Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli

• A semi-autobiographical book, Someone You Know (Adelaide: Wakefield Press, 1991; new edition 2002) was Australia's first AIDS biography. All royalties donated to Bobby Goldsmith Foundation for People Living With AIDS.

• In 1990-1991, Maria was the first Australian person to undertake empirical research and publish about sexual diversity in relation to ethnicity.

• In 1996-1997, Maria’s research-based papers on ethnicity and gender were included in two Australian educational policy documents: the MCEETYA (Ministerial Council for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs) Gender Equity: A Framework For Australian Schools (1997), and the New South Wales Department of School Education Gender Equity Strategy 1996-2001. 

• In 1998, Maria researched, compiled and edited the book Girls’ Talk: Young Women Speak Their Hearts and Minds (Finch Publishing, Sydney), the first Australian book by and for girls and young women that is culturally and sexually inclusive.

• In 1999, Maria’s autobiographical novel, Tapestry (Random House) was shortlisted for the ACT Young Adult Read Award as voted by secondary school students in the ACT. It was also shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Award Ethnic Affairs Commission category for 2000; and the Children’s Book Council Award Non-Fiction Category for 2000.

• In 1999, Maria was honoured with the title of Lifelong Honorary Patron for PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Victoria, Australia.

• In 2001, Maria’s book Boys’ Stuff: Boys Talking About What Matters (Allen & Unwin), co-researched and co-edited with Dr Wayne Martino from Murdoch University, Perth, was the first Australian book by and for boys and young men that is culturally and sexually inclusive. The book was shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier’s Award; won the Australian Book Design Award in the Educational Texts for Young People Category ; and achieved a  Highly Commended in the Australian Award for Excellence in Educational Publishing. It was also nominated for a Human Rights Award. The book has also been listed in the Australian Centre for Youth Literature’s “150 Years,150 Books: Victoria’s Most Treasured Books” list.

• In 2003, Open University Press selected Maria and colleague Wayne Martino’s book, So What’s A Boy? Issues of Masculinity in Education to launch at the American Educational Researchers Association conference in Chicago on April 21st.  The book has now been translated into Spanish by Octaedro Publishers.

• In 2003, Maria was nominated for the Deakin University Postgraduate Supervisor Award.

• In 2006, Maria was contacted by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction, Special Collections, Indiana University to allow her research data, documents, and publications to be held there for future scholars.

• In 2006, Maria’s book When Our Children Come Out, was accepted for translation and publication in Spanish by Equipo Difusor Del Libro, Spain.

• In 2008, Maria published her first novel, Love You Two, which was Australia’s, and internationally, first young adult novel to explore bisexuality and polyamory within a multicultural setting. In 2010, the book won the Bisexual Category of the Lambda Literary Awards.

• In 2010, Maria published Border Sexualities, Border Families in Schools which was Australia’s first academic book on bisexual students and polyamorous families in their negotiations with educational systems. In 2011, the book won the Bisexual Non-fiction Category of the Lambda Literary Awards.

Dr Pallotta-Chiarolli's research is primarily concerned with marginal and vulnerable groups in relation to gender diversity, cultural diversity, family diversity and sexual diversity, and the links to social, emotional, mental and sexual health. With a specific focus on youth and women, Dr Pallotta-Chiarolli conducts qualitative ethnographic research which is largely a collaboration with participants in order to produce user-friendly resource texts as well as academic and non-academic publications. She is regularly called upon to act as a consultant in educational, workplace, health services and community service settings. Maria is also regularly invited to speak at diverse community, educational, organizational and other functions and conferences, and in various media such as television, radio and newspaper.

Australian Multicultural GLBTIQ Council

A member upon invitation of Saybrook Graduate Research Centre, San Francisco, as External Faculty Member

Member of the Board of the National LGBTI Health Alliance, Research and Ethics Standards group,

Member of  the Victoria Police LGBTI Reference Group

Member of the Victoria Police Multicultural Portfolio Reference Group.

Unit HSH 313 Contemporary Health Issues

Current PhD students:

Julie Peters: An Autoethnographic Study of Gender Non-Conformists and Cultural   Discourses (at the writing stage)

 Annemarie Nevill: The Way to Healing – A Return to Home: Exploring the path of older Khmer women genocide survivors ( at the writing stage)

Joy Phillips: Aging Lesbian Women and Aged Care Facilities (at data collection stage)

Petrina Smith: Cross-Cultural Lesbian Relationships (successfully achieved Confirmation of Candidature)

 Tricia Ong: “Trafficked into the Sex Industry: Young Nepalese Women and Reproductive Health”, (at Ethics stage)

 Rebecca Stockdale: preparing Research Proposal

 Tony Romanelli: preparing Research Proposal

cultural diversity, gender diversity, sexual diversity, family diversity, HIV/AIDS, and social diversity in health and education

1991: recognised as writing Australias first AIDS biography, Someone You Know, (Wakefield Press).

1999: honoured with the title of Lifelong Honorary Patron of PFLAG Victoria.

1999, her autobiographical novel, Tapestry (Random House) was shortlisted for the ACT Young Adult Read Award as voted by secondary school students in the ACT. It was also shortlisted for the NSW Premiers Award Ethnic Affairs Commission category for 2000; and the Childrens Book Council Award Non-Fiction Category for 2000.

2001, her book Boys Stuff: Boys Talking About What Matters (Allen & Unwin), co-researched and co-edited with Dr Wayne Martino from Murdoch University, Perth, was shortlisted for the Western Australian Premiers Award; won the Australian Book Design Award in the Educational Texts for Young People Category ; and achieved a Highly Commended in the Australian Award for Excellence in Educational Publishing. It was also nominated for a Human Rights Award. The book has also been listed in the Australian Centre for Youth Literatures 150 Years,150 Books: Victorias Most Treasured Books list.

• In 2008, Maria published her first novel, Love You Two, which was Australia’s, and internationally, first young adult novel to explore bisexuality and polyamory within a multicultural setting. In 2010, the book won the Bisexual Category of the Lambda Literary Awards.

• In 2010, Maria published Border Sexualities, Border Families in Schools which was Australia’s first academic book on bisexual students and polyamorous families in their negotiations with educational systems. In 2011, the book won the Bisexual Non-fiction Category of the Lambda Literary Awards.

Dr Pallotta-Chiarolli serves on the editorial board of the following journals:

Journal of Bisexuality

Journal of LGBT Youth

Psychology and Sexuality

Her current projects are:

•a)1999- co-Principal Investigator with Ms Sara Lubowitz, Convenor of the Women of Bisexual Partners Network, on a Deakin University funded project entitled, “Women with Bisexual Male Partners: the negotiation of sexual, emotional and social health”. Workshops and interviews with women and with health and relationship services were conducted as well as preparing material for journal articles and book publications. A book contract has been signed with Lexington Books to be published in 2016.

b) “Wogarigines”: life stories and oral histories of indigenous Australians with Mediterranean heritages

c)  “Re-introducing pre-colonial and pre-Christian histories of gender and sexual diversity”: developing CALD GLBTIQ anti-homophobic understandings and strategies

d) “Agedo”: The experiences of Italian parents and families of GLBTIQ young people in Italy and Australia: a comparative analysis