AISHE 2012 International Conference Speakers

Tara Brabazon is Professor of Creative Media and Head of Photography and Creative Media at the University of Bolton, Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce (RSA) and Director of the Popular Culture Collective. Previously, Tara has held academic positions in Canada, Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand and was Visiting Professor at Edge Hill University. She has won six teaching awards, including the National Teaching Award for the Humanities, along with other awards for disability education and cultural studies. In 2005, Tara won both the Murdoch University Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year and the Teaching Excellence Award. In 2009, she won the Teaching Excellence Award at the University of Brighton for both undergraduate and postgraduate education.

Tara holds three Bachelor degrees: a first class honours in history, alongside qualifications in Literature and Communication and Professional Education (passed with distinction). In 2001, she gained a Graduate Diploma in Internet Studies, again attained with Distinction. She also has three Masters Degrees: a Research Masters in history (passed with distinction), a Master of Letters in Cultural Studies and a Masters of Education (with first class honours). She also holds a Doctor of Philosophy. In 2010, she was invited to undertake a higher doctorate, a Doctor of Letters, from the University of Western Australia.

She is the author of thirteen books. The published titles are Tracking the Jack – A retracing of the Antipodes (Sydney: University of New South Wales Press, 2000), Ladies who Lunge: Celebrating Difficult Women (Sydney: University of New South Wales Press, 2002), Digital Hemlock: Internet education and the poisoning of teaching (Sydney: University of New South Wales Press, 2002), Liverpool of the South Seas: Perth and its popular music (Perth: UWA Press, 2005), From Revolution to Revelation: Generation X, popular memory, cultural studies (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005), Playing on the periphery: sport, identity and memory (London: Routledge, 2006), The University of Google: education in the (post) information age (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007), The revolution will not be downloaded: dissent in the digital age (Oxford: Chandos, 2008), Thinking Popular Culture: war, writing and terrorism (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008), Digital Dialogues and Community 2.0: After avatars, trolls and puppets (Oxford: Chandos, 2011) and Popular Music: Topics, Trends and Trajectories (London: SAGE, 2011). City Imaging: Regeneration, rejuvenation, decomposition is currently under review, and What would Brian Eno Do? Sonic Media in New Times and Digital Dieting: From Information Obesity to Digital Fitness are in the final stages of completion

Tara is author of over 100 refereed articles and book chapters alongside journalistic works, having been a columnist for the Times Higher Education. Community and public service remains integral to Tara’s portfolio of interests. This commitment to public education and media literacy resulted in Tara being a finalist for the 2005 Australian of the Year and the 2005 Telstra Businesswoman of the Year in the Community Service category. In 2009 and 2011, Tara was nominated for the Australian Woman of the Year in the UK. In 2012 she was nominated for the Advance Global Australian Award for 2012, also serving the YMCA in the Durham region as a member of their “Green Team,” promoting a sustainable and walkable Oshawa.