Kelly-Ann Allen

Dr Allen is an Educational and Developmental Psychologist, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, Monash University, and an Honorary Senior Fellow at the Centre for Positive Psychology, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne.

With 20 years’ experience working in educational contexts, Dr Allen is committed to translating her research, knowledge, and expertise from academic to educational contexts. This commitment prompted her to establish and lead the International Belonging Research Laboratory (The Belonging Lab), a large transdisciplinary team of researchers dedicated to developing the field of belonging through the dissemination of research, engagement in translational projects, and the pooling of international expertise.

Awarded the Australian Psychological Society’s 2016 ‘Award for Excellent PhD Thesis in Psychology’ and the 2016 Psychology of Relationships Interest Group’s ‘Psychology of Relationships Thesis Award’, Dr Allen’s doctoral research examined how school belonging could be enhanced among secondary school students. The quality of her research has been acknowledged through the Dean’s Award for Research Excellence by an Early Career Researcher (2019) and the Advancing Women's Success Award (2020). In 2020, Dr Allen was recognised by The Australian as one of Australia's top 40 early career researchers, listed within the top 5 for her discipline.

Her contribution to the profession is evident in her service to the College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists, as Treasurer to the National Committee for 8 years, and in various journal editorial roles. Kelly is currently the Editor of the Educational and Developmental Psychologist and has previously served as Associate Editor for the Australian Journal of Psychology and the Australian Community Psychologist. She has also co-edited four special journal issues on belonging school belonging for Educational and Child Psychology, the Educational and Developmental Psychologist, and the Australian Journal of Psychology.