Dr Staci Vicary

Biography

Dr Staci Vicary joined ACAP University College as Lecturer in Psychological Sciences since 2017. Staci currently leads the multidisciplinary common core unit MULT1015 Applications in Context which serves to onboard all new students to their higher education studies here at ACAP, while introducing the importance of culturally safe professional practice.

Staci earned her PhD at the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour, and Development in 2014, with a focus on understanding visual working memory for complex human actions such as dance. Staci then completed a postdoctoral position at Brunel University London and Goldsmiths University, contributing to an arts and science collaboration between psychologists, neuroscientists, and performing artists. Here, Staci had the unique opportunity to explore the social and emotional bonding that occurs as groups of people watch performers move together in and out of time. In the time since, Staci has worked not only at ACAP but across Australia, facilitating Psychology education at University of Newcastle, University of Adelaide, and James Cook University, as well as working behind the scenes in educational learning design.

Since taking time to raise her young family and becoming immersed in parenting, Staci's research interests have shifted towards supporting new parents as they transition into mothering and fathering roles. Staci works with research students to better understand parental self-efficacy and the means by which basic psychological needs can be better met for new parents.