Bernadette’s commitment to transformative learning has been an enduring driver in her career trajectory from her first decade of professional practice (within the disability sector, in a range of educational roles and settings) through to her 28+ years as an academic. Her interest in the provision of positive learning opportunities for the disabled clients with whom she worked directly soon shifted to an interest in the provision of transformational professional development opportunities for welfare practitioners across a range of sectors. Her interest in notions of practice wisdom and the allied construct of practice frameworks extends back to 1991-1995, the period in which she first moved into academia as the inaugural Fieldwork Coordinator for the QUT Human Services Degree.

The bulk of her time as an academic, however has been spent at USQ and has been occupied with notions of managerial and leadership practice within business contexts and transformative preparation of students for managerial and leadership practice including facilitating student transition into higher education. This has occurred primarily through her consistent involvement in the design and delivery of MGT1000 Organisational Behaviour, for which, in 2008 she was a recipient of an Australian Learning Teaching Council Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning Team Award with Mrs Kim Southey and Mrs Shalene Werth.

Bernadette has participated in a range of managerial and leadership service roles at USQ (usually in the Learning and Teaching space) over the period of her employment. During 2019-2021 Bernadette was Acting Head of School for the School of Management and Enterprise and Acting Co-Head of the School of Business and continues to contribute to the University community through her role as a member of Academic Board.