Dr Heather Stewart has been a journalist for 20 years, including almost a decade with the ABC in news and current affairs and covering content for ABC Radio National. She is a Walkley award winner and two times nominee and her work received a Gold and Bronze Medal in the New York Festival world's best radio documentary and for social equity coverage.
As a media, marketing and communication contractor and consultant in the mining, oil and gas, education, and the not for profile and public sectors in Queensland and Federal government departments she has honed her digital skills preparing integrated marketing communication plans and advertising campaigns and mentored executives in business digital transformation.
in 2016, she received a peer nomination for teaching innovation at TAFE Queensland where she ran two iterations of the Advanced Accelerated Diploma of Marketing positioning mature age student teams with small and medium businesses to create business plans and integrated marketing campaigns.
She completed her PhD at the University of Queensland in 2018 conducting a longitudinal study into the impact of technological change on ABC journalists and journalism while teaching students in media and communication at UQ and QUT.
Joining UQ as a teaching and learning academic in 2006, she has coordinated courses and received a UQ Teaching and Learning Excellence Award. She was the joint winner of the UQ Vice Chancellor's Award, a high commendation in the UQ Trailblazer award for her teaching model empowering students to tell First Nation stories in an informed way. She co-led the United Nations World Press Freedom Day Indigenous Voice Communication for Social Change Forum at UQ in 2010.
She currently is a Post Doc Researcher at The University of Queensland,with Associate Professor Sarah Jane Kelly and Associate Professor Remi Ayoko.
As Chief Investigator she is leading the Digital First Business Transformation Project and the Rapid Transition to Online Learning study with partners in eight regions. She is the leader of a team in a bilateral Australia Indonesia Centre SRR PAIR grant investigating the impact of COVID-19 on Indonesia's Small and Medium Enterprises.
Heather is a Visiting Professor at Universitas Indonesia.
Heather specialises in digital media, marketing and communication change management, journalism work practice research, digital transformation in the media, work-integrated learning, and change management, and best practice for coverage of mental health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories.
In 2020, she supported the Service Learning Online Internship Program at Griffith University as a research assistant and cofacilitator with a focus on mental health and well-being, digital inclusivity, environmental sustainability, and all abilities inclusivity. The pilot project is the subject of a book chapter and series of research publications.
Dr Stewart is a UQ Mental Health Champion and First Responder supporting students and staff. If you are in need of support please email heather.stewart@uq.edu.au
As joint chief investigator of a UQ-funded Higher Equity Support Grant, a UQ Teaching and Learning Grant, an ARC First Link grant and an AITSIS grant, Dr Stewart co-led, with Michael Williams, the Indigenous Voice project 2008-2012, which was awarded the UQ Vice Chancellor's Equity Award and highlighly commended in the UQ Trailblazers Awards in 2010. Dr Stewart was also awarded a UQ Teaching and Learning Excellence Award in 2012 for her work-integrated learning innovation.
Dr Stewart has been a keynote speaker and invited speaker at industry conferences and guest speaker at UQ and QUT journalism and communication courses. She was a teaching and learning academic a UQ 2006-2012, and returned to UQ as an Honorary Research Fellow in 2019, and tutor, teaching faciltator and researcher in 2020.
Journal Article: A Romano-British Cist Burial from Marton-Cum-Grafton, near Aldborough, North Yorkshire
Whyman, Mark, Antoni, Bryan, Panter, Ian, Stewart, Heather, Allen, Steven James and Storm, Rebecca (2023). A Romano-British Cist Burial from Marton-Cum-Grafton, near Aldborough, North Yorkshire. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 95 (1), 54-71. doi: 10.1080/00844276.2023.2222596
Journal Article: In her own words: Melanesian women in media
Valencia-Forrester, Faith, Backhaus, Bridget and Stewart, Heather (2020). In her own words: Melanesian women in media. Pacific Journalism Review, 26 (1), 63-74. doi: 10.24135/pjr.v26i1.1104
Other Outputs: Digital transformation at the ABC: A Case Study using Qualitative Interviews
Stewart, Heather (2019). Digital transformation at the ABC: A Case Study using Qualitative Interviews. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.761
Australia-Korea Digital-First Business Transformation
(2021–2022) Australia - Korea Foundation
(2020–2021) Partnership for Australia-Indonesia Research (PAIR) - Small and Rapid Research (SRR) Grants
U21 Effective Transition to Online COVID-19 Agility
(2020–2021) U21 Researcher Resilience Fund
Stewart, Heather (2008). Saving sight, saving a nation. Kenmore East, Qld., Australia: H. Stewart.
