Researcher biography

An experienced researcher with a multi-disciplinary training background, Ning is a Research Assistant in the Education, Employment and Disadvantage group at ISSR. Ning is currently working with Dr Wojtek Tomaszewski on the Student Engagement Research and Analysis Project for the New South Wales Government and on the Review of Equity Groups in Higher Education for the Australian Department of Education.

Previously, Ning worked on the national evaluation of the Australian Government’s Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme and the follow-up ARC Linkage project, Millennium Mums Survey. Ning has specialist expertise in data preparation, management, screening and analysis which she has applied to great effect in these projects. Ning has a track record of successfully delivering accessible and policy informing documentation.

Prior to joining ISSR in 2010, Ning completed her PhD in Social Psychology at The University of Queensland. Through the lens of the social identity approach and an organisational justice perspective, her doctoral program of research investigated how anti-norm leaders can mitigate negative responses from their group members when they wish to lead their group towards the prescriptive norms of an outgroup. To this end, she designed and conducted six pilot tests and six experimental studies to explore two plausible moderators and two potential mediators underlying the effects. Ning is a member of the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists.

Research interests:

Student engagement, Paid parental leave, Childcare policy, Maternal employment, Social identity approach