Ellie Bock's journey

Following completion of her Master in Philosophy (Society & Culture) studies last year, Ellie Bock enjoyed the honour of participating in the recent Cairns JCU Graduation Ceremony held on 24 March 2023. Her family and friends in attendance lent their encouragement and support, as did family members overseas who joined the event via the digital livestream.

On the back of her successful re-immersion into academia courtesy of the MPhil, Ellie commenced her doctorate studies at JCU in January 2023. Ellie’s PhD research explores and analyses contemporary governance systems intersecting with First Peoples’ custodianships of country. She is a RTP Scholarship holder.

Ellie is doubly excited as she has gained part-time employment at The Cairns Institute as a Regional Planner (Development in the Tropics). In this role, she will be supporting First Peoples’ nation-building and strategic planning, building on her extensive professional career in the delivery of specialist planning services, and the facilitation of processes generating precedent-setting outcomes for First Peoples and Country, benefiting local Indigenous communities and Australian society as a whole.