About Kerry
Dr Kerry Howells has spent over 25 years researching, teaching and presenting on gratitude, both nationally and internationally. Kerry is passionate about harnessing the role of gratitude to bring about flourishing relationships, a respectful workplace culture and, ultimately, a more peaceful world. Kerry’s work is underpinned by a deep philosophical exploration of gratitude and focuses on how to apply the research on gratitude, and the strategies she has developed, to life’s challenging situations. She has a particular interest in cross-cultural lenses of gratitude and their implications for communication and has studied this in the context of Australian indigenous and African indigenous cultures. Working worldwide with school leaders and teachers she has embedded gratitude in all levels of education, and her first book, Gratitude in Education: A Radical View has been used widely to guide the development of educational programs and strategic change in universities, schools and Early Childhood education.
Kerry has presented on the topic of gratitude to multi-faceted audiences in the form of keynote addresses, conference presentations, podcasts, radio interviews and a popular TEDx presentation, ‘How thanking awakens our thinking’. Kerry’s recent book Untangling you: How can I be grateful when I feel so resentful? explores the dilemmas of accessing gratitude in difficult relationships, has won three prestigious international awards, and is now available in six languages. Her publication in 2023, Gratitude Practices for Teachers, draws on her extensive experience in education to offer practical strategies when facing everyday challenges. Kerry is based in Hobart, Australia, but offers professional development and presents on her work internationally. She is currently a visiting professor at Tallinn University, Estonia, where she teaches an online postgraduate course – Gratitude in Practice.
Awards
2014
Research Award
Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania
2013
Australian Awards for University Teaching: Award for Programs that Enhance Learning – Educational Partnerships
Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching
2013
Vice Chancellor’s Team Award for Programs that Enhance Learning
University of Tasmania
2012
Research Merit Certificate
Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania
2009
Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence
University of Tasmania
2009
Lecturer of the Year
Australian University Unijobs
2008
Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)
2008
Vice-Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
University of Tasmania
2007
Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning (Team award)
Carrick National Award
2006 - 2009
Teaching Merit Certificate
University of Tasmania
"Kerry’s work on gratitude and resentment, invites us to heal, as well as providing an invaluable language for the gentle empowerment of those who work in education. She also provides the tools for supporting our young people to be awake to listening. Kerry doesn’t ‘fix us’, she sees us, she hears us. What a gift."
Dr Libby Robinson, Principal, Hobart College
