BIO
Overview
Dr Campion (BA (Hons 1 Class) PhD (JCU) is a Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead of Terrorism Studies at Charles Sturt University. In 2024, she was found to be the top Australian researcher in her field, and one of the top 250 researchers nationally based on the quality and impact of her work.
She published Australia's first comprehensive history of terrorism, Chasing Shadows: The untold and deadly story of terrorism in Australia.
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Her second manuscript is in preparation, and takes a deep dive into the Australian extreme right milieus, ideologies, and motivations. There are chapters on Christian extremism as occurred at Wieambilla, antigovernment extremism, neo-Nazism and more.
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Dr Campion is Coordinator and Key Researcher for the Threats to Australian Domestic Security team, within the Contemporary Threats to Australian Security (CTAS) research group. The Domestic Security team engages in collaborative research on the contemporary extreme right wing threat, with ongoing projects on insider threats, anti-government extremism, and youth.
Her research focuses on terrorism and extremism in western democratic contexts. Her research on right wing extremism has canvassed transnational and domestic networks, ideologies, the participation of women, online vectors, and more. Dr Campion's research on left wing extremism has examined both historical and contemporary strategies. Her research on religious terrorism has explored their presence and networks in Australia, tactical evolution, and targeting considerations.
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She currently sits on the editorial board of the National Security Journal (New Zealand); and was a guest editor of Social Sciences Special Issue on the Global Rise of the Far Right.
Education
2012-2016
Doctor of Philosophy (History)
James Cook University
2011-2011
Honours (First Class) James Cook University
2008-2010
Bachelor of Arts
James Cook University
"Under the Shadows of Swords" examined how four terrorist milieus (anarchist, anti-colonialist, New Left, and Salafi jihadist) exploited the strategy of Propaganda of the Deed. She was able to trace its evolution and migration across the globe.
"Blood and Fire" examined the use of propaganda by terrorist groups, comparing Narodnaya Volya and Al'Qaeda to speculate the possibility of an intellectual tradition for terrorist communication.
With a focus on modern history and archaeology, this degree spanned terrorism, forensics, political science, nationalism studies, modern military history, and global affairs.