Rate My Professor Susan McKemmish

Susan McKemmish is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Human Centred Computing, Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University. She held the Chair of Archival Systems from 2004 to 2021 and was conferred the title of Emeritus Professor on 6 March 2021. Her academic background comprises a Doctor of Philosophy in Archival Systems from Monash University (2001), Master of Arts in History from Monash University (1977), Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History from Monash University (1972), and Graduate Diploma in Librarianship from RMIT. McKemmish has occupied key leadership positions, including Associate Dean (Graduate Research), Faculty of Information Technology (2014-2016), Chair of the FIT Graduate Research Committee (2016 onwards), Director of the Centre for Organisational and Social Informatics (2010-2014), and Elected Member of the Faculty Board (2011-2012). As Director of postgraduate teaching programs in records and archives, she has advanced inclusive archival educational programs at Monash University.

Her research specializations include metadata in records and archival systems, records continuum theory, recordkeeping metadata, Australian Indigenous archives, information resource discovery, smart information portals, and inclusive archival education. McKemmish has led prominent projects such as 'Rights in records by design' (2017-2022), 'Visualising Country' (2013-2015), and 'Koorie Archiving System' (2010), with contributions to UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 13 (Climate Action), and 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). She received the Laureate award from the Australian Society of Archivists and the Monash University Vice-Chancellor's Award for Postgraduate Supervision (2011). Serving as Editor-in-Chief of Archival Science (2004-2012, shared) and Archives & Manuscripts (1997-1998), she has influenced scholarly publishing. Key publications include 'Placing records continuum theory and practice' (2001), 'Archives: recordkeeping in society' (2005, co-edited with M. Piggott, B. Reed, F. Upward), 'Building an infrastructure for archival research' (2004, with A. Gilliland), 'Evidence of me... in a digital world' (2011), 'Distrust in the archive: reconciling records' (2011, with S. Faulkhead, L. Russell), 'Research in the archival multiverse' (2016, co-edited with A.J. Gilliland, A.J. Lau), 'Self-determination and archival autonomy: advocating activism' (2015, with J. Evans et al.), and recent titles 'The power of provenance in the records continuum' (2024, with C. Hurley et al.) and 'The Challenge of Actualising Research in Practice: Implementing the Charter of Lifelong Rights in Childhood Recordkeeping in Out of Home Care' (2024, with F. Golding, B. Reed). Her scholarship has profoundly impacted archival science, particularly in records continuum theory, human rights recordkeeping, and Indigenous archival autonomy.