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

Key details

Areas of expertise

  • Young people and education
  • Young people and health
  • Education - schools and youth transitions
  • Survey research and methodology
  • Eating behaviours

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

About Nina Van Dyke

Nina is a Policy Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the Mitchell Institute.  Her current work focuses on young people and the intersection between education and health.

Nina started her post-PhD career at the American Institutes for Research in California, working mainly in the area of education and children and young people, with a particular focus on those from vulnerable backgrounds. After moving to Melbourne, she conducted an evaluation of an education pilot program at the Brotherhood of St Laurence. She then moved to the topic of higher education at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. This was followed by a gradual shift to public health research, with positions at the Social Research Centre, headspace, Market Solutions, where she served as inaugural Director of the Social Research Group, and the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (now Lifeblood), where she headed up the Donor Behaviour group.

Current areas of focus include:

  • youth transitions from school to further education, employment or training
  • social mobility and breaking cycles of disadvantage
  • bullying and cyber bullying in schools.

Nina also has particular interest and expertise in survey research and methodology, and eating behaviours.

Qualifications

  • PhD, University of California, United States, 2000
  • MA, University of California, United States
  • BA (Hons), Stanford University, United States

Key publications

Year Citation
2020 Hurley, P., & Van, Dyke. (200417). Australian investment in education: higher education. Melbourne, Victoria: Mitchell Institute.
2019 Hurley, P., & Van, Dyke. (191220). Australian investment in education: vocational education and training. Melbourne, Victoria: Mitchell Institute.
2019 Van, Dyke., & Jackson, J. (190101). Unlocking the value of VET for school students: Submission to theReview of VET for School Students in South Australia.
2019 Van, Dyke., & Jackson, J. (190101). Unlocking the value of VET for school students: Submission to the Review of VET for School Students in South Australia. Mitchell Institute.
2019 Van, Dyke., Kruse, S., Gemelli, C., & Davison, T. (190101). A supplementary report from DB17-02: Evaluation of tailored interventions to encourage return of deferred donors. Findings from focus groups: Deferral processes within donor centres and Medical Services..
2019 Van, Dyke., Gemelli, C., Kruse, S., & Davison, T. (190101). Targeted interventions to help reactivate and retain deferred donors. Study 1: Sending a reminder to donors whose deferral is coming to an end: testing the most effective time, message type and message mode.
2019 Van, Dyke., Van, Dyke., & Anderson, M. (190101). Student-centred senior secondary schooling: submission to the Review of Senior Secondary Pathways.

Year Citation
2020 Thorpe, R., Masser, B. M., Jensen, K., Van, Dyke., & Davison, T. E. (200101). The role of identity in how whole-blood donors reflect on and construct their future as a plasma donor. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 30(1), (73-84).

doi: 10.1002/casp.2429
2020 Van, Dyke., Chell, K., Masser, B., Kruse, S. P., Gemelli, C. N., Jensen, K., & Davison, T. E. (200101). Thank you for donating: a survey of Australian donors and nondonors orientations toward noncash incentives for blood donation. Transfusion,

doi: 10.1111/trf.15806
2018 Gemelli, C. N., Thijsen, A., Van, Dyke., Masser, B. M., & Davison, T. E. (181201). Emotions experienced when receiving a temporary deferral: perspectives from staff and donors. ISBT Science Series, 13(4), (394-404).

doi: 10.1111/voxs.12463

Research funding for the past 5 years

Funding details for this researcher are currently unavailable.

Supervision of research students at VU

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

Teaching activities & experience

Nina was a Lecturer at the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Davis, in Political Science. She taught courses in Introduction to Quantitative Methods for Social Scientists, Public Opinion, and Political Psychology.

Key academic roles

Dates Role Department / Organisation
Feb 2019 - Jun 2020
Senior Research Fellow / Policy Fellow
Victoria University, Mitchell Institute
Dec 2016 - Jan 2019
Senior Research Fellow
Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Lifeblood)
May 2004 - Dec 2006
Research Fellow
Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research
Sep 1998 - Jun 2000
Lecturer
University of California
Show more academic roles
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Feb 2019 -
Jun 2020
Senior Research Fellow / Policy Fellow
Victoria University, Mitchell Institute
Dec 2016 -
Jan 2019
Senior Research Fellow
Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Lifeblood)
May 2004 -
Dec 2006
Research Fellow
Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research
Sep 1998 -
Jun 2000
Lecturer
University of California
Show more academic roles

Key industry, community & government roles

Dates Role Department/Organisation
Jun 2013 - Jun 2016
Director, Social Research Group
Market Solutions
Jan 2007 - Nov 2010
Senior Research Officer
headspace
Jun 2020 - Jun 2020
Principal Researcher
Social Research Centre
Jan 2004 - Dec 2004
Research Officer
The Brotherhood of St Laurence
Feb 2001 - Aug 2003
Research Fellow
American Institutes for Research
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Jun 2013 - Jun 2016
Director, Social Research Group
Market Solutions
Jan 2007 - Nov 2010
Senior Research Officer
headspace
Jun 2020 - Jun 2020
Principal Researcher
Social Research Centre
Jan 2004 - Dec 2004
Research Officer
The Brotherhood of St Laurence
Feb 2001 - Aug 2003
Research Fellow
American Institutes for Research

Awards

Year Award
2020

People's Choice Award - best presentation - The Research Society (formerly the Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS))
1993

Edgar Lane Prize for Best PhD Paper in Public Opinion/ Interest Groups - University of California

Professional memberships

  • Academic Member, Australian Association for Research in Education
  • Academic Member, American Association for Public Opinion Research

Media appearances

03rd June 2014

Sunday Nights with James O’Loghlin

ABC Radio - Sunday Nights with James O’Loghlin. (2014). Show on intuitive eating

16th June 2014

Why you should quit your diet and eat what you like

ABC Central West radio

18th June 2020

Is eating whatever you want the best thing for your body

Daily Life online magazine article