Ben is the Director of the Open Door: Veteran Transition, Integration, Wellbeing research initiative in the College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work. Open Door is an Australasian research hub that brings together veterans, scholars, and practitioners together around key research, service provision, and policy/legislation initiatives. Open Door is connected to other veteran research hubs across the five-eye nations.

Ben is the co-Deputy Director of Orama Research Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing

As a Veteran, Ben's research is focused on the health and wellbeing of serving personnel and Veterans. He conducts sociological and criminological research on the ADF and DVA including institutional abuse in the ADF, veteran suicide, and veteran transition into higher education. Ben also researches men's violence toward other men and is using Virtual Reality as a pedagogical tool for education for violence prevention.

Ben writes about the cultural history of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Of particular interest is military culture and crime and the military. He is currently Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Grant titled "Institutional Abuse and Organisational Reform within the ADF (1969-). Ben is currently the lead CI on 2 grants investigating veteran transition and education. These studies explore how effective tertiary education is as a transition pathway, The second grant funded by the NCSEHE studies the ways universities understand veterans and govern their place in the university.

Completions

Education Doctorate

1. Teacher Education Reform in Undang Pandang - Faridah Ohan - 2013
2. Medical Students and Physical Examination - Anna Vnuk - 2013
3. The role of teacher/student relationships in English teaching in Surabaya - Suryanto - 2013
4. Content-Based Instruction At The International Standard School Teacher Education Program - Soni Mirizon - 2014
5. The representation of Indonesian English language teachers' ICT learning experiences: processes and outcomes in English language classrooms - Dyah Ciptaningrum - 2015
6. Experiences Of Indonesian Pre-Service English As Foreign Language Teachers In Implementing Technology In Teaching Practicum: An Investigation Through TPACK Framework - Effendi Limbong - 2015
7. An Examination of the Moral Reasoning Abilities of Cypriot Accounting Students - Maz Demosthenous - 2017
8. Volunteer Motivaton in Surf Life Saving: A Theory of Motivation through Identity - John Fitzgerald - 2018

9. Education, Aspiration and Entrepreneurship – Identifying Changes in Lifestyle Aspirations of Filipina Informal Settlers over Space and Time - Luceille Outhred - 2019 

10. Secondary School Choice - Sing Chee Yu - 2021

Masters of Education

1. Religion and the International Baccalaureate - 2011
2. Domestic Violence in Indonesia - Mohammad Ihsan - 2007

Honours

1. Pre-service teachers perceptions of race and nationalism - 2010
2. Home Economics and SA Schooling - 2005

• Jun 2019 Katerin Berniz - Vice-Chancellor's Prize for Doctoral Thesis Excellence

• Globalisation, Development and Education (3)
• Critical Race and Education Studies (2)
• Indonesian Women in Higher Education (2)
• Academic Activism (1)
• Contemplative Education (1)
• Critical Literacy (1)
• Critical Realism (1)
• Virtual Reality and Mens Violence Prevention (1)
• Early Childhood and Neoliberalism

• Diabetes and Stigma (1)
• Dyslexia Educaation Policy (1)