Rate My Professor Shawana Andrews

Andrews earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Social Work from the University of Melbourne, where she was the sole Indigenous student in her master's cohort. She completed her PhD in the Department of Social Work in 2021, with the thesis titled 'Cloaked in Strength: An exploration of Aboriginal mothers’ experiences of family violence and the role of cultural practice as a tool of engagement, resilience and resistance,' which earned the Chancellor's Prize for Excellence in the PhD Thesis in 2023. Her research specializations encompass Indigenous health and wellbeing, Aboriginal mothering, family violence in the context of children's ill health, psychological violence among Aboriginal women, and cultural practices such as possum skin cloaking for engagement, resilience, and resistance. Key publications include 'Enabling higher degree pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' (2023), 'Cloaked in Strength—how possum skin cloaking can support Aboriginal mothering practices' (2020), and 'Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future: trauma-aware, healing-informed care' (2024). Andrews contributes to public discourse through articles in Pursuit, addressing topics such as Indigenous women's leadership, cultural recognition, and support for at-risk Aboriginal women and children during crises. As Chief Investigator on projects like the Oak Foundation-funded initiative on psychological violence and the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, she advances access to health services for Aboriginal women experiencing family violence.