Dr Lou Conway
Director - UNE Business School
Biography
Lou Conway is the Director of the UNE SMART Region Incubator (SRI) which supports startup businesses across the New England North West region. Lou has lead the development of the SRI since it began in March 2017 and is passionate about supporting startups in agriculture, health and other sectors to solve a problem for the global marketplace. Lou has worked in various roles within agribusiness, education and human service delivery and her research reflects this diversity of background. Lou has pursued a keen interest in regional development through her research and seeks collaborations with people to capture the benefit of innovation and technology in our regions.
Qualifications
BOcc Thy (UQ), MBA (NE), PhD (NE)
Primary Research Area/s
Regional Development Policy; Regional InnovationResearch Interests
Major research interests
How to support regional communities to capture the benefits of innovation through people and technology.
Examples of research projects
An analysis of regional development governance in NSW and WA; the role of community activism in regional development, in particular the activities of Caroona Coal Action Group and the Barrington Gloucester Stroud Preservation Alliance; the perceptions of the Mayors and General Managers involved in the unraveling of the New England Strategic Alliance of Councils; workplace experiences for apprentices and their employers in Armidale; women in small business in Armidale; and health and wellbeing business opportunities in regional NSW.
Publications
Working Papers
Conway, M-L., and Dollery, B. (2009). Constructing 'Regional Development' in the Boardroom: Evidence from New South Wales and Western Australia, Centre for Local Government, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, ISSN 1835-761X.
Conway, L., and Dollery, B. (2009.) An Analysis of New England Strategic Alliance Model, Centre for Local Government, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, ISSN 1835-761X.
Journal Articles
Pini, B. and Conway, M-L (2017). Masculinity and fathering in the lives of rural men with a disability. Journal of Rural Studies, (In press) DOI information: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.12.005
Conway, M-L., & Foskey, R. (2015). Apprentices thriving at work: looking through an appreciative lens. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 3, 332-348. doi: 10.1080/13636820.2015.1054863
Conway, M-L., Dollery, B., and Grant, B. (2011). Shared Service Models in Australian Local Government: the fragmentation of the New England Strategic Alliance 5 years on. Australian Geographer, 42(2), 207-223.
Conway, L., Dollery, B., and Grant, B. (2011). The Construction of Regional Development in the Boardroom: A Comparative Analysis of New South Wales and Western Australia. Journal of Economic and Social Policy, 14(8).
Pini, B., Sheridan, A., and Conway, M-L. (2009). Gendering Regional Governance: A Framework for Analyses. Public Policy, 4(1), 12-29.
Conway M-L. (2006). Boardroom Revelations - board members making meaning of regional development governance. Sustaining Regions,5(3), 3-16.
Sheridan, A., Pini. B., and Conway L. (2006). Modestly staffed and modestly resourced: An exploratory critique of women's entry to rural and regional governance. Rural Society, 16(3), 271- 282.
Conway, L., & Sheridan, A. (2005). Women, Small Business and Rural Location. Rural Society, 15(1), 55-73.
Sheridan, A., & Conway, L. (2001). Workplace flexibility: Reconciling the needs of employers and employees. Women in Management Review, 16(1), 5-11.
Conway, L., & Sheridan, A. (1997). Part-time employment: family friendly but career unfriendly. Disciplining Rita Symposium Proceedings, J. O'Sullivan (ed.), University of New England, 59- 62.
Conference Papers
Conway, M-L. (2008, July). The Meaning of Regional Development, according to Board members. In Proceedings of the XII World Congress of Rural Sociology, "Envisioning a Prosperous Rural Future in a Globalizing World". Goyang, Korea, 6-11 July 2008.
Conway, M-L. (2006, September). Boardroom Revelations - board members making meaning of regional development governance. In Proceedings of the Australian New Zealand Regional Science Association International (ANZRSAI) Conference. Beechworth, Victoria, 26-29 September.
Conway M-L. (2005). The Stitching Up of Regional Development Governance: metaphorically speaking. In Proceedings of the Australian New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference. Canberra, ACT.
Sheridan, A., & Conway, L. (2003). Women in Small Business in Regional Locations. In Proceedings of the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand (SEAANZ) Conference. Ballarat, Victoria.
Sheridan, A., & Conway, L. ( 2002). Women in Small Business in Regional Locations - an Armidale case study. In Proceedings of the Australian New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference. Beechworth, Victoria.
Sheridan, A., & Conway, L. (1999, November). Flexibility, part-time work and the role of HRM. In Proceedings of the Organisations Looking Ahead: Challenges and Directions Conference. Griffith University, Queensland.
Conway, L., & Sheridan, A. (1999, December). Part-time employment: Making the most of the fastest growing segment of the Australian labour market. In Proceedings of the Australian & New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference. Adelaide, South Australia. Awarded Best Interactive Paper of the Conference.
Conway, L. (1997, December). Action-based learning in Distance Education. In Proceedings of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference. Wollongong, New South Wales.
Conway, L. (1987). The Future of Supported Employment in Queensland. In Proceedings of the SEARCH Conference funded by the Commonwealth Department of Community Services and Health. Brisbane, Queensland.
Consultancy Reports
Sheridan, A., Conway, L., and Harris, J. (2003). Armidale: Healthy People Living and Learning in a Healthy Environment. A consultancy project commissioned by the Economic Development Committee of the Armidale Dumaresq Council to examine the potential for the development of the health and well-being sector within the Armidale region.
