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Staff profiles

Personal details

Name
Associate Professor Deanna Grant-Smith
Position(s)
Associate Professor
Faculty of Business & Law,
School of Management
Discipline *
Business and Management, Human Geography, Policy and Administration
Phone
+61 7 3138 2491
Fax
+61 7 3138 1313
Email
Location
View location details (QUT staff and student access only)
Identifiers and profiles
ORCID iD Twitter LinkedIn
Qualifications

Doctor of Philosphy (Griffith University), Master of Business (Communication Studies) (Queensland University of Technology), Graduate Diploma of Sciences Communication (Central Queensland University), Graduate Certificate in Management Communication (Other), Bachelor of Science (Australian Environmental Studies) (Griffith University)

Professional memberships
and associations
Keywords

unpaid work, internships, deathscapes, unspeakable policy problems, stakeholder engagement, participatory planning, environmental stewardship, education-to-employment transitions, work-integrated learning, equity and social justice

* Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2008

Biography

With a PhD in public consultation and policy analysis, I have more than 20 years of experience conducting research and providing policy and strategy advice across the areas of environmental policy, participatory planning, community engagement, and organisational strategy and development. I have extensive experience in developing and delivering consultative approaches for a range of issues including transport and infrastructure planning, and environmental policy review and have conducted and supervised a range of research activities to inform strategic evidence-based decision-making. Within a government setting these include research into: boating activity in high growth areas; indigenous boating safety; transport needs and disadvantage; and risk management approaches in regulatory regimes. I currently research stakeholder engagement with a focus on marginalised or disadvantaged groups, particularly young people and women, and cultural and political engagements with sustainability particularly those associated with waste. I also explore the potential for exploitation and exclusion presented by unpaid work and emerging forms of unpaid and unwaged work.       

This information has been contributed by Associate Professor Deanna Grant-Smith.

Teaching

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Associate Fellow (Indigenous) of the Higher Education Academy. In 2017 I received an Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.

In recent years I have taught:

  • BSN502 Research MethodolExperienceogy
  • MGB310 Managing sustainable change 
  • MGB306 Independent Project
  • GSZ633 Managing outwards in a networked government (as part of the Public Sector Management Program)
  • MGN509 Independent HRM project
This information has been contributed by Associate Professor Deanna Grant-Smith.

Experience

Unspeakable policy & planning problems • To explain high levels of regulatory resistance to marine pollution policy I theorized a new form of wicked policy problem—unspeakable policy problem—characterized by a high level of psychosocial sensitivity and verbal proscription. The successful management of unspeakable policy problems has potentially significant sustainability, social justice and economic impacts. My research explores a wide range of unspeakable policy problems such as unpaid internships, innovation in death-related industries, planning for deathscapes, public acceptance of recycled water, climate change, and Indigenous disadvantage.

Stakeholder engagement & sustainable governance • Sustainable governance represents one of the major challenges of our times. I research stakeholder engagement within sustainability and social justice contexts such as the regulation and management of heterotopic and ludic spaces, the responsibilisation of environmental management, and participatory approaches to disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation.

Just work and responsible management practices • Just work is concerned with the social, economic and cultural inequalities of paid and unpaid employment. I research the equity considerations of and potential for exploitation and exclusion presented by emerging forms of unpaid and unconventional internships and the institutional and policy responses required to safeguard the wellbeing of all workers.

Gender-sensitive infrastructure and social policy • Gender-sensitive infrastructure and social policy has the potential to increase women’s economic empowerment and promote gender equality. I research gendered mobilities, right to the city, and the potential for radical, grassroots and insurgent planning and gender-sensitive infrastructure and social policy responses to enhance community resilience.

This information has been contributed by Associate Professor Deanna Grant-Smith.

Publications

For publications by this staff member, visit QUT ePrints, the University's research repository.

