Professor Jean Burgess and Professor Susan Danby have been appointed Distinguished Professors of QUT, in recognition of their outstanding research contributions and global reputation.
Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Professor Susan Danby is (pictured left) recognised internationally as one of Australia’s leading experts in early years language and social interaction, childhood studies, and young children’s engagement with digital technologies.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil said Professor Danby leads a collective of national and international researchers and partners across government, business and the community to work towards the Centre’s vision of ensuring young children are healthy, connected and educated in a rapidly changing digital age.
“Her research career has been driven by this same vision and cross-disciplinary approach in exploring the everyday social and interactional practices of children and their complex and competent work as they build their social worlds,” Professor Sheil said.
“Professor Danby has an outstanding track record for scholarly contributions and academic leadership in the fields of early childhood and digital technologies.”
She was named a 2021 Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia in recognition of her research and was an ARC Future Fellow (2012-2017) and was chief investigator in six ARC Discovery Projects. Professor Danby was a member of the ARC College of Experts (2016-2017) and of the Early Childhood Australia Digital Policy Group. Her international recognition includes the award of an honorary doctorate by Uppsala University in Sweden (2019).
Associate Director of the national ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, Professor Jean Burgess (pictured right) is Professor of Digital Media in the QUT Digital Media Research Centre and School of Communication.
Professor Sheil said Professor Burgess was an internationally renowned researcher on the social implications of digital media technologies, platforms, and cultures.
“A prominent author and editor, Professor Burgess recently co-led the Generative AI Rapid Response Information Report, prepared for the Australian Government, which will inform consideration of the role of artificial intelligence in Australian society,” Professor Sheil said.
“From YouTube to Twitter and the iPhone, Professor Burgess has led the study of new platforms and emerging technologies in the field of communication and has developed innovative methods for investigating their role in society and everyday life.”
An author or editor of more than 120 scholarly publications on these subjects including seven books, Professor Burgess’ latest co-authored book, Everyday Data Cultures (2022), focuses on how ordinary people deal with the ever-increasing presence of data, AI and automation in everyday life.
She has held a number of ARC Discovery and Linkage grants and has partnered successfully with a range of Australian and international government, industry and community organisations to address the practical challenges and opportunities posed by digital media and automation.
She is a Fellow of the International Communication Association, the Australian Academy of Humanities, and the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the ARC College of Experts.
QUT Media contacts:
Niki Widdowson, 07 3138 2999 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au.
