Sharon Aris

Dr. Sharon Aris is a Lecturer and Nexus Fellow at the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW). As a Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE, she specializes in educational development, instructional design, and the sociology of education and knowledge. Her research focuses on educational inequality, disciplinary knowledge construction, AI integration in social sciences, and career trajectories of social science alumni.

• Doctor of Philosophy (2020), University of Sydney - Sociology and Social Policy
• Masters in Policy and Applied Social Research, Macquarie University
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Macquarie University

Her work examines how knowledge is produced and transmitted across education systems, families, and professional contexts. Current projects include analyzing AI's role in social science professions and mapping alumni career pathways through mixed-methods studies.

Recent publications highlight her expertise in Legitimation Code Theory applications and critical reflection pedagogy. She also coordinates events addressing educational equity and digital transformation in academia.

Scientific Awards & Grants

• UNSW Innovation Incubator Award 2024
• People's Choice Award for AI Feedback Coach (2024)
• UNSW School of Social Sciences Seed Funding (Stage 2) for Social Science Alumni Project

Dr. Aris contributes to curriculum design, teaches research methods and digital social sciences, and supervises projects like Yunru Liu's study on Chinese vocational educators' professional identity development.