Who’s Who in 22, Community: Karen Becker

UniSC Moreton Bay has continued to grow in 2022, under Head of Campus Karen Becker (pictured right), with more students and staff, and work starting on stage two of its development.

In only its third year of operation from its foundation building, the way the campus has been received has already exceeded expectations.

Stage two of the university’s development started in July and will deliver three new buildings, giving students the latest in additional facilities for studying, collaborating and socialising.

When stage two is complete, UniSC will have invested more than $200 million into infrastructure at the Moreton Bay campus in The Mill at Moreton Bay precinct since initial works started in 2018.

The second stage will more than double the size of the campus. The buildings will be on three levels and will have a range of new facilities including research, recreation, space for co-locating with industry, more staff offices and more facilities for staff and students to socialise and to learn.

It is due to be completed in mid-2023.

Current enrolments are well above expectations, with more than 3000 students studying at the Petrie campus. By 2030, UniSC Moreton Bay is expected to have 10,000 students, with a long-term goal of reaching 25,000.

More than 60 undergraduate degrees are already offered across Business, Education, Health, Science, Technology, Engineering, Biomedical Science and Social Work.

About Karen Becker

Karen Becker is the Head of campus at UniSC Moreton Bay and Professor of Management.

She is also a Regional Development Australia (RDA) Moreton Bay committee member.

Professor Becker has been researching and teaching management and development of people in the workplace for more than 15 years. Prior to this, she worked in corporate human resource management and consulting roles.

Her research focuses on workforce development, unlearning, innovation and change in the workplace, looking at these issues as they apply to individuals, in organisations and across industries.

Professor Becker’s research projects have been funded by the public sector, cooperative research centres and directly by industry partners. She is widely published in her field in journals such as the Human Resource Management Journal, International Journal of Project Management and the Journal of Management Education.

Professor Becker has taught a range of HRM and management courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and has also supervised research higher degree students to completion in a variety of areas including change management, leadership, communication, blended learning and e-learning, and workplace safety governance.

Since moving into tertiary education, Karen has worked in three universities, CQUniversity, QUT and UniSC.

Professor Becker is the inaugural Head of UniSC Moreton Bay, since February 2020, and has been with the University of the Sunshine Coast for five years.