Professor Maria Raciti (Kalkadoon-Thaniquith/Bwgcolman) is a social marketer who uses marketing tools and techniques to bring about social justice and behaviour change. Professor Raciti is co-director of the UniSC Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre, co-leader of the education and economies theme in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures, a member of the executive of the Australian Association of Social Marketing, the 2018 Research Fellow with the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education and was part of an Australian Government departmental task force assisting with the 2019 National Regional Rural and Remote Tertiary Education Strategy. Maria is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK), a QUT Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology Fellow and a member of the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education Grants and Fellowships Committee. Dr Raciti is regularly engaged as an expert advisor and has undertaken several large-scale research projects that have produced meaningful and impactful outcomes aligned with the United Nations SDG4 (Quality Education), SDG8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG10 (Reduced Inequalities) and the National Closing the Gap Target 6 (Further Education) and Target 8 (Economic Participation).
Professional memberships
- Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (Global)
- Higher Education Academy (UK)
- International Social Marketing Association
- United Nations Association of Australia Academic Network
- Australian Association of Social Marketing
Fellowships
- Fellow, Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology (BEST), Queensland University of Technology (2023-present)
- National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education Grants and Fellowships Committee (2023-present)
- Adjunct Fellow with the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, Curtin University (2019-2022)
- Secondment to Departmental Taskforce with the Australian Government Department of Education assisting with the 'Napthine Review': The National Regional Rural and Remote Tertiary Education Strategy (2019)
- Research Fellow with the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (2018)
- Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) (2017)
Journal Editorial Boards
- Higher Education Research & Development College of Reviewers
- Journal of Services Marketing
- Services Marketing Quarterly
- The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education
- Student Success Journal
Journal Associate Editor
- Australian Journal of Social Issues
Awards
- Emerald Literati Award for 2018 Highly Commended Paper for International Journal of Event and Festival Management
- Emerald Top 25 Most Downloaded Articles by Australian Authors Published in 2013
- Emerald Top 25 Most Downloaded Articles by Australian Authors Published in 2013
- Journal of Consumer Marketing Most Highly Downloaded Article in Past Two Years (2011-13)
- Best Paper in Track (Social Marketing), Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (2014)
- Best Paper in Track (Marketing Education), Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (2010)
- Best Conference Paper with an International Focus, Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (2009)
- Best Paper in Track (Social Marketing), Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (2009)
- ALTC Carrick Institute Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2006)
- Vice Chancellor's Medal for Outstanding University Teaching, 2006
Professional Social Media
Research grants
| Project name | Investigators | Funding body | Year/s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saving lives in rural and remote Australia: Tackling rheumatic heart disease-related pathologies using behavioural economic interventions for early prevention, diagnosis, and managing disease progress | Dulleck U, Torgler B, Whyte S, Lee Hong A, Wang W, Doran J, Raciti M, Currie J |
National Health and Medical Research Council (Ideas Grant) (A$1.15m) |
2024-2029 |
| Implementation of the YBMenNT online social and emotional wellbeing health promotion program for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males | Smith J, Canuto KK, Watkins D, Drummond M, Stahl G, Black O, Raciti M, Mahoney R, Prehn J, Canuto KC., Brickley B, Bonson J, Paradisis C, Stokes, C, Petersen J, Opozda M, Miller K, Robinson M, Stothers | Movember Social Connections Challenge, Movember Foundation (Global) (A$400,000) | 2023-2025 |
| ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures | Hokowhitu B, Moreton-Robinson A, Fredericks B, Ward J, McKinnon C, Raciti M, Dudgeon P, Shay M, Beetson S, Garvey G, Parter C, Bainbridge R, Gray P, Behrendt L, Williams M, Eades S, Porter A, Bargallie D, Roe Y, Wood A, Dreise T, Haar J, Smith L, McIntosh T, Andersen C, & Mohamed J |
Australian Research Council (A$35m) |
2023 – 2030 |
| Indigenous business in Australia: A scoping study | Shay M, Raciti M and Fredericks B | The University of Queensland 2022 Indigenous Research Engagement and Partnership Fund (A$30,175) | 2022 |
