Dr Effy George

Dr Effy George is a key academic and unit convenor in the VU First Year College.

Effy received her PhD from La Trobe University. Her research focuses on South Asian modernity and its expression through material culture, gender, race, and contemporary art. Her PhD Dissertation, The Sorathiya Rabari: Women’s Instrumentality in the Culture of a Pastoral Caste, was based on research amongst the Rabari Shepherds of Gujarat, Western India. This research is ongoing. She recently presented a paper on her research at the Tattooed Images International Conference, Musée du Quai Branly, Paris.

Effy is also continuing her research and publications on the first-year university student experience.

Since 2011, she has been a fellow at the Center for Collaborative Online International Learning at the State University of New York Global Center. This fellowship advanced the model of the Global Learning Community she developed in collaboration with the University of Texas El Paso. The GLC provided an online classroom which engaged VU and UTEP students in a collaborative learning environment. Recently, this model was adopted by the Texas A&M University.

Research grants

2011-14 COIL Funded Institute Fellow, The SUNY Center for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), New York.    

2011 -13 OLT Grant Project Member: VU, Deakin and Museum Victoria project 'Collaborative exchanges with museums to engage humanities and education students in experiential learning and citizenship'. AU $219,000.

Publications

Refereed book chapters

George, E. (2019)   Forthcoming publication `Tattooed Images: Musee Du Quai Branly’ (book chapter).

George, E. Montelongo, I. & Kropp, J. (2016) Voices from the Periphery: The Victoria University and University of Texas at El Paso Global Learning Community. In Ten Years of a Global Partnership: Victoria University and University of Texas at El Paso (edited by D. Ekal, & S. Young). Victoria University Publishing.

George, E & Montelongo, I. (2015) Voices from the Periphery: The Victoria University and University of Texas at El Paso Global Learning Community. In Globally Networked Teaching in the Humanities: Theories and Practices (edited by A. Moore & S. Simon, New York: Routledge.

George, E. (2008) Songs in the presence of Mammai Mataji. In The iconic female: goddesses of India, Nepal and Tibet (edited by Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat and Ian Mabbett). Monash University Press, Australia

Conference presentations

George, E. and  Kropp, J. (2016) Global Learning Communities: Overcoming the Tyranny of Distance, Global Learning and the College Curriculum: Nurturing Student Efficacy in a Global World Conference, Association of American Colleges and Universities, Denver, Colorado.

George, E. (2015) Sorathi Rabari Trajwa. Tattooed Images International Conference. Musée du Quai Branly, Paris.

George, E. and Montelongo, I. (2013) Voices From the Periphery: The Case of Victoria University and the University of Texas at El Paso Global Learning Community, Capstone Conference, SUNY Global Center, The State University of New York.

George, E and Charman, K. (2012) Collaborative exchanges with museums to engage humanities and education students in experiential learning and citizenship, HERDSA Conference, Hobart.

George, E. and Montelongo, I.  (2010) Bridging Courses, Countries, and Continents : The Creation of the UTEP-VU Learning Community, 23rd International Conference on the First-Year Experience, Maui, Hawaii.

George, E. (2010) VU/University of Texas at El Paso Project, Internationalising the Curriculum: A Showcase, VU College.

George, E. (2009) Internationalisation and Global Learning communities, VUC Forum, Sunshine.

George, E. (2005) ‘Rabari Women’s Performativity’, Body Modification: Mark II Conference, Macquarie University, Sydney.

George, E. (2003) 'Women's tattoos in Saurastra', Different Cultural Expressions of Indian Art and Culture, National Centre for South Asian Studies, Monash University

Professional memberships

• Australian Anthropological Society
• Monash Asia institute
• Melbourne South Asian Studies Group (MSASG)
• Gujarat Scholars Network (based at Oxford University, UK)
• The Asia Society
• Coil Institute (SUNY NY)

Appearances in the media

Acosta, L. (2017) UTEP and Victoria University: A global partnership, The University of Texas at El Paso Alumni Magazine