Maria is an experienced education professional who has dedicated her career to enhancing educational practices and fostering the talents of leaders, students, and teachers. Her current roles include serving as an academic presenter for GERRIC at the University of New South Wales, working with HPGE students as part of the One Day School initiative through Tasmania, and as the Principal Consultant at Inspired Learning. Here, she applies her passion for research-based pedagogical approaches to improve student motivation, self-regulation, wellbeing, and learning.

Maria is skilled in creating online learning experiences across various platforms and applications, and she is proficient in interpreting school-based data to provide support for teachers and leaders. She works effectively to connect the ACARA Capabilities with relevant curriculum outcomes in designing meaningful learning experiences. Maria is committed to nurturing positive relationships and has made notable contributions to school-wide and system improvements in areas such as identification processes, assessment practices, differentiation, and professional learning, with a specific focus on Generative AI and Gifted and Talented students.

Holding a Certificate of Gifted Education and a Master of Education, with a specialisation in Gifted Education from UNSW, Maria has established a solid foundation in her field. Her contributions include work on the Sydney Catholic Schools Digital Thinking Project in 2014, publishing a paper on the Achievement Integrated Model in 2011, and moving GERRIC's Student Programs online for the first time in 2022. Additionally, she co-designed the online course, Mini-COGE for the Counselling Service.

In her ongoing pursuit of learning, Maria is continually inspired by the passion of her fellow educators and the interests of young people. She is a dedicated educator, keen to learn, inspire, and contribute to the education field.