| Adaptation of an online mental health and wellbeing education and support intervention for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in Australia (Phase 1, Pilot) | Smith, J., Watkins, D., Stahl, G., Canuto, K., Gupta, H., Rung, D., Tari-Keresztes, N., Black, O., Prehn, J., Anderson, P., Raciti, M., Dingwall, K., Drummond, M., Clinch, D., Vigona, J., Bonson, J., Aanudsen, D., & Moore, S. | Movember Social Connections Challenge, Movember Foundation (Global) (A$10,000) | 2021-2023 |
| Education Building capabilities for success: Targeting preparedness for ongoing learning | Dinan-Thompson, M., Nakata, M., Fredericks, B., Raciti, M., Bunda, T., Barney, K., Tomaszewski, W., Heberlein, W., O’Neill, Y., Sanmarco, V., and Mitchell, G. | Regional Partnerships Project Pool Program, Australian Government (A$101,876) | 2022 |
| Implementing Indigenous knowledge approaches in doctoral education | Manathunga C, Qi J, Raciti M, Singh M, Gilbey K and Stanton S | 2021 Australian Research Council (Discovery Project), Australian Government (A$277,459) | 2021-2024 |
| Success from the perspective of the successful: Low SES students, success and completion in higher education | Rubin, M., Evans, O., Burke, P. J., Bennett, A., O’Shea, S., Allen, K., Denson, N., Howley, P., McqQeen, S., Mills, C., Naylor, R., & Raciti, M. | 2018 Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program, National Priorities Pool, Australian Government Department of Education (A$324,311) | 2019-2022 |
| How the perceived risks of going to university influence the decision by people from low SES backgrounds to participate in Australian higher education. | Raciti M | National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (A$215,000) | 2018 |
| Widening regional and remote participation: Interrogating the impact of outreach programs across Queensland | Trinidad S, Kelly M, Mitchell, G, Koshy P, Li I, Zacharias, N, Raciti M, Costello D |
2016 Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme, 2016 National Priorities Pool, Australian Government Department of Education and Training (A$320,000 Category 2) |
2017-2018 |
| Increasing female participation in sport: Queensland Oztag | Powell B, Raciti M |
2017 Advance Queensland: Knowledge Transfer Partnership Program, |
2017-2018 |
| The 'University Place': How and Why Place Influences the Engagement and Retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander University Students | Raciti M, Carter J and Gilbey K |
Office of Learning and Teaching Seed Grant (USC) (A$40,000). |
2016–2017 |
| Social Marketing Strategy for Low Socio-economic-status Communities: Widening Participation in Higher Education | Kelly M, Flynn K, O'Brien G, Trinidad S, Russell-Bennett R, Drennan J, Eagle L and Raciti M |
Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program, National Priorities Pool (A$580,000) Research and Strategy Phase Final Report |
2015–2016 |
| Professional Learning Conversations for Academic Leadership in Learning and Teaching | Readman K, Rowe J, Raciti M, Nugent M and Nemeth J |
Office of Learning and Teaching (USC) Extension Grant (A$30,000). |
2013 |
| Valuing the Portfolio of Festivals and Events on the Sunshine Coast | Gration, D and Raciti M (with Getz D, UQ) |
Sunshine Coast Regional Council; Sunshine Coast Destination Ltd.; Tourism Events Queensland and Faculty of Arts and Business USC (A$36,000) |
2012–2013 |
| Developing Sustainable Industry for Pacific Island Communities | Wallace H, Carter J, Jones K, Johns C, Randall B, Pauku R and Raciti M |
Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative (A$1.12M) |
2011–2014 |
| Indigenous Sunrise Project: School to University Pathways | Raciti M (Project Leader), Tuovinen J, Powell B, Sellwood J and Taylor P |
Department of Education, Science and Training Funding (A$85,000) |
2007–2009 |
| The effect of social support on consumer-to-business relationships - A pilot study | Raciti M |
USC Internal Seed Research Grants ($A5,000) |
2007 |
Research areas
- services marketing
- social marketing
- higher education
Supervision areas
- First Nations business and education
- Social marketing
- Services marketing
- Consumer behaviour
Teaching areas
- BUS512 Introduction to Research Concepts and Design
Select recent research publications
- Raciti M (2023). Unmuted: An Indigenist truth-telling provocation. International Journal of Market Research, 65(2-3), 183-190. https://doi.org/10.1177/14707853221132447
- Raciti M, Russell-Bennett R & Letheren K (2022). A strengths-based approach to eliciting deep insights from social marketing customers experiencing vulnerability. Journal of Marketing Management, 38(11-12), 1137-1177. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2022.2092196
- Raciti M (2022). An Indigenous perspective of the Australasian marketing academy. Australasian Marketing Journal, 30(3), 209-213. https://doi.org/10.1177/18393349211048246
- Raciti M (2021). Social marketing hackers. Journal of Social Marketing, 11(3), 306-320. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSOCM-12-2020-0238
- Hollinsworth D, Raciti M & Carter J (2021) Indigenous students’ identities in Australian higher education: Found, denied, and reinforced. Race Ethnicity and Education, 24(1), pp.112-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2020.1753681
- Carter J, Hollinsworth D, Raciti M & Gilbey K (2018). Academic ‘place-making’: Fostering attachment, belonging and identity for Indigenous students in Australian universities, Teaching in Higher Education, 23(2), 243-260. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2017.13794