Dr. Portia Simelane
Phd in Population Health; Masters in Population Health; Masters in Business Administration (Education Management), PGCE and BA (English and Geography)
Lecturer
School of Access Education
Centre for Research in Equity & Advancement of Teaching & Education (CREATE)
- p.simelane@cqu.edu.au
- ORCID: 0000-0001-5896-8768
- (07) 4930 6421
-
Rockhampton North
32 - G.28
My Networks
About Me
Dr Portia is a Lecturer in the School of Access Education at Central Queensland University, where she commenced in 2024. She brings more than fifteen years of professional experience tertiary and secondary education, including extensive involvement in research project coordination and the preparation of competitive funding applications. Her scholarly work explores the intersection between Education and Health, Educational Access and Equity, School Leadership Models, Teacher well‑being, Health Literacy and Gender‑Based Violence. Dr Portia is particularly interested in understanding how socio‑economic disadvantage, mental health challenges, and other structural barriers shape student learning experiences. Through her research and teaching, Dr Portia promotes inclusive pedagogical approaches and supports initiatives that empower marginalized learners to achieve academic and professional success. She is a recipient of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
General
Background
Dr Portia holds a PhD in Population Health, supported by a Master’s degree in the same field. She also completed a Master of Business Administration with a specialisation in Education Management, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and English. This multidisciplinary academic foundation underpins her expertise in educational access, population and health dynamics, and the socio‑structural determinants that shape learning and well‑being.
Universities Studied At
Northwest University: South Africa
University of KwaZulu-Natal: South Africa
Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA)
University of Swaziland
Universities Worked At
Central Queensland University
Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA)
Northwest University
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Awards
Golden Key Society Award-2019
Researcher Development Award (SAMRC)-2018
Women Leadership in Global Health Award (2018)
National Research Foundation Scholarship (NRF)-2017
Media Citations
Simelane, P. and Yaw, A. 2018. Many defaulters of ARV meds. https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/citypress/.../282492889268130
Simelane,P.(2018). Transparency in the local Church-Should We Care? https://healthychurch.org/resources/archives/transparency-local-church-care/
Previous teaching
- Management College of Southern Africa, South Africa: Lecturer and Programme Coordinator (Healthcare Management, Research Methodology, Business Management, Marketing Management, and Human Resource Management.
- Northwest University South Africa: Lecturer and Teaching Practice Supervision: Geography and English
- University of KwaZulu-Natal: Teaching Practice Supervision: Geography and English
- Thekwini TVET College (South Africa): Lecturer: Tourism Communications and English
Professional Experience
- Principal Researcher- Northwest University: Project- Sociodemographic Factors Affecting Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment in South Africa
- Researcher: Management College of Southern Africa-Project: Preferences of Cellphone Users in KwaZulu-Natal
- Project Coordinator: Impact Research International-Project: Psychosocial Support for Social Workers in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape
- Project Manager: The Department of Social Development-Project: Gender-Based Violence-The Psychology of the Offender
- Research Assistant: Human Sciences Research Council-Project: Early Childhood Development in Swaziland, Malawi, and Zambia
Professional Memberships
Queensland College of Teachers
International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP)
Recent Research Projects
Research Supervision
Accreditation
I am currently accredited for supervision in the following:
- 4403 Demography
- 4406 Human Geography
- 3902 Education policy, sociology and philosophy
- 4203 Health services and systems
- 4206 Public health
- 4504 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing
Current Capacity
Research Interests
Curriculum and Pedagogy - Economics, Business and Management Curriculum and Pedagogy
Curriculum and Pedagogy - Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum and Pedagogy (excl. Economics, Business and Management)
Curriculum and Pedagogy - Work integrated learning (incl. internships)
Education policy, sociology and philosophy - Education policy, sociology and philosophy not elsewhere classified
Education Systems - Secondary Education
Health services and systems - Health services and systems not elsewhere classified
Gender studies - Women s studies (incl. girls studies)
Research around Domestic Violence Awareness and Intervention.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote health
