Senior Lecturer in Psychology Dr Bernie Cocks has long been an advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander UNE students. Her pursuits in fostering a culturally inclusive educational environment even earned her the Tertiary Education Impact Award at last year’s UNE Oorala Aboriginal Centre Awards.
Originally from Brisbane, Bernie spent much of her early life on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. And her journey into academia was far from straightforward. After an initial disinterest in university, she found herself in various roles before settling into a career in media, working as an advertising copywriter and later in television and radio.
Despite a successful media career, Bernie sought more meaningful work, leading her to UNE, where she completed her undergraduate, honours, and Ph.D. in Psychology. Her unique path and the flexibility of UNE’s online study options allowed her to transition from a remote location to a fulfilling academic career.
“I was living in the middle of nowhere at the time with just the family and a whole lot of sheep – if it wasn’t for UNE offering such great online study options, I’d probably still be sitting in the middle of nowhere watching the sheep,” says Bernie.
As course coordinator for the Bachelor of Psychological Science and Cognitive Psychology, Bernie is passionate about teaching and student development. Her excitement comes from witnessing ‘lightbulb moments’ when students grasp complex concepts.
Image: Dr Bernie Cocks at the 2023 Oorala awards.
She finds immense satisfaction in breaking down challenging material and helping students achieve those moments of clarity and understanding.
“Cognitive Psyc can be very ‘dense’ with some eye-wateringly complicated concepts and theories to deal with. When you can break it down for students into more manageable chunks, you literally see the moment when they ‘get it’- makes you feel like you’re actually making a difference in someone’s life,” says Bernie.
Yet, Bernie's role extends beyond teaching; she actively supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students by addressing progression challenges and enrolment issues, and providing holistic support. Her initiative in developing the Sorry Business Factsheet, now used across the Faculty of Medicine and Health, is an example of her dedication to creating a supportive and culturally sensitive academic environment.
Winning the Oorala Tertiary Education Impact Award for this work was a humbling experience for Bernie. The award acknowledged her efforts to decolonise the undergraduate psychology curriculum and improve cultural safety for Indigenous students. Sharing the award with Kate Carter, who works with Oorala’s Tracks programme, highlighted the collaborative efforts within UNE to support Indigenous education.
When asked how she felt about the award, Bernie said, “Winning the award will always have a very special place in my heart, because I found out afterwards who nominated me and why - it's perhaps not so much the award that has impacted me; rather, that people who I think are absolutely awesome, amazing people, who themselves were doing amazing things, felt that I was worth nominating. I may not feel worthy of it, but knowing these people did still takes my breath away!
“I would 100 percent say ‘nominate someone who's making a difference, even if only small’ - sometimes, we only progress with baby steps - but put enough baby steps together, and you have a giant leap.”
Bernie’s advocacy extends to volunteering at the Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health, mentoring undergraduate psychology students. The institute aims to reduce Indigenous suicides and strengthen well-being by increasing the number of Indigenous psychologists in Australia. Bernie’s mentorship involves tutoring, helping students navigate academic processes, providing a listening ear and fostering self-efficacy.
