Rate My Professor Caroline Wilson-Barnao

Dr. Caroline Wilson-Barnao is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Communication and Arts within the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Queensland, where she serves as the Director of Museum Studies. She earned her PhD from the University of Queensland in 2017, with a thesis titled "The personalisation of publicity in the museum: from visitors to users." Prior to her academic career, she worked for around 20 years as a communications professional in the arts and not-for-profit sector. An accredited Higher Education Academy (HEA) Fellow, she holds memberships in the CPRA Queensland Board, Digital Cultures and Society group, Australian Research Node, and Museums Association of Critical Heritage Studies. Wilson-Barnao supervises PhD students on topics such as the effects of digital media on artistic representation and digital heritage preservation.

Her research focuses on the impacts and possibilities of digital and participatory media in museums and cultural institutions. Core interests encompass galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMS), digital humanities, rapid response and born-digital collecting, museums and social change, heritage and cultural tourism, social media, and arts and culture policy. She has authored the book Digital Access and Museums as Platforms (Routledge, 2022) and co-authored Collecting Social Media in Museums (Routledge, 2026). Key journal articles include "Playing with TikTok: Algorithmic culture and the future of creative work" (2020, with N. Collie), "How algorithmic cultural recommendation influence the marketing of cultural collections" (2017), "The droning of intimacy: bodies, data, and sensory devices" (2018, with N. Collie), "Women’s bodies and the evolution of anti-rape technologies: from the hoop skirt to the smart frock" (2021, with A. Bevan and R. Lincoln), and "Art rocks: Atmospheres of connection and everyday creativity in hybrid public space" (2024, with N. Collie). Her scholarship features collaborations with the National Museum of Australia on digital engagement during the 2019/2020 bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic, and she has received funding via the ARC LIEF grant for The Australian Emulation Network Phase 2 (2025-2027). Wilson-Barnao teaches in communications and museum studies, exploring technology's reshaping of cultural institutions and personal relationships.