Kati Tonkin

Kati Tonkin is an active Associate Professor of German Studies and History in the Discipline of European Languages and Cultures at The University of Western Australia's School of Humanities. She holds a PhD in German and European Studies from UWA and studied previously in Germany and Austria. Her academic leadership includes serving as Associate Chair of the Academic Board and Chair of the Board of Studies (Society and Culture).

Her educational background includes significant study in Germany and Austria, culminating in a PhD from UWA. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2020), demonstrating her commitment to teaching excellence.

Tonkin's research spans two primary domains: literary studies focused on Jewish Austrian writer Joseph Roth and pedagogical innovation centered on flipped and online learning. Her work on Roth examines themes of Habsburg identity, Jewish experience, and cultural memory in interwar Austrian literature. In educational research, she explores cognitive load management, adaptive learning platforms, and student engagement in language education. She co-founded a university-wide Community of Practice dedicated to active learning and the flipped classroom in 2019.

Her publication record shows a clear evolution from literary scholarship on Joseph Roth and Austrian-Jewish writers toward increasingly innovative educational research. While her early work focused on Austrian literature and cultural history, her more recent publications emphasize educational technology, flipped classroom methodologies, and intercultural learning. This trajectory reflects her dual expertise in German studies and educational innovation.

• AAUT Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2023)
• UWA Award for Excellence in Teaching (2022)
• School of Humanities Excellence in Teaching Award (2021)
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2020)
• UWA Guild's Student Choice Award (2019)

Tonkin actively supervises students, currently mentoring four PhD candidates working on European history and literature topics. Her grant history demonstrates sustained research support, including a World Universities Network Grant (2020) on University Students in the Time of Corona, Centre for Education Futures Grant (2016), UWA Teaching Fellowship (2012), and multiple early career research awards. She has coordinated the Bachelor of Modern Languages and Minor in German programs, and serves as Academic Coordinator for the Stuttgart Exchange Program.

As an educational innovator, Tonkin has piloted adaptive e-learning platforms like Smart Sparrow and Cadmus assessment platform. Her community engagement extends beyond campus through her service as Chair of the School Board at North Perth Primary School (2014-2019) and as Community Representative on Mount Lawley Senior High School's Board (2020-2023).