Structure and Governance

The AVERT Research Network was established in 2018 by Professor Michele Grossman and colleagues at Deakin University. 

Professor Grossman served as Convenor or co-Convenor of the AVERT Network until 2024. As of 2024, Lydia Khalil serves as the Convenor of the Network. AVERT membership, including representation on its Executive and Steering Committees, is multi-institutional.

AVERT’s operational funding is provided by generous support from the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation and the Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University. Additional funding for specific activities such as conferences, symposia and research outputs is currently provided under an agreement with the Department of Home Affairs.

AVERT’s work is guided by an Executive Committee and a Steering Committee. The AVERT Steering Committee provides high level advice to the AVERT Convenor and Executive on the strategic goals and operations of the AVERT Research Network. The AVERT Executive manages the day-to-day design and implementation of AVERT activities, as well as contributing to strategic planning and development. The Terms of Reference for the AVERT Steering Committee and Executive Committee can be accessed here.

 

Executive Commitee

  • Michele Grossman AM

    Professor and Research Chair in Diversity and Community Resilience, and Co-Convenor, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Resilience to violent extremism; Preventing and countering violent extremism; Women and terrorism; Terrorist recruitment; Cultural semiotics of terrorism.

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  • Lydia Khalil

    Senior Research Fellow and Co-Convenor, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Violent extremism; Online; Technology; Emergency management and countering violent extremism; Crisis and natural disasters; Radicalisation; Authoritarianism; Intelligence; Counterterrorism; Policy; Jihadism; Middle East; Right wing extremism; Conspiracy & Disinformation

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  • Greg Barton

    Professor of Global Islamic Politics

    Research Area Keywords: Radicalisation, recruitment and disengagement; Countering violent extremism; Salafi jihadi terrorism; Indonesia; Southeast Asia; Islamic thought; Islam and civil society; Democracy and reform in the Muslim world.

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  • Adrian Cherney

    Professor of Criminology

    Research Area Keywords: Countering violent extremism; Radicalisation; Deradicalisation; Disengagement; Evaluation; Terrorism; Criminology.

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  • Emily Corner

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Radicalisation; Mental Health; Risk Assessment; Grievance.

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  • Jared Dmello

    UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

    Senior Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Radicalisation; Climate Change; LGBTQ+.

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  • Mark Duckworth

    Senior Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Community resilience; Preventing violent extremism; Disaster risk reduction; Intergovernmental relations; Public sector governance; Counter-terrorism policy; Emergency management; Multicultural affairs.

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  • Vivian Gerrard

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Alternative narratives; Image-making; Militant wellness; Polarisation; Radicalisation; Recruitment; Resilience.

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  • Imogen Richards

    Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Social media; News media; Political violence; Political economy; Counterterrorism.

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  • Matteo Vergani

    Associate Professor

    Research Area Keywords: Hate crime; Hate speech; Extremism; Political violence; Terrorism; P/CVE; Evaluation.

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  • Helen Young

    DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

    Senior Lecturer

    Research Area Keywords: Far-right extremist culture and fiction; white supremacy and racism; video games; medievalism; popular culture; conspiracy theories.

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Steering Commitee

  • Michele Grossman AM

    Professor and Research Chair in Diversity and Community Resilience, and Co-Convenor, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Resilience to violent extremism; Preventing and countering violent extremism; Women and terrorism; Terrorist recruitment; Cultural semiotics of terrorism.

    Read Bio

  • Lydia Khalil

    Senior Research Fellow and Co-Convenor, AVERT Research Network

    Research Area Keywords: Violent extremism; Online; Technology; Emergency management and countering violent extremism; Crisis and natural disasters; Radicalisation; Authoritarianism; Intelligence; Counterterrorism; Policy; Jihadism; Middle East; Right wing extremism; Conspiracy & Disinformation

    Read Bio

  • Julian Droogan

    Associate Professor in Terrorism Studies

    Research Area Keywords: Terrorism; Violent extremism; Countering violent extremism; Jihadism; Internet; Social media; Right-wing extremism; Left-wing extremism; Religion; South Asia

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  • Kristina Murphy

    Professor of Criminology

    Research Area Keywords: Policing and Procedural Justice; Counter-terrorism; Conspiracy Theories; Anti-government Sentiment; Extremism.

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  • Mario Puecker

    Senior Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Dissent; Right-wing extremism; Citizenship; Mobilisation; Radicalism.

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  • Photo of Dr Joshua Roose

    Joshua Roose

    Senior Research Fellow

    Research Area Keywords: Masculinities; Political Violence; Religious Violence; Extremism; Populism; Far-Right; Salafi Jihadism; Male Supremacism; Incels; Mens Rights Activism; Protest; Policy.

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  • Paul Thomas

    Professor of Youth and Policy

    Research Area Keywords: Preventing Violent Extremism; Youth Racial Tensions; Education; Anti-racism; Enactment of Policy.

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