MissJayme Verhagen

Jayme Verhagen is a Research Fellow in the Deakin Business School, working on the ARC project Social Impact and Connection Outcomes Associated with Community Sport. She recently submitted her PhD at Swinburne University of Technology, where she developed strengths-based, multidimensional measures of social connection as part of the ARC project Activating Social Connection to Address Isolation and Loneliness in Australia, partnering with councils and non-profit organisations.

Jayme has worked on multiple projects exploring social connection in contexts such as residential aged care, intergenerational programs, community sport, and council initiatives. She primarily works with quantitative methods, including factor analysis, and has also conducted qualitative research such as interviews and observations in previous projects.

At Deakin, Jayme studies how community sport environments and organisations can better support social connection and wellbeing. She has presented at national conferences, published on social connection in academic and industry-focused outlets, and taught Business and Media & Communication subjects as a sessional tutor at Swinburne University.