New Director of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute Appointed

The University of Melbourne is delighted to announce that Professor Jo Barraket has been appointed as the new Director of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute.

Professor Barraket is a political sociologist with a focus on both public policy and organisational practice. She is a leading international scholar in the areas of social enterprise and the wider social economy and has additional research interests in digital inclusion and social innovation.

Professor Barraket is the author of over 75 publications and has led more than $11 million of grant funded and commissioned research. Since 2014 she has been the Founding Director of the Centre for Social Impact – Swinburne, one of the largest social economy research centres in the world.

As Director of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute, Professor Barraket will provide leadership in developing, attracting and facilitating interdisciplinary research by actively engaging with community-based organisations, government, business, philanthropic organisations and academic staff to address social equity issues.

Professor Mark Hargreaves, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research Partnerships and Infrastructure, welcomed Professor Barraket’s appointment, pointing to her passion for improving social equity through impactful research, her extensive success in leading research teams and networks involving partners from multiple sectors, and her commitment to community-engaged research.

Professor Barraket’s appointment follows the retirement of Foundation Director Professor Bernadette McSherry in June 2021. She will commence as Institute Director in January 2022.

Subscribe to the Melbourne Social Equity Institute email list