Michelle Mansfield

Michelle Mansfield is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Newcastle's Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre (PALS). She currently serves as Head of Domestic Programs for PALS and has been affiliated with the university since at least 2012. Her career spans research, teaching, and governance roles, with prior experience as a researcher and research manager in multiple university centers.

• Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology and Anthropology, University of Newcastle
• Bachelor of Economics, University of Newcastle
• Bachelor of Social Science (Recreation & Tourism), University of Newcastle
• Bachelor of Social Science (Honours), University of Newcastle

Mansfield's research intersects sociology, art, and education. She explores youth political activism through street art in Indonesia, aesthetic resistance, and the role of creative practices in social transformation. Her work also focuses on enabling education, blended learning pedagogies, and pathways for non-traditional students. She applies non-representational theory and rhizoanalysis to study urban sociology and cultural practices.

Her publications emphasize street art as a tool for political change, blended learning frameworks, and systemic employment barriers for Muslim communities in Australia. Grants include funding for ASEAN alumni research, LGBTQIA+ student pathways, and STEM-based enabling programs. She co-supervises a PhD project on women transitioning to ICT careers and contributes to university governance through committees like the Senate and Teaching and Learning Committee.

• Global Strategic Partnership Travel Grant (2023)
• PALS Small Grants (2023)
• Collaboration and Innovation Fund (2022)
• Educational Foundations funding (2022)
• Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education grant (2015)
• Department of Immigration and Citizenship Research Grant (2009)