Professor Kristy Muir

Chief Executive Officer

BA Hons, PhD, GAICD

Leader. Researcher. Educator. Catalyser.

Professor Kristy Muir is the CEO of the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) and a Professor of Social Policy at UNSW Sydney Business School. She is an elected member of UNSW Sydney’s Council, Chair of Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy Australasia, a Non-Executive Director of the Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth, and is an invited member of the Community Director’s Council, the NSW Premier’s Council for Homelessness, and the Gonski Institute for Education Advisory Board.

Starting out as a teenage volunteer in the disability sector, Kristy has worked for almost three decades with for-purpose organisations. She is driven by helping to better understand and find innovative solutions to complex social problems and measuring whether and where we are making a difference.

Kristy has exceptional leadership skills. She works systemically and strategically and is able to ask difficult questions, help diagnose problems, identify key issues and work collaboratively to make progress. Kristy successfully led the development and implementation of CSI’s 2022 Strategic Intent as CSI’s CEO (2017-) and won UNSW’s Senior Leadership Award in 2013 for her role as Associate Dean Research.

Kristy has undertaken more than 70 research and capacity building projects with many government, not-for-profit, corporate, and philanthropic organisations to help improve social impact. These projects have attracted almost $16 million in funding. Her research has focused on children, young people, families and communities and spans many social domains (e.g. housing, education, employment, social participation, disability, mental health, financial resilience and wellbeing). She has published widely in policy, sociology, social work, history and public health journals and in publicly accessible and popular media, such as TEDx, The Mandarin, The Guardian and The Conversation.

Kristy is an excellent communicator, teacher and public speaker. She frequently gives invited keynotes, runs workshops, facilitates board strategy planning days, and she founded and teaches the highly regarded Governance for Social Impact course for non-executive directors.

Kristy’s capacity building work expands beyond her teaching to include tools, guides and resources to help catalyse and measure social change. She founded CSI’s Change Collection series and Amplify Social Impact is one her most innovative and potentially transformational projects. Kristy is also a founder and governance member of collaborative projects aimed to catalyse change, including the Financial Inclusion Action Plan and The Constellation Project.

Kristy was formerly the Research Director at CSI (2013-15), the Associate Dean Research for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (2011-13) and the Director of the Disability Studies and Research Centre (2009-2010) at UNSW Sydney. She has a PhD in social history, is a graduate of the AICD, a Sydney Leadership Alumni and, prior to joining academia, worked in the not-for-profit sector. In her spare-time, she spends time with her husband, family and two dogs and is a triathlete who loves train and compete in Ironman races.

See Kristy Muir’s LinkedIn profile.

k.muir@unsw.edu.au
02 8936 0923

Publications by Professor Kristy Muir

See Kristy's research on UNSW Research Gateway

Book Chapters

Muir K; Goldblatt, 2013, 'Complementing or conflicting human rights conventions? Realising an inclusive approach to families with a young person with a disability and challenging behaviour', in Moore M (ed.), Moving Beyond Boundaries Disability Studies, Routledge, pp. 629 - 642
Muir K, 2006, '`That bastards following me!` Mentally ill war veterans struggling to maintain control', in Social Histories of Disability and Deformity: Bodies Images and Experience, edn. 1, Routledge Press, Oxon, pp. 161 - 174

