Section: Overview
Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career

Key details

Areas of expertise

  • Aboriginal community development
  • Indigenous methodologies

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

About Karen Jackson

I am Yorta Yorta – and so very proud of my Ancestors and Elders. For more than 20 years I have been involved in building relationships and communities with Aboriginal community members and service providers in the western suburbs of Melbourne. I lead and co-chair organisations and programs that create a culturally safe, fair and opportunity-based environment for our community that is embedded in relationships to land, culture, law and Elders.
 
As Executive Director, Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Unit at Victoria University, I help develop the University Strategic Plan and the Bathelmun Yalingwa plan to grow the numbers of Aboriginal community engaging and partnering with us, sharing knowledge through teaching, learning and research and connecting the physical environment to Aboriginal spaces and to Melbourne’s West to help epistemic justice.
 
I oversee a team that includes Aboriginal academic staff to deliver the Aboriginal Education Kyinandoo (AEK) units in Diploma, undergraduate and Master programs. My role also includes supporting and caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across the university, engaging with Aboriginal community and service providers in Melbourne’s west including Wyndham, Melton and Footscray to improve services. I also work on designing and undertaking collaborative research projects.
 
I am a member of the Western Metropolitan Partnership, part of the Metropolitan Partnerships, a significant State Government initiative aimed at listening to the voices of the west, in order to inform policy and outcomes deliver specific services that can assist communities. I am also co-chair of Koling wada-ngal Aboriginal Corporation located within the Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre, in Wyndham.
 
I believe all Australians benefit if we respect and recognise Aboriginal People as Sovereign Peoples, understand terra nullius is a lie and we begin serious work towards a treaty and truth telling.

Qualifications

  • Grad Cert in Communications, Victoria University, Australia, 2005

Key publications

Year Citation
2018 Sonn, C. C., Jackson, K., & Rebecca, L. (180703). Exploring Meanings and Practices of Indigenous Placemaking in Melbourne s West (pp. 87-103). BRILL.

doi: 10.1163/9789004381407_006

Year Citation
2023 Balla, P., Jackson, K., Price, R., Quayle, A. F., & Sonn, C. C. (230101). Blak Women s Healing: Cocreating Decolonial Praxis Through Research Yarns. Peace and Conflict, 29(1), (21-30).

doi: 10.1037/pac0000637

2022 Balla, P., Jackson, K., Quayle, A. F., Sonn, C. C., & Price, R. K. (221201). Don't let anybody ever put you down culturally. it's not good : Creating spaces for Blak women's healing. American Journal of Community Psychology, 70(3-4), (352-364).

doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12607

2021 Jackson, K. (210701). A Yorta Yorta Fire. The Lifted Brow - Blak Brow,(40), (54-56).
2018 Kruger, K., Balla, P., Jackson, K., Whyman, P., & Caldwell, B. (181201). Editorial: The Blak Women's Brow Collective. The Lifted Brow,(40), (2-3).

Research funding for the past 5 years

Please note:

  • Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
  • Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
  • The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.

Vingrys - VicHealth Impact Research Grant: Aboriginal Australian dietary practices and place-making in public health equity
From: Vic Health Impact Research Grants, Victoria University
Other investigators: Aspr Alison Baker, Dr Megan O'shea, Prof Christopher Sonn, Dr Kristina Vingrys
For period: 2023-2025
$296,943

Koori Cultural Club Research Project
From: Nano Nagle Network
Other investigators: Dr Karen Hart
For period: 2021-2022
Not disclosed
Next Generation Water Management in the Werribee River Catchment
From: Victorian Higher Education Strategic Investment Fund
Other investigators: Ms Rowena Price, Aspr Shobha Muthukumaran, Dr Ashok Sharma, Dr Dimuth Navaratna, Prof Mikel Duke, Dr Daniel Ooi, Mr Nitin Muttil
For period: 2021-2022
$500,000
Stronger Communities Innovation Hub: Addressing Aboriginal Disadvantage in the West of Melbourne
From: Victorian Higher Education Strategic Investment Fund
For period: 2021-2022
$740,000
Resilience: Regenerative City Living Lab
From: Victorian Higher Education Strategic Investment Fund
Other investigators: Dr Jean Hopman, Prof Debra Smith, Aspr Alison Baker, Dr Amy Quayle, Dr Daniel Ooi, Dr Thinh Nguyen
For period: 2021-2022
$590,000
Blak Women's Healing
From: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
Other investigators: Ms Paola Balla, Ms Rowena Price, Prof Christopher Sonn, Dr Amy Quayle
For period: 2021-2023
$164,610

Supervision of research students at VU

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

Key academic roles

Dates Role Department / Organisation
Apr 2008 - Present
Executive Director, Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Unit
Victoria University
Apr 2010 - Present
Member
Indigenous Advisory Group - Footscray Community Arts Centre
Apr 2019 - Present
Member
Western Metropolitan Partnerships - Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions
Sep 2000 - Feb 2008
Indigenous Services Coordinator
Victoria University
Feb 2017 - Present
Co Chair
Koling wada-ngal Committee - Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre
Apr 2016 - Present
Co Chair
Footprints for Success - Early Years DHHS Koolin Balit Project
Feb 2016 - Present
Koori Caucus Member
Western Metropolitan Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee
Show more academic roles
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Apr 2008 -
Present
Executive Director, Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Unit
Victoria University
Apr 2010 -
Present
Member
Indigenous Advisory Group - Footscray Community Arts Centre
Apr 2019 -
Present
Member
Western Metropolitan Partnerships - Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions
Sep 2000 -
Feb 2008
Indigenous Services Coordinator
Victoria University
Feb 2017 -
Present
Co Chair
Koling wada-ngal Committee - Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre
Apr 2016 -
Present
Co Chair
Footprints for Success - Early Years DHHS Koolin Balit Project
Feb 2016 -
Present
Koori Caucus Member
Western Metropolitan Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee
Show more academic roles

Key industry, community & government roles

Dates Role Department/Organisation
Apr 2008 - Jan 2017
Committee Member
Western Metropolitan Indigenous Family Violence Regional Action Group
Apr 2008 - Apr 2012
Member
Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council
Mar 2003 - Apr 2005
Board Member - Treasurer & Chair
ILBIJERRI Theatre Company
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Apr 2008 - Jan 2017
Committee Member
Western Metropolitan Indigenous Family Violence Regional Action Group
Apr 2008 - Apr 2012
Member
Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council
Mar 2003 - Apr 2005
Board Member - Treasurer & Chair
ILBIJERRI Theatre Company

Awards

Year Award
2020

Community Engagement Award - Association for Tertiary Education Management

2020

Excellence Awards Finalist - Engagement Australia

Keynote and invited speeches

Year Title/Description
2022

Who's New Reality is it? Blak Lives Matter & Local Aboriginal Community

VU Student Leadership Conference 2022 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)