Prof Marnee Shay, Dr Antoinette Cole and Dr Megan Kimber
PROF. Marnee Shay

Professor Shay is an Aboriginal Woman from the Ngen'giwumirri language group (Daly River), born in Brisbane and connected to Indigenous communities in South East Queensland where she was raised. She is a Professor and Deputy Head of School in the School of Education at the University of Queensland. Professor Shay is also a Chief Investigator on the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures. She has over 100 publications and has co-edited two major texts in the field of Indigenous education. She is an award-winning researcher with a significant externally funded research program in Indigenous education, flexi schooling, codesign, and Indigenous leadership in education.

DR. Antoinette Cole

Dr Antoinette Cole is a Research Fellow with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures (ARC-IFC), based in the School of Education at the University of Queensland. She has maternal bloodlines to the Torres Strait with connections to Boigu Island and Erub (Darnley Island). Antoinette's research area is in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, and school leadership. Her research explores the role of culturally responsive pedagogical practices in school leadership.

Prior to undertaking her research, Antoinette had over 25 years in the field of education in various school and system leadership positions. She is passionate about working with educators to explore dispositions and build capabilities using strengths-based approaches and critical self-reflection. Antoinette has led many projects specifically focused on partnership and engagement across a range of contexts, including boarding contexts.

Antoinette is a recipient of the University of Queensland School of Education's Carolyn D. Baker Award (2024), the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HDR Award for Excellence in Education Research (2024), the Grassie and Bassett Prize in Educational Administration (2023), and the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Student Award (2023).

DR. Megan Kimber

Dr Megan Kimber is Senior Research Assistant with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures, based in the School of Education at the University of Queensland. She is an experienced researcher and editor whose research traverses ethical leadership, educational administration and policy, Australian politics, and inclusive education. These foci have led to her research into Indigenous education leadership. Megan's solo and collaborative work has been published in Australian and international outlets, including in Leading & Managing and Australian Educational Leader.

As editor of Australian Educational Leader, Megan works with education leaders and researchers to promote thinking about educational leadership and share innovative practices leadership practices.

Megan is a member of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and the Institute for Professional Editors.

Keynote Session

Day 3 — 13.00

Nourishing Leadership, Transforming Systems: Insights from a National Study on Indigenous Education Leadership

Nourishing Indigenous Education Leadership is a landmark national study funded by the Australian Research Council Centre for Indigenous Futures. The project builds on a strong body of research demonstrating that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators undertake complex, relational, and critical leadership roles across all sectors of education, yet these contributions remain frequently under-recognised within dominant leadership frameworks and systems.

This interactive session will share emerging insights from the study, highlighting how Indigenous leaders navigate and sustain culturally grounded practices while responding to institutional demands and community responsibilities. The session will foreground the diversity and strength of Indigenous leadership, challenge narrow definitions of leadership and offer new ways of understanding influence, culture, and impact in educational contexts.

Central to the workshop is a dialogic approach. Attendees will be invited to contribute their own questions, experiences, and priorities, helping to shape the ongoing direction of the research on Indigenous leadership in education.