Petra T. Buergelt

Petra T. Buergelt is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Health. She holds affiliate roles at the UC Health Research Institute, HEAL Global Research Centre, and Joint Centre for Disaster Research (Massey University, NZ). A transdisciplinary scholar, her work bridges Indigenous knowledge systems with Western paradigms, focusing on disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and cultural revitalization. She has led over $10.32M in grants, including the NAIDOC award-winning Dharray Manymakkuŋ Energy Efficiency Project.

Education:

• PhD (Massey University, 2011)
• Master (1st Class Honours, Massey University, 2004)
• Bachelor (Psychology, Massey University, 2001)
• Bachelor (Horticulture, Dresden-Pillnitz, 1993)

Research Interests:

Her research employs Indigenist participatory action research to explore resilience, disaster preparedness, and climate adaptation in remote Indigenous communities. Notable projects include the Waka Ngurrkanhayngu initiative with Yolŋu clan leaders in Australia and Taiwanese Indigenous communities.

Teaching & Leadership:

She leads the Psychology Indigenising Curriculum Team, redesigning curricula to incorporate Indigenous epistemologies. Her teaching spans Health Psychology, Qualitative Research, and Cross-cultural Competence workshops.

Awards & Recognition:

• UC Faculty of Health Outstanding Early Career Researcher (2021)
• Indigenization of the Curriculum Award (2023)
• Sylff Fellow (Tokyo Foundation, 2011–present)

Grants & Partnerships:

• $9.12M Manymak Energy Efficiency Project (2013–2016)
• $219,770 Waka Ngurrkanhayngu project (2021–2024)
• Collaborations with ANU, CDU, and international institutions

Labs & Teams:

Co-founder of the Group of Energy Efficient Researchers (GEER) Australia and leadership roles in the International Transformative Learning Association (ITLA).