Rate My Professor Felicity Cocuzzoli

Felicity Cocuzzoli is the Learning Community Partnership Officer at the Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education (CEEHE) at the University of Newcastle, Australia, within the Engagement and Equity Division. A proud Wiradjuri descendant, she is a visual artist and social scientist with more than thirty years of experience working across government and not-for-profit roles with women, children, and communities in the Hunter, Newcastle, and Port Stephens regions. Her work emphasizes creative methodologies for equity praxis in culturally sensitive, trauma-informed initiatives addressing gender-based violence and recovery pathways into higher education. Cocuzzoli leads the 'Reclaiming My Place' program, an eight-week arts-informed initiative developed by CEEHE in 2018. This program builds confidence and lifelong learning opportunities for women rebuilding their lives after adversities like domestic and family sexual violence, in partnership with organizations such as NOVA for Women and Children, The Canopy’s Child & Family Services, Singleton Family Support, and others across sites in Newcastle, Singleton, and Cessnock. Since its inception, it has engaged over sixty women facing challenges including homelessness and violence, fostering community networks and access to education.

Cocuzzoli plays a key role in research on the impacts of gender-based violence on higher education access and participation, collaborating with Professor Penny Jane Burke, Dr Julia Coffey, Dr Stephanie Hardacre, Dr Jean Parker, Julia Shaw, and Adriana Haro. Notable contributions include co-authoring the University of Newcastle report 'Understanding the impact of gender-based violence on access to and participation in higher education' and the 2023 peer-reviewed article '‘It’s a lot of shame’: understanding the impact of gender-based violence on higher education access and participation' published in Teaching in Higher Education. She coordinates on-campus art workshops that promote social and emotional wellbeing, student retention, and informal support networks, integrating practice from Reclaiming My Place. Her praxis-oriented approach advances social justice, mobilizing higher education for transformative equity outcomes in addressing GBV and supporting victim-survivors' trajectories.