Skye Doherty

Dr. Skye Doherty is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Communication and Arts, University of Queensland, and an Affiliate Research Fellow across multiple disciplines. Her roles include leading the Global Change Scholars Program in the UQ Graduate School and spearheading the Advocacy and Public Good theme at the Centre for Communication and Social Change. She is also a member of the Human-Centred Computing research group in the School of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Education: She holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Queensland University of Technology, a Graduate Diploma in Digital Media Management from Birkbeck University of London, and a PhD from the University of Queensland.

Research Interests: Dr. Doherty specializes in using creative and design-led methods to address complex societal challenges. Her work spans Journalism Design (exploring interactive technologies and storytelling), Design for Social Change (focusing on participatory approaches to wicked problems), and Design Research Methods (developing custom tools for specific contexts). Notable projects include the NewsCube, Vim, and Fire Futures initiatives aimed at disaster resilience and legislative reform.

Awards: She is a recipient of the Walkley Grant for Journalism Innovation (2014). Her design artefacts and frameworks have driven practical outcomes in journalism, education, and disaster management.

Supervision & Grants: Dr. Doherty supervises PhD research in Journalism Design and Social Change, emphasizing collaboration and impact. She has secured funding for projects like the Exploring Physical Journalism (UQ Early Career Researcher Grant, 2019–2020) and Journalism Design Frameworks (UQ Teaching Innovation Grant, 2016–2017).

Labs & Collaboration: She collaborates across institutions and disciplines, contributing to the Centre for Digital Cultures & Societies and the Research Centre in Creative Arts and Human Flourishing. Her current Wicked Thinking project uses speculative news to envision future scenarios for complex issues like climate change and forced migration.