Dr Kay Owens has had a long international career, with 15 years in Papua New Guinea where she held a lectureship in mathematics at the PNG University of Technology and a Head of Department position at Balob Teachers College. She was also selected for a Swedish lecturer exchange to Gothenburg University for the enhancement of tertiary education in that country and for a Masters course at the Inter-University Institute in Macau. Kay has continued her research working with colleagues in Papua New Guinea and Sweden with a focus on ethnomathematics (mathematics, language and culture), and space, geometry and measurement education. She currently holds a position at Charles Sturt University in Dubbo.

Her international projects have been funded by the United States’ National Science Foundation, Australian Research Development Awards and her university’s competitive grants, while her local and state projects have had funding from state and federal governments, non-government agencies, and universities.

She has worked recently with local regional schools, especially on quality teaching projects, and with the Indigenous Aboriginal community.