 AIS Network Conference: Celebrating Teaching and Learning (sole presenter)
2018 – Conference paper submission
Personalised instruction: a case study at Galilee School
Although this paper was unpublished in 2018, I was awarded one of 8 PESA National Conference Scholarships to attend the conference on the basis of this. I presented a written summary of my engagement at the conference in a blog as a requirement of the scholarship:
https://teachlifelonglearning.wordpress.com/2019/04/11/day-1-pesa-2019-
national-wellbeing-and-positive-education-conference
2017 – Conference paper
Behavioural engagement in ACT senior secondary schools: A case study
Paper was presented at Sunset Event for University of Education, School of Education event.
2015 – Conference paper
Learning support at University of Canberra:The case for change and a case study of change
Presented at the AALL conference, 2015.
Statement of contribution: Authors GH, BR, KB, CB, KP and I all contributed equally to the design and implementation of research, analysis of results and
writing of the paper.
Aug 2014 – Conference Paper
Auditory Processing Disorder and how it impacts on literacy development
Melissa Smith 