People and Governance

Professor Michelle Scott OAM

McCusker Chair in Citizenship; Director, McCusker Centre for Citizenship

+61 8 6488 7873
michelle.scott@uwa.edu.au

Michelle Scott was appointed the inaugural Director of the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA in October 2015, and inaugural UWA McCusker Chair in Citizenship in 2024. Michelle has over 30 years’ experience leading and influencing government and community organisations to address and reduce contemporary, complex social challenges.

She has also been an independent statutory officer, including as WA’s first Commissioner for Children and Young People (6 years), and Public Advocate for WA (5 years). Michelle was appointed by the WA Government as the Chair and Co Chair of the Supporting Communities Forum for five years, her term concluding in December 2023. Michelle has been a director of Save the Children Australia since November 2019.

Michelle was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community through social welfare organisations.

Barbara Goodwin

Industry Partnerships Manager

+61 8 6488 1690
internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au

Barbara Goodwin is the Industry Partnerships Manager of the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA. She has a background in law, extensive experience in the Australian Higher Education Sector as well as a strong interest in the Disability sector.

Francis Lynch

Academic Coordinator

+61 8 6488 1387
francis.lynch@uwa.edu.au

Francis Lynch is the Academic Coordinator and Lecturer at the McCusker Centre for Citizenship. He is a social worker who has experience in service delivery, executive, and public policy roles in WA, Victoria, and at a national level. Francis has been involved in systems change in areas such child protection and homelessness. He has been CEO of three not for profit organisations and been a non-executive director for more than 20 others. Francis has supervised more than 50 students in organisational placements, including several through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship program.

Dr Michelle Greene

Project Officer

+61 8 6488 7837
info@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au

Denisse Franks

Senior Internship Coordinator

+61 8 6488 1690
internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au

Denisse Franks is the Senior Internship Coordinator at the McCusker Centre for Citizenship. Denisse has been working at UWA since 2017, and in the McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship Team since 2020. She works closely with our industry partners to maintain engagement and satisfaction with the Internship Program.

Taylor Kolk

Adviser (Internships)

+61 8 6488 1690
internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au

Taylor handles internship enquiries from students and organisations, and provides support and advice to interns and hosts throughout the duration of the program to ensure successful completion of internships.

Daniel Beasley

Adviser (Internships)

+61 8 6488 1690
internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au

Daniel handles internship enquiries from students and organisations, and provides support and advice to interns and hosts throughout the duration of the program to ensure successful completion of internships.

Marika Huhtinen

Adviser (Internships)

+61 8 6488 1690
internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au

Marika handles internship enquiries from students and organisations, and provides support and advice to interns and hosts throughout the duration of the program to ensure successful completion of internships.

Penny Thompson

Adviser (Internships)

+61 8 6488 1690
internships@mccuskercentre.uwa.edu.au

Penny handles internship enquiries from students and organisations, and provides support and advice to interns and hosts throughout the duration of the program to ensure successful completion of internships.

Karoline Gover

Student Engagement & Communications

+61 8 6488 0475
karoline.gover@uwa.edu.au

Karoline Gover is the Student Engagement and Communications Officer at the McCusker Centre for Citizenship. She works across student engagement, community impact and strategic communications to support the Centre’s internship program, academic units and student committees.

Karoline leads communications and engagement initiatives that help students understand and participate in opportunities to contribute to their communities while gaining real‑world experience. She brings experience in brand‑led marketing, stakeholder engagement and strategy‑to‑delivery across professional services, healthcare and regulated sectors, and is driven by purpose‑focused communication that supports positive social change.