Meet our team

Director, Nura Gili

Scott Parlett is a proud Malyangapa and Barkindji descendent but born and raised in rural QLD (Winton). He has a strong passion in creating a respectful and inclusive working environment that supports multiculturalism and diversity. His vision for Nura Gili is building a culturally safe, sense of belonging and connection to community that’s beyond ‘box-ticking’ systems through recruitment, retention and success becoming future community, local, national and global leaders.

Deputy Director, Nura Gili

Codie is a proud Wiradjuri woman and the Deputy Director of Nura Gili. She grew up in Trangie before moving to the Port Stephens area as a teenager. With a background as a primary teacher and Aboriginal Education Worker, Codie brings 14 years of experience in Aboriginal education across school, tertiary and community settings. Before joining UNSW, Codie led Aboriginal Education in primary, high school and tertiary contexts. Her professional practice is deeply informed by her lived experience. Codie is committed to institutional transformation so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can engage in higher education on their own terms, where their stories, connections to community and place, and intergenerational strengths are not only recognised but celebrated.

Academic Lead

Dr Katrina Thorpe is a Worimi woman and Academic Lead at Nura Gili. Katrina's research focuses on educational approaches that engage students in Country-centred 'Learning from Country' pedagogies. Katrina is passionate about developing culturally responsive pedagogies that facilitate connections between students and Aboriginal people, communities and Country. Katrina also has 20 years experience teaching mandatory Indigenous Studies across a number of disciplines including education, social work, nursing, health and community development.

Employability & External Relations Manager

Rebecca (Bec) Barnes is a proud Bundjalung woman from the Tweed Heads region. Having grown up on Gadigal Country and now living on Wangal Country, she brings a strong commitment to community, education and student success.

Bec has experience in student engagement and supporting pathways into education and employment. In her role at Nura Gili, she is passionate about advancing Indigenous education and strengthening outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and communities. She enjoys connecting with students and supporting their transition from school to university and from university into meaningful careers beyond graduation.

Future Students, Senior Coordinator

I am a proud Anaiwan and Gumbainggir woman, born and raised in Armidale, NSW, and now living and working on Gadigal Country. My connection to community, culture and Country has shaped both my personal and professional journey.

I bring more than 35 years of experience in primary education, having worked in a range of roles supporting students, families and school communities. Alongside my extensive experience in primary schooling, I have also worked in the disability sector and across K–12 education before joining Nura Gili at UNSW.

Future Students, Senior Cordinator

Kendell is a proud Gamilaroi and Wiradjuri woman who grew up on Dharug Country and has more than a decade of experience working in higher education. Being first in family to attend university, Kendell is deeply committed to addressing systemic barriers and expanding equitable access to higher education.

Student Success Officer

Deidre is a proud Kalkadoon and Barada Barna woman from Far North Queensland in the Outback town of Cloncurry. She is an enthusiastic educator who has extensive experience working in the fields of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education for over 20 years.

She is delighted to be part of the Nura Gili team as a student success officer, she will provide the students with the necessary support. Deidre hopes to encourage our students to thrive in their academic journeys.

Culture & Wellbeing, Senior Coordinator

Rachel Torres is a proud Gadigal woman. As the Culture & Wellbeing Senior Coordinator at Nura Gili, she brings over 20 years of experience across the Education and Health sectors, with a strong focus on Aboriginal community engagement, cultural capability, and culturally responsive practice.

Rachel holds a Bachelor of Education (Adult Education) and is passionate about empowering Aboriginal people through culture, identity, and connection. Her work is grounded in community, authenticity, and creating culturally safe spaces that support wellbeing, leadership, and Indigenous student success.

Associate Professor and Research Director

I have more than thirty years’ experience in health and human services design, delivery and evaluation, and am interested in how research can shape public policy and improve outcomes for everyone in our communities.

I use co-design methods to better understand how evidence can be implemented in the real world and to the benefit of all, especially priority populations and people living in rural and remote locations.

Senior Lecturer

Dave, a proud Wardandi/Noongar man is a scholar within the Indigenous Programs at UNSW, bringing over 18 years of experience in teaching, research, and community engagement. His work is grounded in long-standing relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and a deep commitment to advancing Indigenous-led education and research. Prior to joining UNSW, Dave served as a Lecturer at the University of Wollongong, where he taught across disciplines including Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Health. His research interests center on Indigenous participation in sport, with a particular focus on how Indigenous athletes have challenged societal attitudes and contributed to broader cultural change in Australia.

Senior Lecturer

Ben (he/him) is an Education Focused academic who has taught Indigenous Studies with Nura Gili at UNSW since 2007. Drawing on his training in Sociology, Philosophy, Psychology and Education, Ben teaches a range of courses across the Indigenous Studies Major. Taking inspiration from self-determination theory, culturally responsive pedagogy, and Universal Design for Learning, his teaching practice strives to cultivate learning environments where students feel safe, connected, and confident to pursue their learning goals and academic interests.

