Rate My Professor Ruth Wallace

Professor Ruth Wallace serves as Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor of First Nations Leadership and Acting Director of the Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University, within the Social Science domain. Previously, she was Pro Vice-Chancellor and head of the Faculty of Arts and Society, as well as Dean of the College of Indigenous Futures, Arts and Society, and College of Education. Wallace earned her Doctor of Philosophy in 2010 from Charles Darwin University, with a thesis titled "Learner identities and educational engagement: a framework for understanding learner identities of Northern Australian regional learners with implications for educational pedagogy, policy and practice." She also holds a Bachelor of Education (Primary) from Queensland University of Technology (1994). With extensive experience as a teacher at all educational levels and in educational practice development, she has held positions such as Lecturer in the Faculty of Law, Education, Business and Arts (2007-2012) and Managing Director of the Northern Institute since 2012.

Her research specializations include the links between identity, marginalised learners, and the development of effective learning and workforce development pathways in regional and remote areas of Northern Australia and Indonesia. Key interests encompass workforce development in marginalised areas, policy implementation, regional development, mobile technology-based learning, learning identity, Aboriginal enterprise development, regional governance in Northern Australia, and community engagement. Wallace leads the workforce development research theme of the Northern Institute and has served as social science technical advisor for the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre. Major awards include being the first Australian woman awarded the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2016, hosted by Kansas State University, and the NT Leader/Manager of the Year category at the 2016 Australian Institute of Management’s Leadership Excellence Awards. Notable publications are the edited book Leading from the North: Rethinking Northern Australia Development (2021), "Dadirri: an Indigenous place-based research methodology" (2022, co-authored), "Counter-accounting and social transformation: Yaṉangu way" (2024), and "‘Success’ in Indigenous higher education policy in the Northern Territory, Australia: Reclaiming purpose for power" (2024). Her contributions extend to 77 research outputs, leadership in multiple projects, and editorial roles, impacting education policy, regional development, and Indigenous community resilience through sustainable partnerships.