معرفی
Dr. Samantha Disbray is a Senior Lecturer in Endangered Languages at the School of Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Queensland. She serves as the Convenor of the Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalisation Program and Co-Director of Indigenous Engagement. Dr. Disbray has established herself as a leading researcher in Indigenous language revitalisation and maintenance, with extensive work in Central Australia and Queensland.
Dr. Disbray's research interests focus on Indigenous language revitalisation and the sociology of language, including languages in education, language policy and planning, and language in the arts. Her approach to both teaching and research is collaborative, community-guided, and applied, informed by her ongoing self-reflexivity as a non-Indigenous woman with experience living and working on unceded Kaurna, Arrernte, Warumungu, Warlpiri, Pintupi-Luritja country, and, since moving to the University of Queensland in 2019, Jagera and Turrbal country.
Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on Indigenous language education, language revitalisation, and the intersection of language with cultural preservation. Her work spans academic publications and high-impact non-traditional research outputs, including exhibitions, curriculum materials, language teacher resources, and commissioned reports. A significant trend in her research is the emphasis on community-led approaches to language revitalisation and the documentation of Indigenous languages through innovative methods.
Dr. Disbray has supervised multiple PhD students and has been involved in significant research projects including the Wangka Walytja project on the Papunya Literature Production Centre and the Ankkinyi Apparr, Ankkinyi Mangurr exhibition. She has received funding for projects such as the 'Illustrated Literature of Papunya and Strelley, 1979-1998' (2021-2024) and a 'Literature Review - First Nations Language Education in NSW' (2023).
Her research has had substantial impact, contributing to the 2021 National Workforce Strategy for Indigenous Languages through her collaborative report with First Languages Australia. She has also co-authored an OECD international report on good practice models for Indigenous languages education and led the 'First Languages Literature Review' for the Gumbaynggirr Freedom School.
