Associate Professor Mimmie Claudine Watts

Position: Director, Industry Cooperation, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Associate Professor of Nursing, Public Health and Leadership
Discipline: Public Health, Leadership, Nursing
Location: Mt Helen Campus and Berwick Campus
Phone: (03) 5327 9750
Email: mc.watts@federation.edu.au

Qualifications

  • Emerging Women in Public Health Leadership – Harvard University, USA – 2019
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Public Health – La Trobe University, Australia – 2013
  • Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education (GCTE) – Victoria University, Australia – 2014
  • Women in Leadership – Victoria University, Melbourne Australia – 2013
  • Master of Public Health (MPH), University of Melbourne, Australia – 2006
  • Diabetes Management – General Practice Division of Victoria & University of Melbourne – 2005
  • Registered Nurse ENITSFAY – Yaounde, Cameroon – 1999

Teaching

Program Coordinator

  • Master of Health Leadership
  • Master of Health Services Management

Courses

  • Policy in Health Services Management BUHEA6902
  • Contemporary issues in Health Services management BUHEA6903
  • Public Health Ethics HEAPH7001
  • Global Health Determinants HEALT6000
  • Research Methods in Health HEALT6001

Biography

Associate Professor Mimmie Watts of Federation University Australia is a highly experienced public health expert and academic with a strong focus on curriculum development, health policy, migrant health,   leadership, and international  collaborations in higher education and business ventures. She served as a Commissioner, Victorian Multicultural Commission, for the State of Victoria, Australia, and is a previous Senate candidate in Australia.

With some two decades of experience in the health and higher education sectors, Professor Watts has dedicated almost two decades in teaching and research as a university lecturer and now professor in Australia.

A dynamic Public Health expert and academic, Professor Watts is deeply passionate about Human development, Inclusion, Early motherhood, and Chronic Disease Prevention/Management. Her commitment to health, to education, and to leadership, continues to shape a brighter and healthier future for communities worldwide.

Professor Watts has made significant contributions in Australia and beyond, particularly in health governance, higher education, policy, research, and leadership.

Professor Watts holds a PhD in Public Health from La Trobe University Australia, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Dr Watts completed the Emerging Executive Women in Health Leadership Program at Harvard University, USA. She studied natural/pure sciences before training as RN, in Cameroon, prior to moving into public health, leadership, and policy.

Prof Watts Chairs serves on the Policy Committee, World Federation of Public Health Associations. She is the Chair, Australian Chapter, African Science Research and Innovation Council (ASRIC), African Union Commission, among other governance roles. She is a known advocate for the advancement of women in higher education and science.

Professor Watts is an accomplished author, and with several scientific journal articles to her name, including the widely read book ‘Sahara Piercing the Thatch Ceiling.’  Her most impactful scientific work: Early motherhood: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of African Australian teenage mothers in greater Melbourne, Australia.

The impact of her work exemplifies her dedication to advancing global health and creating a healthier future for communities worldwide.

Link to her LinkedIn profile https://au.linkedin.com/in/mimmie-claudine-watts- 

Current projects: Africa’s Children Project

Areas of expertise

Associate professor Watts interests include health policy, migrant health, qualitative research methodology, and contemporary global health issues, women’s health, and curriculum development. With a focus on impact and quality, Associate professor Watts’s research and work has and continue to influence policy, thereby enhancing the lives of some of the most vulnerable people.

  • Early Motherhood
    The highly read work, was informed by the challenges of young refugee women and their families in Melbourne, Australia. “Motherhood is a significant and important aspect of life for many women around the globe. For women in communities where motherhood is highly desired, motherhood is considered crucial to the woman's identity. Teenage motherhood, occurring at a critical developmental stage of teenagers' lives, has been identified as having adverse social and health consequences. This research aimed to solicit the lived experiences of African Australian young refugee women who have experienced early motherhood in Australia.”
  • Inclusion and leadership
    Working across the spectrum to influence change, to educate, and to lead, Assoc/Prof Watts journey and story has impact on people, more so, women in Australia and elsewhere. She has contributed on hundreds of platforms as a speaker on inclusion, leadership, education and other. She is interested in the ‘visibility of the invisible’, in our society. Associate Professor Watts served as a Commissioner, Victorian Multicultural Commission, the peak State Advisory body on inclusion and multiculturalism for the State of Victoria, Australia.
  • Policy and higher education
    Among other Courses, Associate Professor Watts teaches health policy to Postgraduate/Masters Students. She has a track record in academia, leadership and governance, and extensive board experience as a non-Executive director. She is interested on the importance of education in shaping society and changing lives.
  • International collaborations and partnerships
    Associate professor is interested in and has demonstrated partnerships across Middle East, Africa, Australia and to and Europe. Her interdisciplinary background has seen her collaborate, partner, and co-publish with colleagues in USA, Africa, Middle East and Australasia. Examples of her selected collaborative works, with significant impact, include between VMware Silicon Valley & African Union Commission; and with the VAKA Health Foundation, Australia & Africa.

