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Rachel Spronken-Smith 2022 imageBSc(Hons) and PGDTT (Otago), PhD (British Columbia)

Email rachel.spronken-smith@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 470 4682

About Rachel

Rachel is a professor in Higher Education and Geography and is the Deputy Dean at the Graduate Research School. She initially trained as a geographer, taking up a lecturing position at the University of Canterbury, where she worked for nine years after returning from completing her PhD in British Columbia. Her teaching has been recognised with a University of Canterbury Teaching Award in 2002, an OUSA Supervision Award in 2012, a University of Otago Teaching Award in 2013 and a national Sustained Excellence in Teaching Award in 2015.

While studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Tertiary Teaching through HEDC at Otago, Rachel became more interested in aspects of learning and teaching and was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in HEDC in 2004. She worked as an academic developer and was Head of HEDC from 2009–2012. In 2016 she won the TERNZ-HERDSA medal for Sustained Contribution to the Research Environment in New Zealand, and was also awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award for research in the US on graduate outcomes for PhD candidates. She was the inaugural Dean of the Graduate Research School from 2013–2022, and retuned as Deputy Dean in 2024. In her current role she oversees programmes of professional development for graduate research candidates and supervisors.

Research Interests

Rachel's interests in higher education research include doctoral education and outcomes, researcher development, learning through inquiry and undergraduate research, and graduate attributes. She regularly undertakes consultancy work for university and polytechnic staff wishing to undertake curriculum renewal, especially when the focus is on embedding inquiry in curricula.

Supervision

Rachel is especially keen to supervise postgraduates in higher education who want to research on doctoral education and doctoral outcomes.

Current students

  • Patrick Mazzocco – Career Breaks (2023-)
  • Victoria Chiwuzoh – Self-leadership in PhD candidates (2024-)
  • Touseef Fatima – Career transitions of HASS PhD graduates (2024-)

Recently completed and past PhD candidates

  • James Windle – Learning and assessment connections occurring between the undergraduate years of the Otago BPharm degree and pre-registration internship, a longitudinal study. (2013–2023; part-time)
  • Nantida Sripaoraya – Participation in science outreach and its impacts on programme presenters (2017–2021)
  • Senorita John – Mining reality to explore the 21st century student experience (2016–2019)
  • Miriam Gibson – Making Meaning: The role of activity in learning (2015–2020 part-time)
  • Lee Adam – Troubling plagiarism: University students' understandings of plagiarism (Exceptional thesis) (2013–15)
  • Russell Butson – The office: the impact of the digital revolution on the office practices of early career academics (2012–2019; part-time)
  • Jono Conway – Synoptic and surface interactions in an alpine glacier (2010–2014)
  • Joanna Joseph – Critical pedagogy in Higher Education (2011–2014)
  • Adisorn Juntrasook – Leadership with/out position (Exceptional thesis) (2009–13)
  • Sharon Sharmini – Assessing publication-based doctoral theses (2012–16)
  • Donna Smith – Perceptions of degree-based massage therapy education (2012–14)

Projects

Ongoing projects include

  • The viva as an intellectual dialogue – an international study (led by Prof Gina Wisker)
  • The Village Tool to support a candidate’s research journey (led b Dr Nick Baker)
  • Graduate outcomes and career preparedness for PhD candidate

Past projects include

  • Experiences of doctoral candidates studying with a disability, impairment, chronic illness and/or neurodiversity  (led by Dr Kim Brown)
  • Graduate outcomes – are they driving learning? (Nationally-funded, multi-institutional research)
  • Inquiry-based learning in undergraduate education in New Zealand (Nationally-funded, multi-institutional research)
  • The Matariki Undergraduate Research Network (international research-collaboration)
  • Doctoral attrition
  • Institution-wide curriculum change (international research-collaboration)
  • Gender in academia

Publications

Spronken-Smith, R., Brown, K., & Cameron, C. (2024). Surprisingly happy outside academia: Exploring work happiness in PhD graduates in a range of careers. Proceedings of the Quality in Postgraduate Research (QPR) Conference. (pp. 172). Retrieved from https://www.qpr.edu.au/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Brown, K., Sanderson, L., Spronken-Smith, R., & Cameron, C. (2024). Woven: The intersections of disability and doctoral study, and the lives of students who navigate these intersections. Studies in Graduate & Postdoctoral Education. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1108/SGPE-07-2024-0082 Journal - Research Article

Spronken-Smith, R., Brown, K., & Cameron, C. (2024). Work happiness of PhD graduates across different employment sectors. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 59, 565-582. doi: 10.1007/s40841-024-00339-1 Journal - Research Article

Mason, S., Frick, L., Castelló, M., Cheng, W., Chong, S. W., Díaz Villalba, L., … Spronken-Smith, R., & Weise, C. (2024). What makes a Thesis by Publication? An international study of policy requirements and restrictions. Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/1360080X.2024.2389357 Journal - Research Article

Spronken-Smith, R., Brown, K., & Cameron, C. (2024). Retrospective perceptions of support for career development among PhD graduates from US and New Zealand universities. Studies in Graduate & Postdoctoral Education, 15(3), 273-289. doi: 10.1108/SGPE-05-2023-0048 Journal - Research Article

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