Aileen Moreton-Robinson

Aileen Moreton-Robinson is an Australian academic, indigenous feminist, author and activist for indigenous rights. She is an Aboriginal woman of the Goenpul tribe, part of the Quandamooka nation on Stradbroke Island in Queensland. She was the first Aboriginal person to be appointed to a mainstream lecturing position in women's studies in Australia.[1] She has held positions in women's studies at Flinders University and Indigenous studies at Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology.[2] She is currently Dean, Indigenous Research and Engagement at the Queensland University of Technology and Director of the National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN). She completed a PhD at Griffith University in 1999, her thesis was titled Talkin' up to the white woman : Indigenous women and feminism in Australia.[3] Her thesis was later published as a book in 1999[4] and was short-listed for the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards and the Stanner Award.[5]

Early life

Moreton-Robinson was born in the 1950s, of the Goenpul (Koenpul) tribe, part of the Quandamooka nation on Stradbroke Island in Queensland, Australia.[5] Aileen showed promise as a student in high school, where she received an offer of a scholarship to a Catholic boarding school, which she declined.[6] Her experience of racism and discrimination in high school led to her failing to graduate and becoming politically involved in movements for Aboriginal land rights and human rights for Aboriginal people.[6]

Aileen was later accepted to the Australian National University as a mature student, and at the time she was the only Aboriginal student at the university.[6] She completed an 1 st class honors degree in Sociology from the Australian National University and her doctorate from Griffith University.[6] Aileen's doctoral thesis was titled Talkin' up to the white woman : Indigenous women and feminism in Australia.[3] Her thesis was subsequently published as a book in 1999[4] which was short-listed for the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards and the Stanner Award for indigenous writing.[5]

Career

Moreton-Robinson's research and writing has focused on the experience of Aboriginal Australians since colonial settlement and issues of race and Whiteness studies, post-colonialism, women's studies and indigenous feminism, indigenous studies, native title law and Aboriginal land rights.[7]

Moreton-Robinson taught Indigenous studies at Griffith University in Brisbane and Women’s Studies at Flinders University in Adelaide.[7] She was an Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian Studies Centre, University of Queensland. She is now Dean, Indigenous Research and Engagement at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) after formally being the Professor of Indigenous Studies.[5]

Moreton-Robinson is the Director of the National Indigenous Research Knowledges Network, a former Council Member of the Native American Indigenous Studies Association, Executive member of National, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education, President of Australian Critical whiteness studies Association, Member of Australian institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, and has held positions on a number of boards, advisory committees and associations.[6] Moreton-Robinson established and is an editor for the International eJournal of Critical Indigenous Studies.[8]

As one of Australia’s leading Indigenous academics, Distinguished Professor Moreton-Robinson receives numerous invitations to speak around the world. She has been invited to and presented at the University of Washington, University of California Los Angeles, Oberlin College, University of London, University of Geneva, University of Illinois, Dartmouth, Wesleyan University, University of Hawaii, University of Michigan and the University of Alberta.[7][9]

Distinguished Professor Moreton-Robinson developed a masterclass for Indigenous postgraduate students. The program is designed to build research skills and to improve the completion rates of Indigenous researchers. The Indigenous Research Methodologies Masterclass is the only Indigenous-designed and evidence-based model contributing to closing the education gap in Australia.[10]

On June 17, 2016 she was conferred the title of Distinguished Professor by QUT.[11]

Recognition and awards

Works

A. Moreton-ROBINSON. 2015. The White Possessive, Minnesota Press, Minneapolis

References

  1. Thomas, Jared (12 January 2000). "Lecturer creates academic first. SA". Koori Mail.
  2. "Leading Indigenous academic takes on new role with QUT". Koori Mail. 26 April 2006.
  3. 1 2 Moreton-Robinson, Aileen; Griffith University. Faculty of Arts. Thesis (Ph.D.), 1998 (1998), Talkin' up to the white woman : Indigenous women and feminism in Australia, retrieved 2 December 2015
  4. 1 2 Moreton-Robinson, Aileen (2000), Talkin' up to the white woman : aboriginal women and white feminism, University of Queensland Press, ISBN 978-0-7022-3134-6
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Moreton-Robinson, Aileen". QUT Staff Directory.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "An inspiring woman - Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson". ABC Brisbane. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  7. 1 2 3 Aileen, Moreton-Robinson,. "QUT | Staff Profiles | Aileen Moreton-Robinson". staff.qut.edu.au. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  8. "International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies". Queensland University of Technology. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  9. "Prof. Aileen Moreton-Robinson". Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  10. 1 2 Australian Learning and Teaching Council. "2010 Australian Awards for University Teaching" (PDF). Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  11. "News". Retrieved 2016-08-04.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.