Thank you to everyone who joined this webinar. We had over 160 attendees and great feedback was provided. The video recording from this session can be viewed below.
This event has been sponsored by the University of Sydney, School of Rural Health (Dubbo/Orange)
Keynote Speakers
Mark Lock is a descendent of the Ngiyampaa people (a tribe of First Nations Australians), English and Scottish Convicts on the First Fleet (the Lucas Clan), Latvian immigrants, and Australian free colonists. My grandmother, Marjorie Woodrow (1926-2016), encouraged me to become educated and make changes for First Nations Australians, as I wrote in an award-winning article for the Medical Journal of Australia’s Dr Ross Ingram Memorial Prize. The long journey of education began with a BSc in Microbiology/Biochemistry and Honours in Nutrition (Deakin University), a Master of Public Health (Menzies School of Health Research), and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health (The University of Melbourne).
I received a $742,000 Australian Research Council Discovery Indigenous Grant (2012-2015). Then, in 2016, I founded Committix Pty Ltd to lead my research agenda for cultural safety research and evaluation through the lens of governance and the public administration in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health policy. Leadership roles include Co-Chair of the Western NSW Health Research Network, Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Working Group for Patient Reported Measures with the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, and Board Member of the Stolen Generations Council NSW/ACT, as well as numerous research collaborations. Website |LinkedIn |Twitter |Facebook
Deborah Warr is Senior Principal Research Fellow at Three Rivers University Department Rural Health [UDRH] at Charles Sturt University. She is a health sociologist and her current research focuses on an array of health issues in rural community settings, refugee and immigrant health and student learning. She has wide expertise in participatory research methods and commitment to co-designing and co-producing research with organisational and lay community stakeholders. Her published work contributes to theoretical and empirical understanding, methodological debates and research ethics relevant to community-based research.
Faye McMillan is a Wiradjuri yinaa (woman) from Trangie, NSW. Faye is the 2019 NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year and a Senior Atlantic Fellow (inaugural Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity) and was a founding member of Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and was a board member of IAHA from 2009-2017 (and chairperson from 2010-2016) and works at Charles Sturt University (CSU) as the Director of the Djirruwang Program Djirruwang Program – Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health). Faye holds a Doctor of Health Science, a Master of Indigenous Health Studies, Bachelor of Pharmacy and is Australia’s first registered Aboriginal Pharmacist, Faye also holds a Graduate Certificates in Indigenous Governance from the University of Arizona (USA), and Wiradjuri Language Culture and Heritage and Education (UoM). Her research interests are in Nation Building, Indigenous women in leadership roles; her Doctorate focused these two areas of research into her thesis as well as Mental Health. Faye is also the proud mother to Kye and Ethan, as well as a daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt and friend, Faye seeks to use her own lived experiences to share with others with the hope that it could make a difference and to appreciate the transformative opportunities that education can provide.
Brendon Cutmore is the WNSWLHD Executive Director of Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing and has worked in health for over 9 years in both the Hunter New England LHD and Western NSW LHD – as a Project Officer, Aboriginal Health Coordinator and Aboriginal Health Manager. Brendon is passionate about Closing the health Gap for Aboriginal people and is committed to achieving this through creating integration across the health system, opening opportunity for staff and communities to share Aboriginal culture and improving the health experience for Aboriginal people and their families. In addition Brendon’s portfolio includes the LHD’s Health Promotion and Public Health Teams and he is excited to be presented the opportunity to work closely with these teams to lead new strategies that positively impact on the health of the broader population. “
Karolyn (Kandy) White has taught ethics and research integrity, including clinical and research ethics, to graduate and post-graduate students, HREC members and health care professionals in Australia and overseas for over twenty-five years. As the Director of Research Ethics and Integrity at Macquarie University she has oversight of all research ethics at the university as well as being Chair of the HREC. She is also on the Advisory Committee of Praxis Australia.
Summer May Finlay AH&MRC HREC member. Summer is a Yorta Yorta Woman who grew up in Lake Macquarie near Newcastle. She has worked in Aboriginal affairs for over 10 years including at the National level and has strong professional connections across the country in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service sector. She specializes in health policy, qualitative research and communications.
Summer is currently a writer with Croakey.org and is the Co-convener of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Special Interest Group an Associate Consultant with Cox Inall and Ridgeway and is an Honorary Associate at Sydney University. She has worked across the country in a variety of different capacities with a number of Universities, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, Non-Government Organisations, professional associations and Government departments.
