Amy McPherson

Dr. Amy McPherson is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Newcastle, Australia, within the College of Human and Social Futures. Her research focuses on teacher retention, education policy, and social equity in education. She leads the ARC-funded project exploring impacts of teacher shortages on educators in hard-to-staff schools and has pioneered the National Exceptional Teaching in Disadvantaged Schools Program.

**Education**: PhD, BA, and B Teaching/Arts degrees from the University of Newcastle. Languages: English (mother tongue).

**Research Interests**: Teacher recruitment/retention, sociology of education, equity-focused pedagogy, and ethical dimensions of schooling. She employs interdisciplinary frameworks from sociology, cultural studies, and philosophy to address systemic inequalities and community disadvantage.

**Awards**: 2022 BERA Editors' Choice Award for work on ethical concerns in educational research, ARC Discovery Project funding, and multiple fellowships. Her research has informed policy on teacher workforce challenges and equity initiatives.

**Grants**: Over $1.7M in funding for projects addressing teacher shortages, disadvantaged schools, and rural education. Current grants include the ARC Discovery Project (2023-2026) and Paul Ramsay Foundation initiatives.

**Supervision**: Mentors PhD students in education policy, teacher well-being, and rural education. Completed 10+ theses on topics like migrant student aspirations and school-university partnerships.

**Publications**: Over 25 journal articles, 8 conference papers, and book chapters. Recent works analyze teacher retention crises, ethical research practices, and spatial pedagogies in schools.