Tracey Sempowicz

Dr Tracey Sempowicz is a leader, researcher and teacher educator in Inclusive Education at UniSC. Her research and teaching focus on inclusive practices that support the diverse needs of students, with research underpinned by theories of human development and learning, attachment, complex trauma and teacher agency in schools.

As Education Initiative Fellow with the Centre for Learning and Teaching, Tracey leads university-wide initiatives in Trauma Aware Education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), working across disciplines to embed inclusive, evidence-informed teaching practice. She is a member of the Trauma-Aware Higher Education Leaders Network, contributing to the review of the National Guidelines for Trauma-Aware Education. She co-leads the Social Justice, Equity and Education Policy Research Group at UniSC, which examines education policy through a social justice lens to advocate for marginalised communities.

Tracey's research spans the school experiences of children impacted by complex trauma and the professional agency of teachers delivering trauma-informed curriculum. Her research has been published in Q1 journals and accessed by readers in more than 45 countries.

As an Advance HE Senior Fellow (SFHEA), Tracey mentors colleagues toward Fellowship and Senior Fellowship recognition and leads a research team investigating academics' reflective practices in pursuing this qualification. She also supervises Higher Degree by Research candidates and serves as an external doctoral examiner for other Australian universities.

Prior to her academic career, Tracey worked as Head of Department across several Key Learning Areas in five Queensland secondary schools over a 20-year period.