Terry Chenery AH&MRC HREC member. Terry is a proud Anaiwan man that has a long and distinguished career in law, governance, lecturing, investigations and business. As the CEO of numerous Aboriginal agencies Terry is committed to building innovative and flexible corporations that are high performing and ensuring community and culture are at the core of everything Altitude does.
Ricky Puata is the Community Lead for Cancer Council Western NSW Communities. He has worked in the community engagement space for over five years and has key interest in public health. Managing a team based in Orange and Wagga Wagga, Ricky’s role supports the mission of Cancer Council to engage with the community at the local and regional level. In Western NSW, Cancer Council deliver programs and services to improve the lives of those affected by cancer, including prevention programs to reduce cancer risk, support services for those experiencing cancer and cancer survivorship programs.
Webinar MC
Professor Megan Smith is Executive Dean having been appointed to the role in January 2019. Megan has previously held the roles of Head of School of the School of Community Health and inaugural Director, Three Rivers UDRH at Charles Sturt University. She has played an integral role in establishing physiotherapy education and expansion of the program. She is an accreditation panel member for the Australian Physiotherapy Council.
Megan has significant teaching and research experience in health education and practice. Originally graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) and practicing as a clinical physiotherapist, Megan joined the staff at Charles Sturt University in 1999. Her doctoral thesis explored decision making by cardiorespiratory physiotherapists.
Megan is committed to delivering high quality education. Her goal is to positively impact on the health of people whose preference like hers is to live, work and study in rural Australia. Megan’s current research interests are in the area of developing a future rural health workforce that is able to meet the health needs of rural communities. She is particularly interested in the rural allied health workforce
Associate Professor Catherine Hawke, Co-Chair of Western NSW Health Research Network (WHRN), is a Public Health Physician and Deputy Head of School at the School of Rural Health (SRH), University of Sydney, Orange and a member of the Sydney School of Public Health.
Catherine has applied her many skills to improving population health in the region through building the health research capacity of western NSW. She is a chief investigator on the ARCHER Study, NHMRC project grant, 2011 and the Access 3 study funded by NSW Health, which investigated marginalized young people’s access to the health system in NSW. She has co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications, published a chapter on rural and remote Australian adolescent health issues and made presentations on adolescent, rural and Aboriginal health. She is a member of Hoc Mai – The Australia Vietnam Medical Foundation, University of Sydney which provides practical clinical research workshops in Vietnam, and was a member of the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee from 2009-17. Her ongoing passion and commitment to rural research excellence led Catherine to found the WHRN in 2013.
Revisit the webinar information below.
June 11 Opening Webinar
Digital and online research for rural communities
The COVID-19 outbreak is having a major impact on all our lives – including those of rural communities and rural researchers. Not only has the WHRN Symposium changed from an in-person conference to an online format, but many research projects and the ways we engage with community has been re-imagined.
Have you ever wanted a clearer picture on the “know how” of conducting digital and online research with rural communities? What are the opportunities and the challenges of conducting rural research online?
Tune in to our first 90-minute WHRN Symposium webinar, a mixture of short “formal” presentations and relaxed “fireside style” chats.
The June 11th session will be hosted by Prof Megan Smith, Executive Dean, Faculty of Science at CSU, with an opening from Scott McLachlan (CE of Western NSW Local Health District), Assoc Prof Catherine Hawke (School of Rural Health, University of Sydney and founding Chair of WHRN) and a closing address from Brendon Cutmore (Director of Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Directorate, Western NSW LHD).
Other webinar panellists include Mark Lock (Ngiyampaa academic and WHRN co-chair), academics Prof Deb Warr (Three Rivers UDRH) and Prof Faye McMillan (Djirruwang Program, CSU), Karolyn White (Director of Research Ethics & Integrity, Macquarie University), Summer Finlay and Terry Chenery (AH&MRC HREC committee members), Ricky Puata (Community Lead for Cancer Council Western NSW Communities)
You’ll have the opportunity to submit questions beforehand (see link below) or pose real time questions to our panellists. This is a great opportunity to ask practical questions without having to stand in front of a conference floor microphone: WHRN is listening!
