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PhD candidate researching principal flourishing awarded prestigious fellowship

Education leader and Australian Catholic University PhD candidate Andrew Murray has been awarded a prestigious international fellowship at Boston College.

Key Points:

• Andrew Murray is a former principal based in New Zealand who commenced his PhD at ACU after contracting long COVID
• The education leader is examining the wellbeing of Catholic primary school principals through the concept of human flourishing
• Next month he will take up an international fellowship for doctoral research candidates at Boston College

The former secondary school principal, who stepped away from the role after being diagnosed with long COVID, will spend two months at Boston College from 8 June to 8 August 2026 as part of the university’s Summer Visiting Doctoral Research Fellowship Program.

Mr Murray, whose PhD research examines the wellbeing of Catholic primary school principals, will use the fellowship to understand the wellbeing and flourishing of Catholic school leaders in America.

“School leaders are deeply committed to their vocation, but the demands of the role have intensified significantly,” Murray said.

“My research is about understanding what allows leaders to sustain themselves in these environments without losing their sense of purpose.”

While at Boston College, Mr Murray will engage with an international cohort of doctoral scholars and contribute to a global conversation on leadership, wellbeing, and educational practice.

“It’s a chance to step back, think deeply, and learn alongside others working in this space,” he said.

“Ultimately, the aim is to contribute something that helps leaders not just endure, but flourish in their work.”

The award comes at a time of increasing concern about the sustainability of leadership in schools, particularly in faith-based contexts where leaders carry both educational and spiritual responsibilities.

New national data from the Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey - Australia’s longest study of school leaders’ health, safety and wellbeing – revealed a dramatic decline in principal health and wellbeing with exposure to violence, stress and workload worse than when the landmark study began in 2011.

Mr Murray’s PhD research explores the tension between vocational commitment and the structural realities of modern schooling. It also engages with theological and cultural frameworks that shape leadership in Catholic education, including the concept of human flourishing.

He draws on his 30-year career as a Catholic school teacher and principal across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, as well as his experience losing the ability to walk, talk, write and remember after being diagnosed with long COVID.

Alongside his doctoral research, Mr Murray is a regular conference presenter across New Zealand and Australia, including keynote presentations at the Australian National Education Summit, and contributes to tertiary teaching and professional learning initiatives.

He is also the author of Faith, Flourishing & Wellbeing, a book that brings together research and practical strategies for teachers.