DrMichelle O'Toole

Michelle is a sociocultural anthropologist and applied qualitative researcher whose work focuses on trust between governments and communities, community engagement, co-design, cross-cultural relationships, and community resilience.

Her research examines how people and institutions build understanding, develop trust, and collaborate across cultural, social, and institutional differences, particularly in complex settings. Her work draws on qualitative, ethnographic, and participatory methods, including co-design and decolonial approaches to research and engagement. She has conducted research in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and online.

At Deakin University, Michelle conducts research examining trust in civil society and relationships between governments and communities, as well as the contribution of business and community volunteering to disaster preparedness, recovery, and regional resilience.

A central focus of her work is research translation: turning complex findings into clear, practical, and actionable resources for government, practitioners, and communities. These include research reports, policy briefs, practice guides, training resources, and workshops.

Her research interests include trust in government and institutions; community engagement; co-design and participatory research; decolonial approaches to research and engagement; cross-cultural relationships; disaster resilience and recovery; volunteering; qualitative and ethnographic research; and research translation.

Affiliations:

- Fellow, Australian Anthropological Society (AAS)

- Member, Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa/New Zealand (ASAA/NZ)

- Member, Aotearoa Research Ethics Committee Te Roopu Rapu i te Tika