REGISTER here in Eventbrite
Program
PROGRAM – Thursday June 11 12.30 pm to 2 pm
| Time | Topic | Speaker | Organisation |
| 12.30pm | Webinar commencement | Prof Megan Smith | Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, CSU and Three Rivers UDRH Advisory Board Member |
| 12.35pm | Welcome to Country | TBA | |
| 12.40pm | Symposium Opening | Scott McLachlan | Chief Executive of WNSW Local Health District |
| 12.45pm | WHRN background and current direction | A/Prof Catherine Hawke | WHRN Co-Chair and Deputy Head of School of Rural Health-Orange campus, University of Sydney |
| 12.50pm Presenter 1 | Aboriginal Rural and Regional Research Capacity and Capability – Reorienting Thinking Through a Cultural Safety Lens | Mark Lock | Ngiyampaa academic and WHRN co-chair |
| 12.57pm Presenter 2 | How Community Engagement informs Research for Regional & Rural Communities | Ricky Puata | Community Lead for Cancer Council Western NSW Communities |
| 1.04pm Presenter 3 | Issues raised by online research for HREC’s | Dr Kandy (Karolyn) White | Director, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) – Office, Macquarie University |
| 1.11pm Presenter 4 | Topic TBA | Summer Finlay and Terry Chenery | AH & MRC HREC members |
| 1.20pm | MC led panel discussion | ||
| 1.25 pm Presenter 5 | Co-producing research with communities – brief reflections on opportunities and challenges | Deborah Warr | Senior Principal Research Fellow, Three Rivers University Dept of Rural Health |
| 1.32pm Presenter 6 | How do we create Culturally Safe work environments? – I’m not going to tell you! | A/Prof Faye McMillan | Director, Djirruwang Program, Charles Sturt University |
| 1.39pm | MC led panel discussion | ||
| 1.46pm Presenter 8 | Topic Closing address | Brendon Cutmore | Director of Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Directorate |
| 1.55pm | By us for us with us!
Summation and recommendations for working in a digital world. |
Prof Megan Smith | Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, CSU and Three Rivers UDRH Advisory Board Member |
This event has been sponsored by the University of Sydney, School of Rural Health (Dubbo/Orange)
Keynote Speakers
Mark Lock is a descendent of the Ngiyampaa people (a tribe of First Nations Australians), English and Scottish Convicts on the First Fleet (the Lucas Clan), Latvian immigrants, and Australian free colonists. My grandmother, Marjorie Woodrow (1926-2016), encouraged me to become educated and make changes for First Nations Australians, as I wrote in an award-winning article for the Medical Journal of Australia’s Dr Ross Ingram Memorial Prize. The long journey of education began with a BSc in Microbiology/Biochemistry and Honours in Nutrition (Deakin University), a Master of Public Health (Menzies School of Health Research), and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health (The University of Melbourne).
I received a $742,000 Australian Research Council Discovery Indigenous Grant (2012-2015). Then, in 2016, I founded Committix Pty Ltd to lead my research agenda for cultural safety research and evaluation through the lens of governance and the public administration in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health policy. Leadership roles include Co-Chair of the Western NSW Health Research Network, Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Working Group for Patient Reported Measures with the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, and Board Member of the Stolen Generations Council NSW/ACT, as well as numerous research collaborations. Website |LinkedIn |Twitter |Facebook
Deborah Warr is Senior Principal Research Fellow at Three Rivers University Department Rural Health [UDRH] at Charles Sturt University. She is a health sociologist and her current research focuses on an array of health issues in rural community settings, refugee and immigrant health and student learning. She has wide expertise in participatory research methods and commitment to co-designing and co-producing research with organisational and lay community stakeholders. Her published work contributes to theoretical and empirical understanding, methodological debates and research ethics relevant to community-based research.
Faye McMillan is a Wiradjuri yinaa (woman) from Trangie, NSW. Faye is the 2019 NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year and a Senior Atlantic Fellow (inaugural Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity) and was a founding member of Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and was a board member of IAHA from 2009-2017 (and chairperson from 2010-2016) and works at Charles Sturt University (CSU) as the Director of the Djirruwang Program Djirruwang Program – Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health). Faye holds a Doctor of Health Science, a Master of Indigenous Health Studies, Bachelor of Pharmacy and is Australia’s first registered Aboriginal Pharmacist, Faye also holds a Graduate Certificates in Indigenous Governance from the University of Arizona (USA), and Wiradjuri Language Culture and Heritage and Education (UoM). Her research interests are in Nation Building, Indigenous women in leadership roles; her Doctorate focused these two areas of research into her thesis as well as Mental Health. Faye is also the proud mother to Kye and Ethan, as well as a daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt and friend, Faye seeks to use her own lived experiences to share with others with the hope that it could make a difference and to appreciate the transformative opportunities that education can provide.
