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Emily McNamee was recently appointed as Project Coordinator in the Learning Success team at Curtin University Library. We spoke to Emily to learn more about her background, work experience and her role.
“I began my professional journey as a language teacher after completing a Bachelor of Secondary Education and Linguistics. While my intention was to teach German in the United States of America, I instead had the opportunity to teach English abroad through the Fulbright Program in the beautiful alpine town of Innsbruck, Austria. This is where I met my partner, who is from Perth, Western Australia – so after four years of English teaching in Europe, I moved to Australia with him.
Since being in Perth, I have held a variety of roles, from bartender in the city to bike hire assistant on Rottnest Island, and later as an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) teacher. It was while working as an English teacher at the language college Navitas that I became interested in the impacts of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on education. I undertook a year-long action research program under the guidance of Professor Anne Burns and English Australia, looking into AI literacy and critical thinking. It was this research that ultimately led me to join the Curtin University Library as a Learning Success Advisor.
At the start of this year, I stepped into a newly created Project Coordinator role focused on supporting the development of AI literacy for students and Library staff. The goal of the role is to build genuine confidence and capability with continually evolving technologies through workshops, self-help resources, and hands-on teaching content. Alongside that, I will be managing project timelines, building connections for collaboration with other areas of the University, and quality-checking GenAI tools the Library may endorse. I’m really looking forward to the journey — and to collaborating with all of you along the way!
One of the most rewarding aspects of this role is helping people navigate what can feel like a moving target. GenAI is developing so rapidly that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the noise. Being able to cut through that and offer some genuine clarity feels like meaningful work.
What I’m perhaps most excited about, though, is tapping into the information science and digital literacy expertise already here in the Library and applying it to GenAI. I can’t wait to help shape that into concrete, shareable resources and advice that benefit the whole university community.
In my free time, I enjoy time in nature, whether that’s sitting outback with my three cats or going camping and mountain biking. I also like to get lost on the pottery wheel or in the streets of a new city with my partner. Our next stop is Bali, as seems only fitting after settling into life in Perth.”
Written by Emily McNamee, Project Coordinator
