The overarching theme of Humanity and human values in law and business drives our faculty research. We focus our research on the lives of society’s most marginalised and vulnerable people, who are often at the periphery of policy and organisational concerns. By illuminating rarely revealed aspects of organisations and societies, we develop critical insights that align closely with ACU’s Mission.
Before joining ACU in July 2023, Joy was a Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO in the Australian eHealth Research Centre and previously was Research Director of Social Marketing @ Griffith, Griffith University, the world's largest academic social marketing centre. Joy has led large industry funded research and evaluation projects with partners including Queensland Health, Diabetes Queensland, Stroke Foundation, and Western Queensland PHN. Behaviour change programs Joy has developed have directly engaged over 200, 000 participants resulting in improved health behaviours and quality of life. Joy serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Health Marketing Quarterly and has been a member of the Australian Association of Social Marketing Management Committee from 2014 serving as vice president between 2021 and 2023.
The wellbeing of employees, consumers and other stakeholders of markets
Justice, policy and law reform within the Asia-Pacific region: JPLR (APAC)
Human-centred Intelligent Learning and Software Technologies (HilstLab)
Research in the Peter Faber Business School focuses on the social and interpersonal aspects of contemporary organisations, innovation in the marketplace and how policy frameworks and knowledge impact on money management at the macro and individual levels.
Our research provides powerful arguments towards a paradigm shift in rethinking the purpose of business and management for the common good. We shift attention from financial-technical aspects of “business as usual”. We critically apply business-school concepts, emphasising the ethical, social, and psychological aspects of organisations in public service, not-for-profit and business sectors for the good of wider society.
Recent examples include multiple articles in such outlets as:
With a particular focus on human rights endeavours and the private law of just societies, our research explores the interaction between domestic law and international human rights law. Our researchers in law examine issues at the intersection of human rights and religion, society and politics, Indigenous issues in Australia and overseas, transitional justice, and the human rights implications of globalisation and development, including intellectual property rights.
Today's technology is not only pervasive, but intelligent and moving towards autonomy. Our researchers investigate how artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, Internet of Things, smart devices, and cloud computing can dramatically transform the way we work and live. They also examine how the convergence of these technologies leads to challenges with interpersonal communication and human-machine interaction, and their impact on our society both sociologically and economically.
Our staff members pursue Mission focused, values-based research that aims to positively impact Australia and the globe. We publish regularly in some of the world’s most highly regarded journals.
Recent examples include multiple articles in such outlets as:
This lab is a self-formed research group on the North Sydney campus with 3 ACU researchers who share common research interests.
Find out more https://hilstlab.org
Our research in the fields of business and law is rated ‘world standard’ as reported in the Excellence in Research Australia 2018 quality audit.
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ACU has taken out the top spot in Australia for research quality in the Times Higher Education 2026 World University Rankings.
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Generations of students will benefit from the legacy left by the 2025 cohort of Australian Catholic University Student Veteran Impact Award recipients.
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Australian Catholic University (ACU) has ranked number one in Australia for employer satisfaction, according to the latest QILT Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS).
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Vaping's ruinous impact on the environment will feature heavily in a dynamic awareness campaign to tackle youth vaping on campuses following a partnership between Austr...
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Problem solving and coding fluency alone won’t be enough to cement long term employment according to information technology heavyweights speaking at an Australian Catho...
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A frank, youth-led discussion about perceptions of military service will form part of an Australian Catholic University study into young people's understanding of the A...
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A raft of new scholarships is making international study more accessible, helping students from developing countries achieve their dream of study abroad and attracting ...
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Australian Catholic University research has examined the critical but often overlooked link between family violence and women’s deaths by suicide.
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Madeleine Harvery, a PhD candidate with the School of Allied Health, has won ACU's 3MT final.
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Steering research that contributed to the safety of underground miners has earned Australian Catholic University computational intelligence expert Niusha Shafiabady a 2...
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Robotic technology is rapidly evolving, but could it help to close the STEM equity gap for young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds? ACU's IT experts are explori...
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Some of the nation's most distinguished legal minds have rallied in support of the inaugural International Day for Judicial Wellbeing at Australian Catholic University ...
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Numbers come naturally to Australian Catholic University student Jorja Hammond who has soared to the finals of the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship.
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Resilience, athleticism, teamwork, humour and pride combined to propel Australian Catholic University to another successful performance at the Indigenous Nationals in P...
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An Australian Catholic University student-led research project has recommended a friendly chat over a banh mi or hot chips could spark a broader conversation to tackle ...
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