Honours Convenor, Lecturer

Johanna has taught Indigenous Studies at Nura Gili since 2014. Her research centres on First Nations rights and the engagement of settler-colonial governments with Indigenous peoples. Johanna’s recent publication Redfern: Aboriginal Activism in the 1970s, by Aboriginal Studies Press, explores the ways in which local Aboriginal organisations pursued self-determination in the diverse fields of law, health, arts and culture, education and housing.

Lecturer

Osca (they/them) is a proud Guugu Yimithirr scholar and lawyer who was born on Ngunnawal country, and grown up on the lands of the Yidinji, Yirrganydji, and Djabugay peoples. They have lived, worked and studied on Gadigal land for the past ten years. Their research interests include decolonisation, legal theory, abolition, environmental law, criminal law, and gender and sexuality. They continue to practice law as a criminal defence lawyer, with a particular focus on the Children’s criminal jurisdiction in NSW.

Administration Assistant

Samantha Chao (Towney) is a strong-minded Wiradjuri woman with roots in Wellington (NSW), with a father of Spanish descent.

Bringing a unique blend of cultural perspectives and operational expertise to her role, she is dedicated to providing first nations students the support they need to achieve their educational goals.

She is passionate about networking, learning new skills and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. Working within community and with Elders has given her a strong sense of community and commitment to social justice.

Aside from work, Samantha loves watching her 3 children grow, and enjoys the diversity of commitments it brings.

Executive Director, Indigenous Studies

Associate Professor Cara Cross is a Worimi and Biripai woman, Senior Atlantic Fellow and Indigenous historian. As the inaugural Executive Director, Indigenous Students, she leads the development and implementation of the Indigenous Student Success Strategy, an institution-wide strategy empowering the success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Cara is responsible for driving a whole-of-university approach that aligns faculties, divisions and services to strengthen student outcomes from access through to graduation and beyond. She works across governance, planning, and operations to embed accountability and ensure Indigenous perspectives inform core institutional priorities.

She is the architect of the UNSW Micro-Treaty, a community-designed framework that advances self-determination and embeds cultural authority within the University.

Senior Project Officer CHRI

Evelyn Wolfenden is a proud Wiradjuri woman with over 30 years of experience leading complex programs, projects, and contract management across the NSW public sector. Her career has spanned everything from bespoke community initiatives to multibillion-dollar infrastructure programs—all underpinned by a deep commitment to delivering better outcomes for the people of NSW.

In addition to her extensive project leadership, Evelyn has served as a professional auditor and compliance officer, bringing a sharp eye for governance, risk, and accountability to every initiative she supports. 

Now at CHRI, Evelyn is passionate about applying her expertise to drive meaningful, generational change—particularly for Aboriginal communities. She is focused on advancing culturally grounded workforce and education initiatives, believing that true progress begins with investing in people and creating pathways for the next generation to thrive.

Research Manager (WA) + Co-design Health Research and Innovation (CHRI)

Kerri Colegate is a Noongar/Yamatji woman from the Whadjuk, Yuat clans, mother of 2 adult children and grandmother to three. She is currently Research Project Manager of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sub-study of the AUS-mTBI project based at ECU (MRFF funded) and also the WA Research Manager with the CHRI team at UNSW for the EASI study and other cardiovascular health projects (MRFF funded). I am also very proud to have been the creator of the Aboriginal Disability Yarning Group in Armadale, Perth.

Research Officer and Exercise Physiologist

I am a proud Bundjalung man with years of experience in exercise physiology, health promotion, and Indigenous health. My work focuses on improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and other priority populations through culturally responsive, evidence-based approaches. I’m particularly interested in how research can support self-determination and translate into real-world impact for communities across rural and remote New South Wales.

Senior Research Fellow

Dr. Connie Henson is a psychologist and public health researcher. Her career spans over thirty years of designing and assessing behaviour and system change programs.

Health equity remains the focus of Connie’s research. She is currently co-designing wearable-based exercise programs with priority populations such as older women, individuals with limited financial means, Indigenous people and people living in remote locations. The aim is to reduce risk factors and prevent the progression of chronic disease. This work is crucial because people from priority groups often have a high prevalence of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases; however, they are underrepresented in prevention and disease management research.

Project Manager

John Yealland is a Wiradjuri man who has had a diverse career across many different sectors with expertise in business process improvement, leadership and management. He has led organisations supporting people with intellectual disability to ensure people with disability are provided supports to live their best lives. He has also provided advisory and consultancy services to the sector.

John understands the issues that confront Aboriginal people and has a keen interest in the enhancement of health outcomes and economic participation for members of the Aboriginal community.

John is passionate about equity and quality service delivery and has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by various groups of disadvantaged people in accessing services for their needs.

John is also currently a board member of both a Primary Health Network provider and a disability services provider.