Deborah Lynch

Deborah Lynch is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, at the University of Queensland, where she joined in 2011. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Sydney, Master of Social Work (Coursework) from the University of Cape Town, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts from Stellenbosch University. In her career at UQ, Lynch has served in leadership roles such as Higher Degree by Research Program Lead through the COVID-19 period, Student Engagement, Experience and Employability Academic Lead, and Program Lead for the Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Social Work (Honours), managing accreditation reviews in 2016 and 2021. She chairs the School’s Teaching and Learning Assessment Sub-Committee, led the NMSW External Engagement Strategy, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Graduate Attribute Champion for Respectful Leadership. Her teaching covers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in group work, community development, and international social work, informed by her practice experience in Australia and abroad across health, legal systems, and community development sectors. Lynch supervises PhD candidates, with five completions since 2020, and engages in interdisciplinary collaborations, including as Visiting Expert for Singapore’s Ministry of Health and partnerships with Indigenous researchers on Rheumatic Heart Disease prevention.

Lynch’s research centres on social justice, community engagement, and policy-practice intersections in health, education, and justice, with specializations in child protection, community development, school-community partnerships for marginalised youth, domestic and family violence, refugee support, and Indigenous health equity. She has contributed to funded projects like the 2022-2026 ARC Discovery Project on school-community approaches to student absenteeism and earlier UQ and Queensland Department of Education initiatives. Key publications include co-edited books Children’s Rights and Child Protection: Critical Times, Critical Issues in Ireland (2012) and Child Protection and Welfare Social Work: Contemporary Themes and Practice Perspectives (2008), alongside highly cited articles such as Self Esteem, Depression, Behaviour and Family Functioning in Sexually Abused Children (1995, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry) and Prepared for Practice? Graduating Social Work Students’ Reflections on Their Education, Competence and Skills (2014, Social Work Education). Recent works address ecosocial pedagogies, workforce resilience, and ethical Indigenous research. Awards include the BERA Conference 2025 Special Interest Group Best Presentation Award for Educational Leadership and multiple teaching excellence recognitions at School, Faculty, and University levels. Her scholarship advances participatory, ethical community development practices.

Professional Email: d.lynch@uq.edu.au