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Senior Yorta Yorta Elder and Fellow School of Social and Political Science, University of Melbourne., The University of Melbourne

Dr. Atkinson completed his academic studies with LaTrobe University and was selected as Indigenous scholar of the year in 1996. His multidisciplinary studies in Archaeology, History, Politics, Legal Studies, and Human Rights, were used to complete a Ph.D. on the Yorta Yorta Struggle for Land Justice in 2000. This achievement gained him a lectureship in Indigenous Studies in the School of Social and Political Science, University of Melbourne. For the last two decades Dr. Atkinson has taught a course he designed, called Oncountry Learning: Indigenous Studies. The course achieved outstanding results as a community-based education program for which he was awarded the A G Tucker Medal for Recognition of Outstanding Achievements, Excellence in Scholarship, and Academic contribution to the University of Melbourne Faculty of Arts, 2017. The subject was hailed by the Academic Board as the 'Jewel in the Crown of its Indigenous Studies academic program. Dr Atkinson continues his teaching in Indigenous Studies and the Oncountry Learning program and is writing a book on his life story that will be published in 2024.

Experience

  • –present
    Senior Fellow, The University of Melbourne

Honours

Indigenous Scholar of the Year, 1997; Recipient of the Australian Awards for University Teaching, 2013 and the A.G.Tucker Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Melbourne 2017, 2013; Visiting Indigenous Scholar, National University of Ireland Galway, 2006-2017.