Journal articles

Soldatic K; van Toorn G; Dowse L; Muir K, 2014, 'Intellectual Disability and Complex Intersections: Marginalisation under the National Disability Insurance Scheme', Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 6 - 16, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23297018.2014.906050
Muir K; Strnadova, 2014, 'Whose responsibility? Resilience in families of children with developmental disabilities',Disability and Society, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2014.886555
Dadich A; Fisher KR; Muir K, 2013, 'How can non-clinical case management complement clinical support for people with chronic mental illness residing in the community?', Psychology, Health and Medicine, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 482 - 489, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2012.748207
Patulny R; Muir K; Powell A; Flaxman S; Oprea I, 2013, 'Are we reaching them yet? Service access patterns among attendees at the headspace youth mental health initiative', Child and Adolescent Mental Health, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 95 - 102, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2012.00662.x
Strnadova I; Muir, K, 2013, 'Whose responsibility? Resilience in families of children with developmental disabilities',Disability and Society, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2014.886555
Muir K; Powell A; McDermott S, 2012, ''They don't treat you like a virus': youth-friendly lessons from the Australian National Youth Mental Health Foundation.', Health and Social Care in the Community, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 181 - 189,http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2524.2011.01029.x
Muir K; Powell A, 2012, 'Walking a well-being tightrope: young people in Australia', Journal of Population Research, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 293 - 313, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12546-012-9095-4
Muir K; Goldblatt B, 2011, 'Complementing or conflicting human rights conventions? Realising an inclusive approach to families with a young person with a disability and challenging behaviour', Disability and Society, vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 629 - 642, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2011.589195
Purcal C; Muir K; Patulny R; Thomson C; Flaxman S, 2011, 'Does partnership funding improve coordination and collaboration among early childhood services? - Experiences from the Communities for Children programme', Child and Family Social Work, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 474 - 484, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2011.00766.x
Edwards B; Gray M; Wise S; Hayes A; Katz I; Muir K; Patulny R, 2011, 'Early impacts of Communities for Children on children and families: findings from a quasi-experimental cohort study.', Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, vol. 65, no. 10, pp. 909 - 914, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech.2010.118133
Muir K; Katz I; Edwards B; Gray M; Sarah W; Hayes A, 2010, 'The National Evaluation of the Communities for Children Initiative', Family Matters, vol. 84, pp. 35 - 42
Sawrikar P; Muir K, 2010, 'The myth of a 'fair go': barriers to sport and recreational participation among Indian and other ethnic minority women in Australia', Sport Management Review, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 355 - 367
Dadich A; Muir K, 2009, 'Tricks of the trade in community mental health research: working with mental health services and clients.', Evaluation and the Health Professions, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 38 - 58,http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0163278708328738
Griffiths MJ; Muir K; Sawrikar P, 2009, 'Culturally appropriate mentoring for Horn of African young people in Australia',Youth Studies Australia, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 32 - 40
Muir K; Fisher KR; Dadich A; Abello D, 2008, 'Challenging the exclusion of people with mental illness: the Mental Health Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI)', Australian Journal of Social Issues, vol. 43, pp. 271 - 290
Muir K, 2007, 'The predisposition theory, human rights and Australian psychiatric casualties of war', Australian Journal of Human Rights, vol. 13 (1), pp. 195 - 219
Muir K, 2007, 'Public Peace, Private Wars: The Psychological Effects of War on Australian Veterans', War and Society, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 61 - 78, http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/072924707791591893
Muir K; Fisher KR, 2007, 'Stable housing, the foundation of improved mental health: findings from the Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI)', New Paradigm, pp. 50 - 53

Reports

McDermott SC; Bruce J; Oprea I; Fisher KR; Muir K, 2011, Evaluation of the Whole of Mental Health, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI), Second Report, Social Policy Research Centre, Sydney, Social Policy Research Centre Reports, 5, Reports
Powell A; Muir K; Adamson E; Flaxman S; Gendera S; Heese K; Oprea I; Zhu A; Vespignani J; Behrend Z; Malins T; Lind L; Williams B; Holmes J, 2011, A Picture of NSW Children, NSW Commission for Children and Young People, Sydney, A Picture of NSW Children, Reports
Meltzer A; Muir K; Dinning B, 2010, Report on the consultation data for the revision of the National Standards for Disability Services: Final Report, Department of Human Services, Victoria, Reports
Goldblatt BA; Muir K; Meltzer A; Dinning B, 2010, NSW Continuous Care Pilot Evaluation: Final Report, Multilple Sclerosis Limited, Reports
McDermott; Bruce; Muir K; Johansson K, 2010, Evaluation of the Mental Health, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI) (first report), 6/2010, Reports
Muir K; McDermott SC; Gendera S; Flaxman S; Patulny RV; Abello D; Katz I, 2009, Independent evaluation of headspace: the National Youth Mental Health Foundation: interim evaluation report, Social Policy Research Centre, Sydney, SPRC Report, Report 5/09, Reports
Patulny RV; Oprea I; Muir K, 2009, Appendix D (PDF): CfC Program Costs and Effects, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra, FaHCSIA Occasional Papers, Occassional Paper 24, Reports
McDermott, 2009, Evaluation of the Severe Domestic Squalor project (evaluation plan), 15/2009, Reports
Muir K; Katz I; Purcal C; Patulny R; Flaxman S; Abello D; Cortis N; Thomson CM; Oprea I; Wise S; Edwards B; Gray M; Hayes A, 2009, Appendix A: Local Answers Progress Reports Summary [SFCS Evaluation], Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra, FaHCSIA Occasional Papers, Occasional Paper 24, Reports
Muir K; Mullan K; Powell A; Flaxman S; Thompson DA; Griffiths MJ, 2009, State of Australia's young people: a report on the social, economic, health and family lives of young people, Social Policy Research Centre, Sydney, Reports
Flaxman S; Muir K; Oprea I, 2009, Indigenous families and children: coordination and provision of services, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra, FaHCSIA Occasional Papers, 23, Reports
Muir K; Powell A; Patulny RV; Flaxman S; McDermott SC; Gendera S; Abello D; Katz I, 2009, Headspace Evaluation Report Independent Evaluation of headspace: the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, Social Policy Research Centre, Sydney, SPRC Report, 19/09, Reports
Muir K; Katz I; Purcal C; Patulny R; Flaxman S; Abello D; Cortis N; Thomson CM; Oprea I; Wise S; Edwards B; Gray M; Hayes A, 2009, Appendix F: SFCS evaluation instruments [SFCS Evaluation], Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra, FaHCSIA Occasional Papers, Occassional Paper 24, Reports
Patulny RV; Flaxman S; Purcal C; Muir K; Oprea I; Longden TA, 2009, Appendix C: CfC Service Coordination Study [SFCS Evaluation], Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra, FaHCSIA Occasional Papers, Occassional Paper 24, Reports
Muir K; Katz I; Purcal C; Patulny R; Flaxman S; Abello D; Cortis N; Thomson CM; Oprea I; Wise S; Edwards B; Gray M; Hayes A, 2009, National Evaluation (2004-2008) of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy 2004-2009, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Canberra, FaHCSIA Occasional Papers, Occassional Paper 24, Reports
Purcal C; Thomson CM; Flaxman S; Abello D; Spooner CJ; Muir K; Chan SE, 2008, National evaluation (2004-2008) of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy 2004?2009, Appendix G: CFC Fieldwork Report, Prepared for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA internal report), Sydney, SPRC Report, Reports
Cortis N; Sawrikar P; Muir K, 2008, Participation in sport and recreation by Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Women, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports 2007-2008, SPRC Report 8/08, Reports
Muir K; Tudball J; Robinson S, 2008, Family resilience where families have a child (0-8 years) with disability: Final report, Social Policy and Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Report, SPRC Report 10/08, Reports
Muir K; McDermott SC; Katz I; Patulny RV; Flaxman S; Gendera S, 2008, Independent evaluation of headspace: evaluation plan, Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Report prepared for headspace, SPRC Report 20/08, Reports
Sawrikar P; Griffiths MJ; Muir K, 2008, Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) young people and mentoring : the case of Horn of African young people in Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) young people and mentoring : the case of Horn of African young people in Australia, Reports
Muir K, 2008, Family resilience where families have a child (0-8 years) with a disability: literature review, Social Policy and Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Report, SPRC Report 9/08, Reports
Cortis N; Sawrikar P; Muir K, 2007, Participation in sport and recreation by culturally and linguistically diverse women: literature and data review, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports, SPRC Report 4/07, Reports
Cortis N; Muir K, 2007, Participation in sport and recreation by culturally and linguistically diverse women: stakeholder consultation report, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports 2007-2008, SPRC Report 5/07, Reports
Muir K, 2007, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI): Stage 1 Evaluation Report, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports 2007-2008, SPRC Report 10/07, Reports
Muir K; Dadich A; Bleasdale M; Fisher KR, 2007, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative: Report III, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports 2007-2008, SPRC Report 2/07, Reports
Fisher KR; Muir; Dadich; Abello; Bleasdale M, 2007, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI): stage 1 (evaluation report), 10/2007, Reports
Fisher KR; Anderson A; Muir K, 2007, Attendant care direct funding pilot project: evaluation plan, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports 2007-2008, SPRC Report 3/07, Reports
Muir K; Dadich A; Abello D; Bleasdale M; Fisher KR, 2007, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative: Report III, summary, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports 2007-2008, SPRC Report 1/07, Reports
Morris A; Fisher KR; Dadich A; Muir K; Abello D; Norris K; Bourne C; Martire KA, 2006, Models of Centralised Intake and Waiting List Management Systems: Feasibility Report, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports 2005-2006, SPRC Report Series 12/06, Reports
Muir K; Dadich A; Abello D; Bleasdale M; Morris A; Fisher KR, 2006, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative: Report II, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports 2005-2006, SPRC Report 10/06, Reports
Fisher KR; Morris; Muir; Dadich; Abello; Bleasdale, 2006, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (report I: summary), 9/2006, Reports
Muir K; Boot R, 2005, Working towards digital and social inclusion with community technology learning centres: an evaluation of The Smith Family?s involvement in Microsoft Unlimited Potential, The Smith Family, Sydney, It takes a community to bridge a divide :working towards digital and social inclusion with community technology learning centres, Reports
Morris A; Muir K; Dadich A; Abello D; Bleasdale M, 2005, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative: Summary Report I, Social Policy Rearch Centre, UNSW, Sydney, SPRC Reports 2005-2006, SPRC Report 9/06, Reports
Muir K, 2004, Connecting Communities with CTLCs: from the digital divide to social inclusion, The Smith Family, Sydney, Connecting communities with CTLCs : from the digital divide to social inclusion, Reports
Muir K; Maguire A; Slack-smith D; Murray M, 2003, Youth unemployment in Australia: a contextual, governmental and organisational perspective, The Smith Family for the AMP Foundation, Sydney, Research Development, November 2003, Reports

Conference Presentations

Flaxman S; Oprea I; Patulny RV; Muir K; Powell A; McDermott SC, 2011, 'Are we reaching them now? Service access patterns amongst users of headspace youth mental health services', in , presented at Australian Social Policy Conference, Sydney, 6 - 8 July 2011
Muir K; Patulny RV, 2009, 'The relationship between mental health and perceived wellbeing for people with mental illness', in , presented at UNSW Research Showcase, UNSW, Sydney, 20 August 2009
Patulny RV; Muir K, 2009, 'Increasing the social participation of young people with mental health problems', in , presented at Disability Studies Conference, UNSW, 26 - 27 June 2009
Sawrikar P; Muir K, 2008, 'Sport and recreation participation among Indian women in Australia', in , presented at Women?s Worlds, Spain, 3 - 9 July 2008
Muir K; Tudball J, 2008, 'Family resilience in families where a young child has a disability', in , presented at Families Through Life, 10th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 9 - 11 July 2008
Sawrikar P; Griffiths MJ; Muir K, 2008, 'Mentoring for Horn of African young people in Australia', in , presented at Association of Children?s Welfare Agencies Conference and the 2008 Management and Leadership Institute, Sydney, Australia, 18 - 20 August 2008
Muir K; Fisher KR; Abello D; Dadich A, 2007, 'Challenging the disabling nature of mental illness: the evaluation results of the Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI)', in , presented at Australian Social Policy Conference 2007, University of New South Wales, 11 - 13 July 2007
Sawrikar P; Muir K, 'The myth of a ?fair go?: Barriers to sport and recreational participation among Indian and other ethnic minority women in Australia', in , presented at , http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2010.01.005

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