“Dr Christine Grima-Farrell offers a unique and powerful profile of professional and personal competencies based on her work and life experience. Her professional competencies include her depth of knowledge of research and practice in inclusive education, her skills as an award-winning teacher and teacher educator at two Universities, her high competency in program design and evaluation, her leadership skills at the system level in working with school districts, school executives, teachers, parents and children and her award-winning Doctoral research and writing skills. Her personal competencies include a great warmth, sense of humour and authenticity which engenders trust and collaboration.”

— Dr Toni Noble, Adjunct Professor Institute for Positive Psychology & Education, ACU & co-author of Bounce Back. A Wellbeing & Resilience Program.

“Chris is a diligent researcher who shows great commitment in all that she does. Chris’ work constitutes an excellent investment in terms of research productivity, commitment to diversity and the development of strategic international alliances. Her diligence and productivity gives me great confidence that she will successfully accomplish set goals.”

— Associate Professor Alan Bain, Charles Sturt University

“Chris meets with us out in the field and her skills and insights are not limited to academia, but have a practical application in the everyday setting of a school. She has a seemingly never-ending wealth of research and practical knowledge that she is always willing and eager to share with us. Her words are always backed up with previous experience and relevant theory. This is a skill that she has instilled in me. I now find myself supporting every point that I make in the same way.”

— EDTS427 Education student

“Dr. Grima-Farrell is an internationally recognized leader in inclusive education. She is a highly valued collaborator and contributor to the Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network. Her transformative research focuses on bridging the gap between theory and practice in inclusive classrooms.”

— Professor Matthew Marino, Exceptional Education, University of Central Florida

“Chris is a stand-out figure in the world of inclusive education. She brings to her work a unique and powerful combination of academic excellence, practical classroom experience, and importantly, grace and good humour. Whether working in the developed world or within the challenges of the developing world, Chris never loses sight of the humanity and dignity of the children she seeks to ‘include’, nor of their educators with whom she seeks to collaborate and share her expertise. The international inclusive education community needs more leaders like her.”

— Dr Jackie Coleman, ELT and Policy Advisor, Kiribati Education Improvement Program

“Christine’s enthusiasm in the areas of quality research and practice is contagious, her commitment and drive are an inspiration to those around her.”

— Masters student

“Chris has led the Diversity team and schools at Broken Bay through one of the most dynamic times in disability reform in recent history. Chris’s professionalism, leadership, wisdom and bubbly personality are valued within our network group and the wider education communities from which we all work within. Her contributions within our field of education have always been of the highest level of integrity, paralleled with the high credibility that her academic background in research to practice brings.”

— Samantha Giles
CSNSW State Manager, Policy & Programs

The Research to Practice model developed by Dr Grima-Farrell could be used in the area of policy analysis and implementation as a mechanism for enforcing policy implementation. The book not only lifts the lid on the processes of putting inclusive theory into practice, thus uncovering the dilemmas of researchers and practitioners, it also provides detailed information about the area of inclusive education, what it means and how it can be developed. The book is essential reading for both academics and practitioners that work in the areas of inclusive education and special needs education.

— Springer International reviewer

“You are an absolute inspiration to me and I have always admired the work that you do.”

“You give so much to our system of schools! I have loved your passion for helping all students and staff, your humour and your can do approach.”

“Thank you so much for your commitment and passion for inclusive education and how you have supported us in this ever changing landscape.”

“You have left such a lasting legacy in so many schools and in so many children’s lives.”

“My memories of you will always be of an excellent leader who remained calm and focussed in crisis and someone who justly and fairly championed the cause of the all equitably.”

— Unsolicited emails from Principals, Broken Bay Catholic Schools