Research interests

  • Migrant health
  • International and global public health
  • Early motherhood
  • Policy design and development
  • Qualitative research methods and design
  • Inclusion
  • Leadership

Publications

Books

Ngum Chi Watts, M, C. (2020). Sahara, Piercing the Thatch Ceiling. Revised Ed. IEM Publishers, USA. https://www.amazon.com/Sahara-Piercing-Thatch-Ceiling-ebook/dp/B07LGX6BL5

Ngum Chi Watts, M, C. (2018). Sahara, Piercing the Thatch Ceiling. Launched at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne Australia. First Ed. Launched at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne Australia.

Refereed journal articles

Emahi, I.; Watts M. N.C.; Azibere, S.; Morrision J. F.; Sarpong, K. A. N. (2021).COVID-19 in Africa: Rethinking the Tools to Manage Future Pandemic, Journal of African Health Sciences.

Rahman, A. M., Islam,S. S., Tungpunkom, P., Sultana, F.,  Alif, S. M., Banik, B., Salehin, M., Joseph, B., Lam, L.,  Watts, M. C., Khan, S. J., et al. (2021). COVID-19: Psychological distress, fear, and coping strategies among community members across 17 countries.BMC Health and Globalization. COVID-19: Factors associated with psychological distress, fear, and coping strategies among community members across 17 countries | Globalization and Health | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)

Ngum Chi Watts, M, C., & Liamputtong & McMichael, C. (2015). Early motherhood: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of African Australian teenage mothers in greater Melbourne, Australia. BMC Public Health DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-2215-2 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/15/873

Ngum Chi Watts, M, C., McMichael, C., & Liamputtong, P. (2015). Factors Influencing Contraception Awareness and Use: The Experiences of Young African Australian Women, Journal of Refugee Studies. http://jrs.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/04/14/jrs.feu040.abstract

Harris A., & Spark, C. Ngum Chi, M. C. (2014). Gains, and losses: African Australian women and higher education. Journal of Sociology (online June 29, 2014) DOI: 10.1177/1440783314536792 http://jos.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/06/26/1440783314536792

Ngum Chi Watts, M. C., Liamputtong P., Carolan, M. (2014). Contraception Knowledge and Attitudes: Truths & Myths among African Australian Teenage Mothers in Greater Melbourne, Australia. Journal of Clinical Nursing, special edition on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Vol 23 (15-16), 2131-2141, doi: 10.1111/jocn.12335) http://refugeehealthnetwork.org.au/contraception-knowledge-and-attitudes-truths-and-myths- among-African-Australian-teenage-mothers-in-greater- Melbourne Australia/

Ngum Chi, C., & Liamputtong, P., (2013). Sensitive Research and Vulnerable Participants: Accessing and Conducting Research with African Australian Teenage Mothers in Greater Melbourne, Australia. JNHC Vol.1 (1) DOI: 10.5176/2345-718X_1.1.26)

Harris A., Ngum Chi, M. C., & Spark, C. (2013). Multidisciplinary Journal of Gender Studies Vol. 2(2), June pp.182-202

Ngum Chi Watts, M. C. (2013). Contraception, teenage pregnancy, culture, and motherhood among African-Australian teenagers with a refugee background in greater Melbourne, Australia. La Trobe University Research Repository

Refereed conference proceedings

Chi, M N. University of the Sunshine Coast; 2008 In our own Voices: The Experience of Overseas-Trained Registered Nurses of Institutional Racism within Healthcare and Academic Institutions. Conference proceedings, 2nd International conference on Racisms in the New World Order

Reports (Unembargoed)

Watts Ngum Chi, M, C. (2017), Report for the Inaugural African Diaspora Women’s Summit, Victoria University, June 26-27th, Melbourne Australia

Ngum Chi, M, C., (2014), ‘Building a New Generation Youth Leadership’ Shepparton, Victoria.

Associations