Bringing together academics and stakeholders to make better connections.
MEET THE TEAM
Shaping Connections brings together academics and stakeholders with a variety of expertise in areas such as consumer behaviour, social marketing, consumer culture theory, and design innovation management.
Assoc Prof Bernardo Figueiredo
Shaping Connections Co-founder & Director
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Bernardo is an Associate Professor in Marketing in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT University. His current research projects focus on value creation, collaborative networks, technology, and ageing.
Dr Torgeir Aleti
Shaping Connections Co-founder & Deputy Director
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Torgeir is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT University. Torgeir’s research investigates social and relational aspects of consumption choices and behaviour.
Prof Diane M. Martin
Associate Investigator
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Diane is a Professor of Marketing at the University of Galway. Diane’s expertise is in ethnographic and qualitative research in the areas of consumer behaviour, new market development and sustainability. Her award-winning scholarship is published in numerous journals in marketing and communication.
Prof Mike Reid
Associate Investigator
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Mike is a Professor in Marketing in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT University. His research encompasses social marketing areas of food literacy, consumer food choice, obesity and behaviour change and healthy middle-ageing.
Prof Larissa Hjorth
Associate Investigator
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Larissa is Distinguished Professor, creative practitioner and digital ethnographer in the School of Media & Communication at RMIT University. She represents RMIT on the Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration (MARC) steering board, has conducted digital ethnography of older adults in museum engagement with the Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) and has successfully led 20 international and national projects which have focused on intergenerational and cross-cultural approaches to digital ethnography.
Mr Glen Wall
Industry Collaborator/Partner
Vice President, U3A Network Victoria and President / Chairman, Whittlesea U3A
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Glen developed the program ‘Building Community Engagement” for the U3A Network Victoria which focused on the improvement in digital literacy of seniors in order to better connect to the broader community and improve their wellbeing. A leader of the City of Whittlesea "Strengthening Seniors Inclusion and Participation in Local Communities" initiative, Glen has established a network of volunteer community connectors which support socially isolated and lonely seniors to participate in activities.
Anne Grigg
Industry Collaborator/Partner
Vice President, U3A Network Victoria and Course Development, U3A Kingston
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Anne worked as the Members Services Manager at U3A Network Victoria before her second retirement. In her U3A roles and as a primary school leader, she has a strong interest in developing community relationships.
Dr Mark Buschgens
Project Manager
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Mark is a lecturer in marketing at Waikato Management School & PhD graduate of RMIT University’s School of Economics, Finance and Marketing. Over the last 12 years, he has held academic and industry roles in the field of creative design and marketing in various institutions in Australia, California and the Middle East.
Dr Jacob Sheahan
Affiliated Researcher​
University of Edinburgh
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Jacob is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Design Informatics and the Advanced Care Research Centre, exploring the ethics of caring and digital technologies in later life. As a design researcher with a background in industrial and interaction design, Jacob is focused on constructive participatory methods of design, as well as partnering with local communities and organisations.
Sally Piper
Strategic Communications
Sally is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Graduate Certificate in Marketing with Distinction from RMIT and Master of Marketing with Distinction. She has a strong marketing, project and account management background specialising in digital and strategic marketing through a user experience lens.
Michael Doneman
Associate Investigator
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Michael is Founding Director of Edgeware Creative Entrepreneurship, a small business training and coaching company, and maintains his own coaching practice. He has a background in creative industries, education and community cultural development, which have inspired work in business design, higher education, vocational education and training, and information technology. He is a PhD candidate at the RMIT School of Communication and Design.
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Dr Nguyen Luu
Affiliated Researcher​
Nguyen Luu is a Researcher/Educator in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT University. Her research interests focus on market systems, social enterprises, technology, and sustainable development.
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