Academic Staff

Born in Carlow, Ireland Debra had a traditional Irish Roman Catholic up-bringing and education. Having successfully completed an honours degree in Arts and Theology (1996) at the Pontifical University, St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, she continued post-graduate studies in Theology and Biblical Studies at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium (KULeuven, Belgium). There she was awarded a Master’s Degree in Theology and an STL in Sacred Scripture in 1999. In 2000, Debra successfully completed a Master of Science degree in Family and Sexuality Studies in the Faculty of Medicine of KULeuven, Belgium. Both her PhD and STD were defended at KULeuven in 2014. Since 2000, she has been working as Lecturer in Theology and Biblical Studies – teaching both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures – at various universities and colleges in Ireland and Australia. She a founding member of the AUCD’s (formerly Sydney College of Divinity) Centre for Gospels Research. One of her passions is to work with both teachers and parishes in training and renewal and she has worked extensively in pastoral supervision and facilitation as well.