![Dr Heather Stewart](/sites/default/files/profiles/24093.jpeg)
Overview
Background
Dr Heather Stewart has been a journalist for 20 years, including almost a decade with the ABC in news and current affairs and covering content for ABC Radio National. She is a Walkley award winner and two times nominee and her work received a Gold and Bronze Medal in the New York Festival world's best radio documentary and for social equity coverage.
As a media, marketing and communication contractor and consultant in the mining, oil and gas, education, and the not for profile and public sectors in Queensland and Federal government departments she has honed her digital skills preparing integrated marketing communication plans and advertising campaigns and mentored executives in business digital transformation.
in 2016, she received a peer nomination for teaching innovation at TAFE Queensland where she ran two iterations of the Advanced Accelerated Diploma of Marketing positioning mature age student teams with small and medium businesses to create business plans and integrated marketing campaigns.
She completed her PhD at the University of Queensland in 2018 conducting a longitudinal study into the impact of technological change on ABC journalists and journalism while teaching students in media and communication at UQ and QUT.
Joining UQ as a teaching and learning academic in 2006, she has coordinated courses and received a UQ Teaching and Learning Excellence Award. She was the joint winner of the UQ Vice Chancellor's Award, a high commendation in the UQ Trailblazer award for her teaching model empowering students to tell First Nation stories in an informed way. She co-led the United Nations World Press Freedom Day Indigenous Voice Communication for Social Change Forum at UQ in 2010.
She currently is a Post Doc Researcher at The University of Queensland,with Associate Professor Sarah Jane Kelly and Associate Professor Remi Ayoko.
As Chief Investigator she is leading the Digital First Business Transformation Project and the Rapid Transition to Online Learning study with partners in eight regions. She is the leader of a team in a bilateral Australia Indonesia Centre SRR PAIR grant investigating the impact of COVID-19 on Indonesia's Small and Medium Enterprises.
Heather is a Visiting Professor at Universitas Indonesia.
Heather specialises in digital media, marketing and communication change management, journalism work practice research, digital transformation in the media, work-integrated learning, and change management, and best practice for coverage of mental health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories.
In 2020, she supported the Service Learning Online Internship Program at Griffith University as a research assistant and cofacilitator with a focus on mental health and well-being, digital inclusivity, environmental sustainability, and all abilities inclusivity. The pilot project is the subject of a book chapter and series of research publications.
Dr Stewart is a UQ Mental Health Champion and First Responder supporting students and staff. If you are in need of support please email heather.stewart@uq.edu.au
Availability
- Dr Heather Stewart is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
-
Digital transformation in business marketing communication
Dr Stewart has worked in State and Federal government, not-for-profit and corporate media, marketing and communications roles since 2012 transforming work practice from a traditional to integrated approach across multiple platforms including social media. Her current research publications centre on the impact of technological change digital transformation at the ABC. She has published a series of article about work-integrated learning in journalism and using digital content generation.
Research impacts
As joint chief investigator of a UQ-funded Higher Equity Support Grant, a UQ Teaching and Learning Grant, an ARC First Link grant and an AITSIS grant, Dr Stewart co-led, with Michael Williams, the Indigenous Voice project 2008-2012, which was awarded the UQ Vice Chancellor's Equity Award and highlighly commended in the UQ Trailblazers Awards in 2010. Dr Stewart was also awarded a UQ Teaching and Learning Excellence Award in 2012 for her work-integrated learning innovation.
Dr Stewart has been a keynote speaker and invited speaker at industry conferences and guest speaker at UQ and QUT journalism and communication courses. She was a teaching and learning academic a UQ 2006-2012, and returned to UQ as an Honorary Research Fellow in 2019, and tutor, teaching faciltator and researcher in 2020.