Brendon Cutmore is the WNSWLHD Executive Director of Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing and has worked in health for over 9 years in both the Hunter New England LHD and Western NSW LHD – as a Project Officer, Aboriginal Health Coordinator and Aboriginal Health Manager. Brendon is passionate about Closing the health Gap for Aboriginal people and is committed to achieving this through creating integration across the health system, opening opportunity for staff and communities to share Aboriginal culture and improving the health experience for Aboriginal people and their families. In addition Brendon’s portfolio includes the LHD’s Health Promotion and Public Health Teams and he is excited to be presented the opportunity to work closely with these teams to lead new strategies that positively impact on the health of the broader population. “
Karolyn (Kandy) White has taught ethics and research integrity, including clinical and research ethics, to graduate and post-graduate students, HREC members and health care professionals in Australia and overseas for over twenty-five years. As the Director of Research Ethics and Integrity at Macquarie University she has oversight of all research ethics at the university as well as being Chair of the HREC. She is also on the Advisory Committee of Praxis Australia.
Summer May Finlay AH&MRC HREC member. Summer is a Yorta Yorta Woman who grew up in Lake Macquarie near Newcastle. She has worked in Aboriginal affairs for over 10 years including at the National level and has strong professional connections across the country in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service sector. She specializes in health policy, qualitative research and communications.
Summer is currently a writer with Croakey.org and is the Co-convener of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Special Interest Group an Associate Consultant with Cox Inall and Ridgeway and is an Honorary Associate at Sydney University. She has worked across the country in a variety of different capacities with a number of Universities, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, Non-Government Organisations, professional associations and Government departments.
Terry Chenery AH&MRC HREC member. Terry is a proud Anaiwan man that has a long and distinguished career in law, governance, lecturing, investigations and business. As the CEO of numerous Aboriginal agencies Terry is committed to building innovative and flexible corporations that are high performing and ensuring community and culture are at the core of everything Altitude does.
Ricky Puata is the Community Lead for Cancer Council Western NSW Communities. He has worked in the community engagement space for over five years and has key interest in public health. Managing a team based in Orange and Wagga Wagga, Ricky’s role supports the mission of Cancer Council to engage with the community at the local and regional level. In Western NSW, Cancer Council deliver programs and services to improve the lives of those affected by cancer, including prevention programs to reduce cancer risk, support services for those experiencing cancer and cancer survivorship programs.
Webinar MC
Professor Megan Smith is Executive Dean having been appointed to the role in January 2019. Megan has previously held the roles of Head of School of the School of Community Health and inaugural Director, Three Rivers UDRH at Charles Sturt University. She has played an integral role in establishing physiotherapy education and expansion of the program. She is an accreditation panel member for the Australian Physiotherapy Council.
Megan has significant teaching and research experience in health education and practice. Originally graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) and practicing as a clinical physiotherapist, Megan joined the staff at Charles Sturt University in 1999. Her doctoral thesis explored decision making by cardiorespiratory physiotherapists.
Megan is committed to delivering high quality education. Her goal is to positively impact on the health of people whose preference like hers is to live, work and study in rural Australia. Megan’s current research interests are in the area of developing a future rural health workforce that is able to meet the health needs of rural communities. She is particularly interested in the rural allied health workforce
Associate Professor Catherine Hawke, Co-Chair of Western NSW Health Research Network (WHRN), is a Public Health Physician and Deputy Head of School at the School of Rural Health (SRH), University of Sydney, Orange and a member of the Sydney School of Public Health.
Catherine has applied her many skills to improving population health in the region through building the health research capacity of western NSW. She is a chief investigator on the ARCHER Study, NHMRC project grant, 2011 and the Access 3 study funded by NSW Health, which investigated marginalized young people’s access to the health system in NSW. She has co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications, published a chapter on rural and remote Australian adolescent health issues and made presentations on adolescent, rural and Aboriginal health. She is a member of Hoc Mai – The Australia Vietnam Medical Foundation, University of Sydney which provides practical clinical research workshops in Vietnam, and was a member of the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee from 2009-17. Her ongoing passion and commitment to rural research excellence led Catherine to found the WHRN in 2013.
