Caroline RobinsonView profile
Associate Professor
Caroline Robinson serves as Associate Professor in Podiatry and Associate Head (Learning and Teaching) in the School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences at Charles Sturt University. She is also the Course Director for Podiatric Medicine and provides leadership in curriculum development across the school with a focus on enabling pathways into podiatry, particularly for Aboriginal students. Dr. Robinson earned her PhD from Charles Sturt University with research titled "Illuminating Honours: exploring the experience of allied health students using a phenomenological approach" (awarded March 20, 2012). She also holds a Master of Science in Pharmacology from the University of East London (awarded July 31, 1988), and completed her Fellowship in Podiatric Surgery in the United Kingdom. Professor Robinson's research focuses on developing cultural capabilities for allied health students and staff through partnerships with Aboriginal and non-Indigenous colleagues. Her work emphasizes healthy ageing, First Nations curriculum development, pharmacology education, and building the podiatry workforce. She leads initiatives to create culturally safe practice environments and has particular interest in Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines and podiatric surgery education. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on podiatry workforce development, cultural competence in allied health education, and foot health literacy. The research shows a clear trajectory toward addressing recruitment barriers in podiatry, developing industry-university partnerships for traineeships, and creating innovative approaches to cultural safety education that serve both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Professor Robinson has received several prestigious awards recognizing her educational contributions: Charles Sturt Excellence Award (2021) Executive Dean's Teaching Award (2023) Change One Thing Award (2023) Charles Sturt Executive Deans Awards for Teaching (2022) As the inaugural Chair of the Australasian Council of Podiatry Deans (2020-2023), Professor Robinson has led collaborative efforts among Podiatry Program Leaders in Australia and New Zealand to coordinate education initiatives. She actively mentors students and colleagues in podiatry education and has supervised research projects focused on cultural capabilities and workforce development. Her grant activities include partnerships with Murray Primary Health Network and various Indigenous health organizations to develop culturally responsive curricula. Professor Robinson co-leads initiatives with colleagues like Dr. Karen Van Grinsven and Dr. Claire Melville on First Nations wellbeing in education. Her work connects with the Charles Sturt University Strategic Research Initiatives, particularly those focused on Indigenous health and wellbeing, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to quality education and reduced inequalities.
