Contributors

Beatrice M’mboga Akala

Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand

Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand Dr Beatrice M’mboga Akala is a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Education, Curriculum and Social Studies Division. She specialises in human rights and democracy in education, research in education, curriculum, rurality and transitioning to higher education, policy and gender.

Brent Alan Ferguson

Lecturer in Games Sound and Music, Brunel University London

Lecturer in Games Sound and Music, Brunel University London Brent is a Lecturer in Games Sound and Music. They are also a performer, composer, and scholar of videogame music. Brent's research interest are in music and multimedia, the weaponization of music, and arranging videogame music for the guitar. Their co-written research has appeared in the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy (2020), the Journal of Sound and Music in Games (2021), and the edited collections Nostalgia and Videogame Music (2022, edited by Can Askoy, Vincent Rone, and Sarah Pozderac-Chenevey) and The Intersection of Animation, Video Games, and Music (2023, edited by Lisa Scoggin and Dana Plank). Brent has also presented at conferences such as the American Musicological Society (2017), the North American Conference on Video Game Music (2020, 2021) and the Ludomusicology Research Group Conference (2020, 2021). Brent also performs on the classical and electric guitars, as well as keyboard instruments. They have performed with American groups Mothership: A Led Zeppelin Experience and Q: The Music of Queen for over a decade. Brent also performs with Dr. Michael Averett as the MIENT Duo, and they released their first album, ...souls like birds, under the Centaur record label. They had the privilege of performing Eric Roth's RPG National Anthem Variations at Naka-Kon in Overland Park, Kansas in 2022. Brent has also performed with various jazz groups including the River City Jazz Band, the Solid Brass Jazz Ensemble and the Randy Runyon Project on piano/keys. Brent's compositions have appeared in a variety of independent videogames, as well as the concert stage.

Brad Underhill

PhD candidate and tutor, History, Deakin University

PhD candidate and tutor, History, Deakin University In 2017I completed a Bachelor of Arts (Hons)/Bachelor of Commerce majoring in History and Economics. I was awarded the 2016 Bowater Trust medal (Deakin Business School Graduate of the Year), and 2017 the Vice Chancellor’s prize for my Honours thesis titled ‘Co-operatives in Papua New Guinea: Economic and Political Development or Colonial Control?’. In 2018 I commenced a PhD at Deakin University on a Postgraduate Research Scholarship. My thesis is titled ‘The New Deal on the Ground in Papua New Guinea’ and is assessing how successful Australian colonial planners were in designing and implementing post-war colonial development in Papua New Guinea. The research project plans to emphasise the Papuan New Guinean perspective of the impact of post-war development on their lives.

Bee Boileau

Research Economist, Institute for Fiscal Studies

Research Economist, Institute for Fiscal Studies Bee Boileau is a Research Economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and works in the Retirement, Saving and Ageing sector. Her current research focuses on household wealth and labour market activity at older ages, as well as on analysis of the UK government's spending decisions.

Bethanie Carney Almroth

Associate Professor, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg

Associate Professor, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg Professor, researcher, ecotoxicology and zoophysiology ► RESEARCH My research focuses on the environmental effects of plastics and plastic-associated chemicals, using different species of fish for study. I use biochemical and physiological methodologies to understand how exposure to microplastics, plastic additives, and environmental chemicals affect fish via different exposure routes. I am specifically interested in oxidative stress mechanisms and their importance following exposure to toxic substances. My research group is included in the environmental science focus area at the Dept of Biological and Environmental Sciences. Other research projects in which I am involved address usage and spread of plastics in society and the environment, as well as consequences of exposure to plastics and associated chemicals. • Weeding out the toxins from recycled plastics • The plastic pollution challenge: a global social-ecological perspective • Limnoplast • Less Space for Plastic RESEARCH CENTERS • CeCar – The Center for Collective Action Research I also work within CeCar, an interdisciplinary project aimed at solving environmental problems by inducing large-scale changes in society. Focus here lies in communication with the general public, industry, and policy makers and addressing problems associated with plastic consumption and possible paths towards mitigating problems. • FRAM – Future Chemical Risk Assessment and Management Strategies I also work with other experts within the FRAM project addressing risk assessment of chemicals and chemical mixtures used in plastic projects and relevant chemical legislation. ► TEACHING and ADVISING As an associate professor at the university, a portion of my time is dedicated to undergraduate and Master’s level courses. I am the course leader for an introductory course in the form and function of organisms as well as an interdisciplinary introductory course in environmental science. I also teach ecotoxicology with focus on physiological effects and biochemical toxicity. In addition, I teach a course for vocational teachers aiming to include issues of sustainable development into their programs. I am also active as an advisor for PhD candidates and Master’s students, guiding them in their independent research projects. This research is often connected to ongoing research projects within my group.

Boe Skuthorpe-Spearim

Podcaster and cultural knowledge facilitator, Indigenous Knowledge

Podcaster and cultural knowledge facilitator, Indigenous Knowledge