Currently the Lead Chief Investigator for the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project, ‘Building Connections: Schools as Community Hubs’ (2019-2022) and the ‘Inclusive Learning Environments in Catholic Schools’ (2021-2024) project sponsored by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, Ben has thrived since graduating from Preshil in 1992!
In recent years he acted as a Chief Investigator for the ARC Linkage Project ‘Innovative Learning Environments + Teacher Change’ (2016-2019), lead a three-year program of learning environment evaluation for Catholic Education Melbourne and Catholic Diocese of Parramatta, and reviewed the Victorian Department of Education and Training’s school area standards, resulting in significant policy updates. Ben was Research Manager for the ARC Linkage Project, ‘Evaluating 21st Century Learning Environments’ (2013-2017) and led the development of a ‘Translational Brief’ for the Footscray Learning Precinct. Ben’s research was recognised with the Research Excellence Award by the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne in 2019.
Ben teaches a range of cross-disciplinary subjects including Building the Brief: People, Process, Place, and Human Environments Relations. He also supervises more than 10 PhD and Masters students in the field of Learning Environments Research. Ben has consulted on education facilities worth more than $2B over the last ten years in Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, South Australia, Northern Territory, and New Zealand. These projects have included the Victorian School Building Authority’s 2016 New Schools PPP and the 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025 New Schools programs, North Melbourne Hill Primary School, and Greater Shepparton Secondary College. He is a past Chair of the Victorian Chapter of Learning Environments Australasia.
