Professor Powell has held academic appointments at Deakin University since 1997 and was appointed to a Personal Chair in 2004. Her research, supervision and teaching profile relate primarily to the forensic psychology area. Professor Powell has played a major role in the development of several postgraduate courses including the Doctor of Psychology (Forensic) and an on-line professional development unit for forensic interviewers (e.g. police and social workers).
Course Coordinator, Doctor of Forensic (Psychology)
Professor Powell has published in a broad range of areas. However her research focuses primarily on the issue of child eyewitness testimony and forensic interviewing of child witnesses and suspects. The focus of her research has been the identification of factors which make interviewees more or less reliable, as well as training strategies that improve the competency of forensic interviewers. Her publications have addressed:
• individual, organisational, procedural factors that impact the competency of forensic interviewers;
• narrative language ability of juvenile offenders.
Awards and prizes
Australian Psycological Society Distinguished contribution to Forensic Psychology (2011)
Best Annual Paper Award by Routledge and International Police Executive Symposium (2008).
Early Career Award, Australian Psychological Society (2001)
Memberships
Australian Psychological Society
APS College of Forensic Psychologists
Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and the Law
Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition
International Investigative Interviewing Research Group
Service to the University, discipline or community
Professor Powell’s primary contribution has been in the development and delivery of interview training for various professionals (e.g., police, prosecutors, judicial officers, social workers) across all jurisdictions of Australia. Specifically, she has assisted in the development of 9 investigative interviewer training courses and is currently coordinating the first ever national training protocol dictating acceptable standards of investigative interviewing and interviewer training.
Other key duties include:
• Coordinator, Doctor of Psychology (Forensic), Deakin University (1999 – current)
• Chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG) (2008-current)
• Director of Research, School of Psychology, Deakin University (2006 – 2008)
• Australasian Editor, Applied Cognitive Psychology (2000 – 2009)
• Accreditation Officer and Member of the Executive committee, College of Forensic Psychologists, Australian Psychological Society (2005-2008)
Conferences
10 most recent conferences attended:
Snow, P. & Powell, M. B. (2011). Oral language skills and the incarcerated young offender: Links with patterns of offending and early life-risk. Lost for Words: Lost for Life? Conference, 2011 London.
Kebbell, M. R, Powell, M. B. and Sellers, S. (2011). How do suspected sex offenders behave during police interviews? APS Forensic Psychology National Conference, 4 - 6 August 2011, Noosa, Queensland.
Gentle, M. & Powell, M. B. (2011). Drawing context reinstatement versus mental context reinstatement: Which better enhances memory in child witnesses? APS Forensic Psychology National Conference, 4 - 6 August 2011, Noosa, Queensland.
Kebbell, M., Porter, L., Powell, M., Milne, B., Sellers, S. & Vogel L. (2011). How do suspected sex offenders behave during police interviews? APS Forensic Psychology National Conference, 4 - 6 August 2011, Noosa, Queensland.
Powell, M. B. (2011). Victims’ perceptions of the new model of sexual assault investigation adopted by Victoria Police. Meeting the needs of victims of crime, Australian Institute of Criminology conference, Sydney, Australia, 18-19 May, 2011.
Powell, M.B., Hughes-Scholes, C. H., Smith, R. & Sharman, S. J. (2011). Interviewers’ experience is negatively associated with their use of open-ended questions in child abuse interviews. 2011 Meeting of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition. New York, USA. 27-29 June, 2011.
Sharman, S. J. & Powell, M. B. (2011). Adult witness’ suggestibility across various types of leading questions. 2011 Meeting of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition. New York, USA. 27-29 June, 2011.
Day, A., Vess, J., Powell,M., & Graffam, J. (2011). Sex offender legislation for sex offender registries in Australia: Implications for management. 13th International Corrections and Prisons Association conference, 12th September 2011, Singapore.
Read, J., Powell, M.B. Kebbell, M. & Milne, R. (2011). Evaluating police interviewing practices with suspects in child sexual abuse cases. APS Forensic Psychology National Conference, 4 - 6 August 2011, Noosa, Queensland.
Drohan-Jennings, D. M., Glisic, U., Roberts, K. & Powell, M. (2011). The effect of repeated event experience on children’s reports of atypical details. 2011 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, March 31 – April 2011.
