Donna Hancox

Donna Hancox is a Professor at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), specializing in transmedia storytelling, social impact assessment, and creative arts research. Her work bridges digital narratives, community engagement, and public health, with a focus on marginalized communities and regional development. She has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications and a monograph on transmedia storytelling's transformative potential. Key contributions include frameworks for evaluating arts-based interventions, digital storytelling methods for social inclusion, and research on the role of creative practices in fostering community resilience.

Recent research highlights include the Social Impact Framework for Puuya Foundation (2024), analyzing arts' role in Indigenous cultural preservation, and Defining 'Arts Participation' for Public Health Research (2024), linking creative engagement to health outcomes. She collaborates with regional communities, schools, and governments to design inclusive programs, as seen in Building inclusive schools: Strategies and learnings from Milpera State High School (2018). Her transmedia work, including the 2021 book The Revolution in Transmedia Storytelling through Place, explores spatial narratives and multimodal storytelling.

Hancox leads interdisciplinary projects addressing issues like refugee integration, pandemic-era creative practices, and regional Australia's cultural economy. Her methods combine qualitative research, participatory design, and digital innovation, emphasizing co-creation with communities. She serves on advisory boards for arts policy initiatives and has presented at international conferences on oral history, digital activism, and transmedia pedagogy.