Amani Bell

Amani Bell is an Associate Professor in the Sydney School of Health Sciences within the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. She holds a BSc, a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, and a PhD from the University of Technology Sydney. Her academic career began at the University of Sydney, where she collaborated on, designed, and led informal and formal programs to support professional development. While completing her PhD, Bell taught biology and horticulture at the University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, and TAFE. She coordinates a unit in the Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Higher Education) each year and teaches in the Principles and Practice of University Teaching and Learning program. Previously, she served as Senior Lecturer in Educational Innovation at the University of Sydney, leading programs to enhance student experience and success, and held the Innovative Research Universities Vice-Chancellors' Fellowship. In December 2019, she joined the Work Integrated Learning team in the School of Health Sciences.

Bell's research specializations encompass higher education, work integrated learning, equity in clinical placements for health professions students, student-staff partnerships, and decolonising and inclusive practices. Her publications have received over 2,259 citations on Google Scholar. Notable works include editing Understanding Experiences of First Generation University Students: Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Methodologies (Bloomsbury, 2018); co-authoring chapters in Using Social Theory in Higher Education (2023); and articles such as "Supporting peer observation of teaching: Collegiality, conversations, and autonomy" (2016), "Equity and online work integrated learning: a qualitative research synthesis" (2022), "Educating for the future: Bookending evidence-based practice" (2023), "Student perceptions of transferable skills learned during a simulated speech and language therapy placement" (2024), and "Students' informal learning interactions in health professions education during clinical placements" (2024). In 2024, she received the Equity Fellowship from the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Leadership in Higher Education for addressing placement inequities via participatory action research. Bell participates in the leadership team of the WARANARA research network's Partnership and Professionalism special interest group and delivers webinars on inclusive placements.

Professional Email: amani.bell@sydney.edu.au