Communication

Excellent communication skills, oral and written, particularly in the preparation of reports, workshops, seminars, academic articles, conference papers, and public speaking.

Public Speaking:

Presentation of papers in international conferences.

2019 Tbilisi, Georgia, presentation at the James Joyce and the World International Conference, September 26-27, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, “Joyce and His Paris World.”

2019 Paris, France, presentation at the Donor Annual Review Meeting, UNESCO Capacity Development for SDG4 Education Goals, Pilot Program Findings, UNESCO.

2016 Tbilisi, Georgia, presentation at the Shakespeare 400 International Conference, September 22-24, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, “Shakespeare and Gerontology.”

2014, Tbilisi, Georgia, presentation at the Shakespeare 450 International  Conference, May 1-3, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University,” Shakespeare and Medicine.”

2013, Canberra, Australia, presentation on trafficking as a member of the Australian Migrant and Refugee Women’s Alliance, at their annual conference from April 28-20, called Stand Up! Eliminating Violence against Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Women.

2011, Washington DC, at the US Department of State Fourth Annual Conference on Program Evaluation, under the theme Diplomacy, Development, and Defense – Working Together to Achieve Foreign Policy Goals.

2009, Canberra, Australia, December 8, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Region Update for AusAID and the Australian National University.

2009, Canberra, Australia, June 18, ‘Sudan and the Curse’ at the Canberra Institute of Technology, Department of Social Work.

2004, Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Comparative International Education Society (CIES) International Conference, on Development as Freedom: The Role of Education.

Webinars:

2019, Wellbeing for Human Rights Activists, May 3, hosted by the International Civil Society Centre, Berlin.

Journalism:

Won the prestigious CRC Marine Science Journalism Prize in 1996 awarded by Cooperative Research Centre for Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, in Australia.

Evaluated USAID international media project components or independent media programs in Georgia, Afghanistan, Liberia, and South Sudan to ensure public outreach, audience, transmission capabilities, programming, ethics, transparency, and independence, and content evaluation of radio programs for education in Kashmir.

2010-2011 Georgia – (USDOS) Georgia Monitoring Project

Evaluated the courses and management of the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management in the Zurab Zhvania Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). This involved an in-depth assessment of the Masters’ in Journalism and Media Management, the Certified Practical Course in Photo-Journalism, Certified Program in Public Relations and Event Management, and the Certified Program in Communications. Advised USAID/Georgia on potential funding for the Journalism School Partnership Program, a partnership between GIPA and an American University to improve the standard of journalism instruction through faculty, curricula, and program development.

Reports:

As a child labor assessor for the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), my evaluation reports were used as models. The USDOL granted permission for the George Washington University in DC to use my reports as part of their International Education Master of Arts program in the subject, “Educating Youth out of School.”

Master of Sciences Communication research dissertation on educational statistics for the rural vocational education sector analyzed the Australian national vocational EMIS database, processes, and reporting. The National Rural Training Council of Australia, the National Farmers’ Federation and training authorities indicated that vocational education and training (TVET) data were misleading and did not adequately determine training needs for the basis of funding allocations and grants to training providers. Thus the dissertation informed decision makers and led to improved national educational statistics and improved allocation of funding for training youth and adults, thus enhancing their employability.

Subsequently wrote two refereed journal articles (research papers) in educational statistics for the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management and the Journal of Institutional Research in Australia. These articles reviewed Australia’s annual vocational educational statistical information used to project future training. The annual projections had implications for decisions on resources and funding allocations. Data limitations were identified to improve the representation of statistics used to determine the training needs of Australian industries. The research papers posited the need for cross-sectoral data for the documentation of a comprehensive and strategic profile of education and training in Australia.

Communication Technology:

Qualifications in information and communications technology (ICT).

Research Manager in the Flinders University Joint Research Centre in Information Technology in Adelaide, South Australia. The research involved satellite communications and electronic “liveboards” for distance education, online education, and telemedicine.

Research Manager for the Children’s Television Foundation in Adelaide and Melbourne, Australia to research innovative ways children learn through media.

Developed course syllabi, course materials, and graphics, for a range of instructional lessons, programs, and short courses, including distance education (e-learning) material and interactive programs.