Raelene Wilding

Professor Raelene Wilding is Head of the Department of Social Inquiry and Professor of Sociology at La Trobe University. She leads interdisciplinary research on migration, technology, and aging, focusing on topics such as multilingual emergency alerts, transnational family dynamics, and virtual reality in aged care. Her current roles include Deputy Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and leadership of projects like the MIEA initiative and VR-based aged care innovations.

Wilding holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia and has supervised over a dozen doctoral students on themes including refugee media production, cross-cultural relationships, and transnational caregiving. Her research emphasizes digital inclusion for marginalized groups, with recent grants from the Australian Research Council and industry partners like Facebook.

Her key research interests span care practices, media technology impacts, and transnational migration’s social dimensions. Recent studies highlight digital empowerment of older migrants, the role of VR in social engagement, and the intersection of migration with aging processes. Articles analyze topics like ICT-mediated transnational ties, refugee youth media practices, and policy frameworks for digital citizenship.

Wilding has pioneered collaborative projects such as the ‘Transforming Aged Care with VR’ initiative and the ‘Healthy Futures’ refugee health engagement study. Her work bridges academia, policy, and community engagement, addressing urgent issues like culturally responsive emergency communication and aged care innovation.