Susan is currently investigating community-led systems for flood monitoring and warning systems in the NSW Northern Rivers Region.

She completed her PhD in disaster resilience policy implementation in 2020. She later researched community resilience for emergencies in local government policy for the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (now the Natural Hazards Research Australia) and was contracted to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency to develop the 1st national mental health plan for was cemergency services workers.  

Prior to her PhD candidature she worked for nearly two decades in the Australian Public Service (APS) developing national disaster management and national mental health policies and programs.  This followed her earlier career in the Hunter region of NSW as a general and mental health nurse in hospitals and in community health and health education.

Her APS roles included:

Australian and New Zealand Emergency Management Committee Secretariat

A major focus of these committees was to oversee the implementation of the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience and report to COAG on progress.  While here, Susan was a member of the Project Advisory Group during 2011-12 for the National Emergency Management Program project: Developing a model and tool to measure community disaster resilience by the Torrens Resilience Institute.

National Disaster Recovery Taskforce

Developed national disaster recovery policy to support Queensland and Victorian reconstruction following the severe flooding events and Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2010-11.

Disaster Preparedness and Recovery 

Monitored and reported to government on emerging disasters and developed and coordinated national disaster preparedness and recovery assistance programs. While here, Susan contributed as a Writing Group member to the Australian Emergency Management Series: Community Recovery Handbook 2, 3rd Edition. 2011. Commonwealth of Australia.

http://www.em.gov.au/Documents/AEMHS%202%20Community%20Recovery.PDF

Office of Health Protection

National health security and health emergency (including pandemic planning) policy, planning and response.