Case study: taking journalists on the journey
Carson, Andrea, Baker, Richard and Stewart, Heather (2013). Case study: taking journalists on the journey. Journalism research and investigation in a digital world. (pp. xv-344) edited by Stephen J. Tanner and Nick Richardson. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press ANZ.
A Romano-British Cist Burial from Marton-Cum-Grafton, near Aldborough, North Yorkshire
Whyman, Mark, Antoni, Bryan, Panter, Ian, Stewart, Heather, Allen, Steven James and Storm, Rebecca (2023). A Romano-British Cist Burial from Marton-Cum-Grafton, near Aldborough, North Yorkshire. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 95 (1), 54-71. doi: 10.1080/00844276.2023.2222596
In her own words: Melanesian women in media
Valencia-Forrester, Faith, Backhaus, Bridget and Stewart, Heather (2020). In her own words: Melanesian women in media. Pacific Journalism Review, 26 (1), 63-74. doi: 10.24135/pjr.v26i1.1104
Stewart, Heather, Griffiths, Judith and Mulligan, Pauline (2013). Barriers and solutions to the coverage of mental health and well-being stories in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 23 (1), 43-62. doi: 10.1177/1326365x13510097
Stewart, Heather, Williams, Michael, Cullen, Trevor, Johnston, Michelle, Phillips, Gail, Mulligan, Pauline, Bowman, Leo and Meadows, Michael (2012). Teaching journalism students how to tell Indigenous stories in an informed way: a work integrated learning approach. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 22 (1), 55-67. doi: 10.1177/1326365x1202200106
Indigenous voice: A work-integrated learning case study in journalism education
Stewart, Heather, Meadows, Michael, Bowman, Leo, van Vuuren, Kitty and Mulligan, Pauline (2010). Indigenous voice: A work-integrated learning case study in journalism education. Australian Journalism Review, 32 (2), 59-72.
Digital transformation at the ABC: A Case Study using Qualitative Interviews
Stewart, Heather (2019). Digital transformation at the ABC: A Case Study using Qualitative Interviews. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.761
Iterative change in ABC journalistic craft and inquiry: 1960–2017
Stewart, Heather Jane McLachlan (2018). Iterative change in ABC journalistic craft and inquiry: 1960–2017. PhD Thesis, School of Communication and Arts, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2018.846
Gender diversity in the Australian resources and energy industry leading, lagging or losing out?
Jeffrey, Elspeth, Diamond, Tara, Stewart, Heather, Thompson, Brad, Reid, Tom and Wood, Cassandra (2018). Gender diversity in the Australian resources and energy industry leading, lagging or losing out?. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: AWRA | Gender Diversity in the Australian Resource Industry.
Queensland's child protection system
Stewart, Heather , Carrick, Damien and Barraud, Anita (2010). Queensland's child protection system. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Australia-Korea Digital-First Business Transformation
(2021–2022) Australia - Korea Foundation
(2020–2021) Partnership for Australia-Indonesia Research (PAIR) - Small and Rapid Research (SRR) Grants
U21 Effective Transition to Online COVID-19 Agility
(2020–2021) U21 Researcher Resilience Fund
Indigenous Voice Closing the Gap Intensive Journalism Intership Program
(2010–2012) UQ Teaching & Learning Strategic Grants
Indigenous voice - Journalism practices and protocols in reporting Indigenous issues
(2010–2011) UQ FirstLink Scheme
(2010) Hunter New England Health Services
(2009–2010) UQ DEEWR Higher Education Equity Support Program Grants