Director, Culture and Community
Associate Professor Anthony McKnight
is Director of Early Start, Culture and Community and an Associate Professor within the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Indigenous Strategy Unit, where he leads Curriculum Transformation initiatives embedding Country across the University’s Faculties and Schools. Anthony is Awabakal, Gamaroi and continues to be ‘grown up’ by his Yuin cultural lines on the South Coast of NSW. For over 30 years, he has been deeply engaged in Aboriginal education across a wide range of roles and educational institutions. His work centres Aboriginal knowledges, sovereignty, and relational accountability within education and research. Through his leadership at Early Start and UOW, Anthony supports culturally grounded practice, reciprocal community partnerships, and authentic institutional change.
Director, Research and Education
Associate Professor Judy Pickard
is Director of Research and Education at Early Start and a researcher in the School of Psychology at the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. She brings over 25 years of experience as a Clinical Psychologist, with demonstrated leadership in the design, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based models of care. Judy’s research advances child and family wellbeing, mental health, and relational development. She examines the intergenerational transmission of attachment and its implications for mental health and investigates the mechanisms that support social and emotional wellbeing, particularly mindfulness and self-compassion in intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning. Her work also focuses on the application of these approaches within clinical training, evaluating impacts on clinician wellbeing and therapeutic outcomes. In her leadership role, Judy promotes the translation of high-quality research into education and practice, strengthening research capacity and impact across Early Start’s interdisciplinary community."
