Melanie Birksis an Honorary Professor of Nursing at James Cook University and a leading voice in contemporary health professional education. She is deeply committed to conducting high quality, practice relevant research that enhances professional standards across a broad range of disciplines. Melanie's scholarly work focuses on improving accessibility, innovation, and relevance in education, with a particular emphasis on preparing graduates who are industry ready and equipped to contribute meaningfully to their professions.With a prolific publication record spanning more than 120 peer reviewed journal articles, numerous book chapters, and 10 widely used textbooks, Melanie is recognised internationally for her influential research and scholarship. In collaboration with Professor Jane Mills, she has developed a comprehensive suite of grounded theory resources, accessible at https://groundedtheory.academy/, including the highly successful online grounded theory course (https://groundedtheory.academy/course). The work of Birks and Mills has become an invaluable and acclaimed resource for researchers across disciplines seeking to engage with grounded theory methodology.

Professor Jane Mills is one of Australia's leading primary health care academics, with extensive experience in leadership across government and tertiary sectors. In 2024, she was recognised as Australia's Rural and Remote Health Advocate of the Year for her sustained contribution to rural and remote health. An active and highly cited researcher, Professor Mills works across rural health, the health workforce, health system strengthening and nursing education. Since 2006, she has attracted more than $3.9 million in research and consultancy funding, including an NHMRC Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Primary Health Care.A passionate educator and internationally recognised grounded theorist, she has received an Australian Government Office of Learning and Teaching National Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Learning and Teaching in the area of teaching research. Professor Mills has a reputation as an outstanding higher degree research supervisor across a number of disciplines including public health, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, allied health and social work.