Sarah O'Shea

5

Articles

7

Comments

Professor Sarah O’Shea is a nationally awarded educator and a globally respected authority on higher education equity. Currently serving as Distinguished Professor and Dean at Charles Sturt University, Sarah brings over three decades of leadership in advancing equity, access, and student success across the sector. Sarah also leads the Higher Education Equity Research Unit (HEERU) with current research projects on trauma and inequity, student finances and the intersections of rurality and first-in-family status for university students.

With a career defined by high-impact research and strategic vision, Sarah has led national initiatives focused on supporting under-represented students through transition and achievement in tertiary education. She has secured more than $4 million in competitive research funding and managed over $10 million in federal grants, delivering scalable, evidence-based programs that have reshaped policy and practice. Sarah is also an award winning author and educator with an international reputation recognised by invitations to present keynotes, symposia, and workshops globally as well as providing contributions across media including print, television and radio. Her prolific publication record includes over 125 works in the last decade spanning books, book chapters, scholarly journal articles, media articles and commissioned reports.

Driven by a commitment to systemic change, Professor O’Shea continues to influence the future of education—bridging research, leadership, and practice to ensure opportunity for all. As a member of the ARC College of Experts, a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA), an Australian Learning and Teaching Fellow (ALTF), and a Churchill Fellow, Sarah’s contributions have earned recognition at the highest levels.

Experience

  • 2023–present
    Dean, Charles Sturt University
  • 2020–present
    Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Wollongong
  • 2020–2023
    Director and Professor, Curtin University
  • 2019–2020
    Professor, University of Wollongong
  • 2016–2018
    Associate professor, University of Wollongong
  • 2010–2015
    Senior Lecturer, University of Wollongong

Education

  • 2009 
    University of Sydney, Doctor of Philosophy

Publications

  • 2015
    Avoiding the manufacture of “sameness”: First-in-family students, cultural capital and the higher education environment, Higher Education
  • 2015
    Shifting the blame – academic staff, social inclusion and inclusive teaching practices. , HERD Journal
  • 2015
    ‘We are history in the making and we are walking together to change things for the better….’ Exploring the flows and ripples of learning in a mentoring program for Indigenous young people. , Education as Change
  • 2015
    “I generally say I am a Mum first… but I’m studying at uni”: The narratives of first in family, female caregivers moving into an Australian university. , Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
  • 2015
    Arriving, Surviving and Succeeding- exploring the first year of university, Journal of College Student Development.
  • 2015
    “I ‘feel’ like I am at university even though I am online.” Exploring how students narrate their engagement with higher education institutions in an online learning environment. , Distance Education

Grants and Contracts

  • 2015
    “Engaging Families to Engage Students": Exploring how university outreach activities can forge productive partnerships with families to assist first in family students navigate their higher education journey.
    Role:
    Fellow
    Funding Source:
    Office of Learning and Teaching
  • 2014
    Mentoring and Indigenous higher education: Understanding how university students mentor Indigenous school students
    Role:
    CI
    Funding Source:
    Australian Research Council
  • 2014
    Breaking the Barriers: supporting and engaging mature age first-in-family university learners and their families.
    Role:
    Lead CI
    Funding Source:
    Office of Learning and Teaching

Honours

ARC College of Experts; SRHE Research Accolade; Principal Fellow, HEA; Churchill Fellow; Australian Learning and Teaching Fellow

Contact Sarah for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration
  • Research supervision