Researchers
Dr Jane Webb-Williams
BSc (Hons), PGCE, MEd, PhD (Cambridge)
Telephone: (08) 8302 4510 | Email: jane.webb-williams@unisa.edu.au
Jane is an Academic at the University of South Australia in Education Futures. She gained her PhD from Cambridge University and has had a career in education spanning over 25 years.
Jane is recognised Nationally and Internationally as a leader in the field of Play. She serves on the National Board of Play Australia and is involved in writing the National Statement for Play. Well known for her advocacy work, Jane promotes the benefits of play through keynotes, invited lectures and professional development. She regularly works in an advisory and research capacity with councils, landscape architects and education settings.
Jane's research focuses on play and playfulness within schools and communities to benefit children’s social and emotional wellbeing. She has been a Chief Investigator on a number of significant projects including ‘Young and Well CRC: Safe and Well Online’ which examined the role of technology to improve youth mental health.
Jane was awarded an Academic Excellence prize in recognition of her research examining the role of play in disadvantaged, multicultural communities.
Dr Ann Kennedy-Behr
Occupational Therapist ( previously Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy UniSA Allied Health & Human Performance)
Ann is a Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the University of South Australia. An experienced clinician and researcher, her work focuses on play and playfulness across the lifespan.
She is passionate about supporting parents and caregivers of children with disabilities and making healthcare as accessible as possible, particularly for people living in rural and remote areas or unable to access services due to other factors.
Ann is currently leading a project on developing a new caregiver assessment of play (Play and Playfulness Caregiver Questionnaire) which will facilitate therapists using play as a goal more frequently in their work with young children.
Dr Nadia Selim
Dr Nadia Selim is an early career researcher working in the University of South Australia’s Division of Education Futures. Nadia is a member of the Centre for Educational and Social Inclusion. She is a language acquisition researcher. Her research interests include Arabic language learning in Australia, L2 motivation and experiences, as well as using digital resources in L2 learning.
Nadia’s PhD research focused on the L2 motivation, experiences, and voices of adolescent Arabic language learners in Australian Islamic schools. Nadia won the 2018 Divisional Award for Excellence in Research in the Transformed PhD category. She was also a finalist for the university-wide Transformed PhD Student of the Year Award in 2019.
Nadia has conducted professional development sessions for teachers and cultural awareness sessions for staff at different organisations. Nadia is also behind the “ArabicWithNadia” website and social media presence. Her YouTube channel was listed in an editorial outlining the best Arabic language learning resources.
Dr Nicole Miller
BSc (Hons), PhD (Pub Hlth)
Nicole is an Online Course Facilitator in Health at UniSA Online, teaching Public Health courses.
Nicole's research interests include the connections between humans and the natural environment, with a focus on nature-based play and learning, citizen science and nature play spaces.
Nicole's PhD research focused on nature-based play and learning in South Australian Primary schools. Her PhD research involved characterising the outdoor spaces in primary schools, and consulting with educators to understand the current practices and perspectives of nature-based play and learning and the barriers to and enablers of these practices. She used this information to create a set of recommendations for effectively implementing nature-based play and learning into primary schools.
Ms Emily Webb
BHealthSc, BHlthMedSc (Hons)
Emily is an emerging researcher with a background in neuroscience and a strong interest in the intersection between play, child development, and brain health.
Her lived experience of concussion has fuelled her passion for exploring how injury and adversity shape neurodevelopment and wellbeing, particularly in children. She has worked on multiple projects investigating the importance of self-chosen play during early adolescence, including research funded by the Commissioner for Children and Young People South Australia. Her current research explores the developmental and international perspectives on childhood brain injury, focusing on how early brain insults impact long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.
The play researchers are an interdisciplinary team of experts across education, health and psychology from the University of South Australia.