Verena Thomas

Verena Thomas is Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities at UOG and the founding Director of the CSCM. She holds a PhD in Communication from the University of Technology Sydney and has a background in documentary filmmaking.

Verena initially came to PNG to make a film about her great-uncle, Fr Nilles, one of the early missionaries in the PNG Highlands. Verena's film Papa Bilong Chimbu (2006) was screened in PNG and internationally. The experiences of screening Papa Bilong Chimbu in PNG communities began her engagement in media training and collaborative filmmaking in PNG. Her PhD examined community-responsive filmmaking as research practice in PNG.

Verena led award-winning community-based media research projects such as the Yumi Piksa and the Komuniti Tok Piksa in collaboration with international project partners. Verena has extensive experience in the area of media capacity building in the Pacific. Her research interests include visual and arts-based research approaches, communication for development and social change and health communication.