Michael Emslie

Michael Emslie is a lecturer in the Youth Work and Youth Studies degree in the Social Work and Human Services discipline in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University.
 
Michael's extensive education, work experience and research demonstrates a long held passion and deep commitment to explore, pursue and promote good practice in human service and in particular youth work. Michael is particularly interested in questions concerning how practice is thought about, known, done, and supported in these fields. 
 
Michael's career in academia spans more than fifteen years during which time Michael has made a significant and positive impact that includes writing over forty peer reviewed publications, receiving four teaching awards, and demonstrating excellence in supporting students' learning particularly through facilitating theoretically grounded and practically relevant approaches to education.
 
Prior to taking on a permanent role in the university Michael had wide-ranging 'hands-on' experience in the youth, disability, and community work sectors for over fifteen years in a variety of roles including housing and crisis work, case work and counselling, and youth and family support, and Michael draws on this rich and diverse 'real-world' knowledge to enrich his teaching and research.
 
Michael thrives on engaging in adventurous and diverse intellectual pursuits and Michael's work as a researcher demonstrates a deliberate commitment to produce and share knowledge that will inspire imaginative and good practice and help to positively shape the world. This includes Michael's active involvement in the Edge/Centre Research Program that is a space of collaborative scholarly endeavours with a key focus on investigating and deploying creative research methods and innovative knowledge practices to generate and enhance the possibilities for inventive and ethical professional practice in human services, education and the arts.