Rebecca is a senior lecturer in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences and Associate Dean Education, innovation and student experience for the Faculty of Science at UNSW.

Rebecca completed a BSc (hons) and later a PhD at the University of Sydney on the mechanisms for maintaining multi-drug resistance plasmids in Staphylococcus aureus. Following this, she worked on projects investigating plasmid DNA inheritance in Archaea, microbial molecular markers to trace sources of water pollution, and microbiological production of secondary metabolites.

She also holds a MEd (higher education) from UNSW, and teaches undergraduate courses in the Faculty of Science and the medical program. Rebecca is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy UK). She was awarded the UNSW Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2015, and a citation for contributions to student learning in the Australian University Teaching Awards, 2016, recognising her teaching excellence.

Rebecca's scholarship in learning and teaching focuses on the importance of quantitative skills to STEM students (particularly those in biology). She developed a model of our signature pedagogy in science, and is interested in how students can gain competence and confidence in quantitative skills in their science learning.

She is also interested in helping education focused academics evaluate their teaching practice to demonstrate impact. She obtained $123,000 in funding to lead a community of practice collaboration to develop a series of videos and website on this, resulting in Evaluating Teaching Practice.