DrAlison Spence

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Health/School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences/Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition

  • Senior Lecturer
    Faculty of Health/School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences/Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition
  • +61 3 924 45481 (Work)
  • Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125

TEACHING EXPERTISE

Dr Spence has taught Community and Public Health Nutrition within the Master of Dietetics since 2018. She has collaborated with dozens of partner organisations to co-ordinate relevant placements across nutrition and dietetics courses sinces 2013, connecting with community health centres, Public Health Units, peak bodies and public health organisations across Victoria. Across both semesters one and two she supports supervisors and students in over 20 projects annually, designed to benefit our partner organisations and ultimately the health of their communities.

 

Dr Spence also contributes to Scholarship of Teaching and Learning via delivering and evaluating novel teaching practices in public health nutrition. She has led and presented the Master of Dietetics team's work to expand and evaluate the incorporation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and health across the curriculum (2026 conference presentation), and collaboration with Deakin's School of Education to embed nutrition content in the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (2025 conference presentation), as well as conducted work on evaluating feedback practices (published 2020).

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

  • UNIT CHAIR
    Unit Chair and Placement Co-ordinator: HSN745 (Community and Public Health Nutrition), ongoing since 2018
    1 Feb 2018
  • CURRENT DOCTORAL SUPERVISION
    Environmental Sustainability of Children's Dietary Intakes
    Nuvini Adhishna Samarathunga Samarathunga Randunu Appuhamie - School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
  • CURRENT DOCTORAL SUPERVISION
    Exploring the Potential for Meal Kits to Promote Food Literacy and Healthy Family Meals
    Kylie Amanda Carrick - School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
  • CURRENT DOCTORAL SUPERVISION
    Understanding the Dynamic Interactions Between Parental Feeding Practices, Mealtime Environment, and Fruit & Vegetable Consumption in Young Children
    Luke David Pullar - School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
  • CURRENT DOCTORAL SUPERVISION
    Assessing stakeholder acceptance, nutrient adequacy and cost considerations when pilot testing a transition to a plant-based menu in Australian long day care centres
    Kathleen Dorothy See - School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
  • COMPLETED DOCTORAL SUPERVISION
    Iron nutrition of Australian pre-schoolers
    Linda Atkins - School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences - 2022
  • COMPLETED DOCTORAL SUPERVISION
    Parenting styles and their associations with the dietary intakes of children
    Alissa Jane Burnett - School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences - 2020
  • COMPLETED DOCTORAL SUPERVISION
    Family mealtime screen use in Australian families with young children
    Eloise-Kate Litterbach - School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences - 2023
  • COMPLETED DOCTORAL SUPERVISION
    Towards Sustainable Healthy Food Provision in Early Childhood Education Settings
    Audrey Elford - School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences - 2024
  • COMPLETED DOCTORAL SUPERVISION
    Advancing Nutrition Policy Assessment in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings
    Anna Aristova - School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences - 2026