Awards

Awards and recognition

Type
Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year
2020
Details
Associate Professor Grant-Smith was awarded the inaugural Carumba Institute Embedding Indigenous Perspectives Outstanding Proposal Award
Type
Fellowships
Reference year
2020
Details
Associate Professor Grant-Smith was awarded Associate Fellow (Indigenous) of the Higher Education Academy. The Higher Education Academy (HEA) is an international organization which promotes excellence in teaching and learning. This award demonstrates an emerging engagement with Indigenous perspectives in teaching and learning.
Type
Other
Reference year
2020
Details
Associate Professor Grant-Smith was named a 2020 World Access to Higher Education Day (WAHED) Champion for Change by the Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia (EPHEA) and National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE). This award recognises those who regularly go above and beyond to make the Australasian tertiary education landscape more inclusive and accessible
Type
Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year
2017
Details
Dr Grant-Smith was awarded an Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. AAUT Awards recognise the impact that educators have on the learning and teaching experiences and outcomes of university students.
Type
Other
Reference year
2020
Details
Associate Professor Grant-Smith was awarded a Case Writing Scholarship from the Case Centre UK
Type
Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year
2016
Details
Dr Grant-Smith was named the 2016 Australian & New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Early Career Researcher. This award recognises the research and scholarly achievements of emerging researchers who are at an early stage of their academic career.
Type
Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year
2016
Details
Dr Grant-Smith was awarded a QUT Vice-Chancellors Performance Award for research excellence in recognition of a significant and superior contribution to the work of the university.
Type
Other
Reference year
2016
Details
Dr Grant-Smith was awarded the 2016 Higher Education Research Network (HERN) Best Higher Education Research Publication Award Early Career.
Type
Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year
2015
Details
Dr Grant-Smith was awarded a QUT Vice-Chancellors Performance Award for teaching excellence in recognition of a significant and superior contribution to the work of the university.
Type
Fellowships
Reference year
2015
Details
Dr Grant-Smith was awarded Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. The Higher Education Academy (HEA) is an international organization which promotes excellence in teaching and learning.

Supervision

  • I supervise critical qualitative research across a wide range of topics. My key areas of supervisory interest are associated with but not limited to:

    • education-to-employment transitions and work-integrated learning
    • unwaged and unpaid employment including internships and multilevel marketing work
    • just work and exploitative work practices
    • unspeakable policy problems especially associated with deathscapes, waste disposal or sex work
    • gender-sensitive infrastructure and services
    • sustainable governance, stakeholder engagement and participatory planning

    Please contact me to discuss supervision and potential projects. 

Current supervisions

  • The Social Construction of Spaces of Spas and the Identity of the Masseuse in Sri Lanka
    PhD, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Associate Professor Robyn Mayes
  • Key Factors in the Socio-technical Transition to Environmentally Sustainable End-of-life Refrigerant Management in Australia
    PhD, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Bernd Irmer
  • From `non-traditional' to professional: The development of professional identify of graduates from non-traditional backgrounds in the professional services industry
    PhD, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Bernd Irmer
  • Bridging Conversation: Reorganized Spatial Fix by Chinese Capital in Australia in Post-globalisation era
    PhD, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Bree Hurst, Dr Xiaowen Hu
  • Shop floor worker voice in the Strategic CSR agenda of the Sri Lankan apparel industry
    PhD, Associate Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Associate Professor Robyn Mayes
  • Co-Designing with Older Adults: A Tech-enhanced Environmental Eudaemonic Experience (E3) Framework
    PhD, Associate Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Associate Professor Janice Rieger
  • What is the 'Problem' with Autism? Discursive Representations and Implications for a National Autism Employment Strategy
    MPhil, Associate Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Bernd Irmer
  • Contested spaces: Meeting divergent community needs through public toilet provision
    MPhil, Principal Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Associate Professor Janice Rieger
  • : Exploring cues in the workplace that employees use to interpret the importance of financial risk management behaviour
    MPhil, Associate Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Dr Bernd Irmer
  • Outcomes and performance indicators for the Emergency Relief system in Australia
    MPhil, Associate Supervisor
    Other supervisors: Associate Professor John Bensley

Completed supervisions (Doctorate)

Completed supervisions (Masters by Research)