Works
Search Professor Heather Stewart’s works on UQ eSpace
2023
Journal Article
A Romano-British Cist Burial from Marton-Cum-Grafton, near Aldborough, North Yorkshire
Whyman, Mark, Antoni, Bryan, Panter, Ian, Stewart, Heather, Allen, Steven James and Storm, Rebecca (2023). A Romano-British Cist Burial from Marton-Cum-Grafton, near Aldborough, North Yorkshire. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 95 (1), 54-71. doi: 10.1080/00844276.2023.2222596
2022
Book Chapter
Creating a fourth space for social impact collaborations across boundaries: active project-based learning and internships for GC Education
Valencia-Forrester, Faith and Stewart, Heather (2022). Creating a fourth space for social impact collaborations across boundaries: active project-based learning and internships for GC Education. Perspectives on lifelong learning and global citizenship: beyond the classroom. (pp. 57-76) edited by Sarah Stanlick and Whitney Szmodis. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-00974-7_4
2020
Journal Article
In her own words: Melanesian women in media
Valencia-Forrester, Faith, Backhaus, Bridget and Stewart, Heather (2020). In her own words: Melanesian women in media. Pacific Journalism Review, 26 (1), 63-74. doi: 10.24135/pjr.v26i1.1104
2019
Other Outputs
Digital transformation at the ABC: A Case Study using Qualitative Interviews
Stewart, Heather (2019). Digital transformation at the ABC: A Case Study using Qualitative Interviews. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.761
2018
Other Outputs
Iterative change in ABC journalistic craft and inquiry: 1960–2017
Stewart, Heather Jane McLachlan (2018). Iterative change in ABC journalistic craft and inquiry: 1960–2017. PhD Thesis, School of Communication and Arts, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2018.846
2018
Other Outputs
Gender diversity in the Australian resources and energy industry leading, lagging or losing out?
Jeffrey, Elspeth, Diamond, Tara, Stewart, Heather, Thompson, Brad, Reid, Tom and Wood, Cassandra (2018). Gender diversity in the Australian resources and energy industry leading, lagging or losing out?. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: AWRA | Gender Diversity in the Australian Resource Industry.
2013
Journal Article
Barriers and solutions to the coverage of mental health and well-being stories in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
Stewart, Heather, Griffiths, Judith and Mulligan, Pauline (2013). Barriers and solutions to the coverage of mental health and well-being stories in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 23 (1), 43-62. doi: 10.1177/1326365x13510097
2013
Book Chapter
Case study: taking journalists on the journey
Carson, Andrea, Baker, Richard and Stewart, Heather (2013). Case study: taking journalists on the journey. Journalism research and investigation in a digital world. (pp. xv-344) edited by Stephen J. Tanner and Nick Richardson. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press ANZ.
2012
Journal Article
Teaching journalism students how to tell Indigenous stories in an informed way: a work integrated learning approach
Stewart, Heather, Williams, Michael, Cullen, Trevor, Johnston, Michelle, Phillips, Gail, Mulligan, Pauline, Bowman, Leo and Meadows, Michael (2012). Teaching journalism students how to tell Indigenous stories in an informed way: a work integrated learning approach. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 22 (1), 55-67. doi: 10.1177/1326365x1202200106
2010
Journal Article
Indigenous voice: A work-integrated learning case study in journalism education
Stewart, Heather, Meadows, Michael, Bowman, Leo, van Vuuren, Kitty and Mulligan, Pauline (2010). Indigenous voice: A work-integrated learning case study in journalism education. Australian Journalism Review, 32 (2), 59-72.
2010
Other Outputs
Queensland's child protection system
Stewart, Heather , Carrick, Damien and Barraud, Anita (2010). Queensland's child protection system. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
2008
Book
Saving sight, saving a nation
Stewart, Heather (2008). Saving sight, saving a nation. Kenmore East, Qld., Australia: H. Stewart.
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Heather Stewart is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Heather Stewart directly for media enquiries about:
- ABC journalism
- Australian journalism
- brand management
- change management
- communications leadership
- communications strategy
- community engagement
- coverage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories
- coverage of Indigenous issues
- coverage of mental health issues
- digital media strategy and production
- digital transformation
- Digital transformation for small and medium enteprises
- integrated media marketing and communications
- international marketing
- journalism work practice
- learning on the job
- media policy
- media strategy
- multiplatform journalism
- public affairs
- rapid transition to online learning
- social media policy
- stakeholder engagement
- technological change in the media
- work integrated learning
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: