DrRebecca Trelease

Since joining AUT in 2018, Dr Rebecca Trelease has undertaken additional research into the education and teaching space, graduating in 2022 with a Master of Educational Leadership (with Distinction), specialising in the leading of diverse cultures. Rebecca also played a key role in launching the cross-disciplinary course Mahitahi / Collaborative Practices for the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies. This compulsory first-year course teaches students collaborative skills through a Te Ao Māori lens delivered by a co-teaching Māori + Pakeha team. The team received both a Learning and Teaching Faculty Award in 2019, and a Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Teaching Excellence at the AUT Excellence Awards in 2022.

Rebecca is launching the first University-level course on Taylor Swift in Australasia during Summer School 2025, with a focus on Swift's expertise in various communication studies fields. Modules feature the six majors of the Bachelor of Communication Studies (Advertising and Brand Creativity, Public Relations, Journalism, Digital Communications, Radio and Audio Media, and Screen Production), as well as the Communication for Social Change minor. Rebecca is the course coordinator of COMM518 Taylor Swift: Communications Professional, while also developing the course curriculum with the input of research professionals across the School of Communication Studies.