About me

I am Dean of the School of Psychology at Murdoch University, a role that I have held since 2023. From 2014-2022, I was Academic Chair of undergraduate psychology, and have also served as Academic Chair of the fourth-year psychology program for a number of years.

My areas of research interest include understanding the drivers of and limiting factors in cognitive development and individual differences in cognitive abilities. These areas have application in children's education and school readiness, as well as healthy ageing.

My teaching has spanned developmental psychology, research methods and statistics, psychological measurement and assessment, as well as cognitive processes and individual differences.

Awards

Vice Chancellor's Award for Living our Guiding Principles and Values
Murdoch University (Australia, Perth), 2025
Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching
Murdoch University (Australia, Perth), 2011
Jane and Annie Nisbet Memorial Prize in French
The University of Western Australia, 1991

Organisational Affiliations

Centre for Healthy Ageing, Murdoch University

Associate Professor, School of Psychology, Murdoch University

Education

Psychology
1993–1997, Doctor of Philosophy (with Distinction), University of Western Australia (Australia, Perth) - UWA

Cognitive development and individual differences in intelligence: Unidimensional and multidimensional models of performance on Raven’s Progressive Matrices.

Psychology
1991–1992, Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Honours, First Class), University of Western Australia (Australia, Perth) - UWA
French Studies
1988–1990, Bachelor of Arts , The University of Western Australia