Dr Denise Wood has worked in education across all sectors from early childhood, primary and higher education as an educator, leader and advocate.  Her long-term focus has been in gifted education, with a particular lens on gifted girls and gifted learners in rural contexts. Her doctoral work brought these two areas together as she explored the impact of popaulr culture on the talent development of gifted girls in rural areas.  Denise has also contributed to the professional development programs for practicing teachers with regard to gifted students as a diverse cohort of students with particular needs. 

In 2004 Denise received a Quality Teaching Award (NSW Minister for Education & Training), in 2008 was recognised for her contirbution to gifted education in Western Region and in 2017 received a Professional Appreciation award for her work in gifted education from GiftedNSW. 

From 2008-2011, she was the President of NSW Association for Gifted and Talented Children. Denise has worked collaboratively with state and national associations for gifted education, and been involved in the leadership of conferences in the area, including convening the Youth Summit as the Asia Pacific Gifted Conference (Sydney) in 2010 and the AAEGT National Conference in 2014.

At Charles Sturt, Denise's role began in the School of Teacher Education, lecturing in initial teacher education courses and from 2008 she leading the ongoing review and deveopment of the courses as course co-ordinator/director. Her role as course design lead across the insitution focussed on the development of curriculum and teaching in a range of courses and led to her current role in the Division of Learning and Teaching. 

Denise's work focuses on supporting academics within the university to develop their undestanding of teaching, with a student centred lens, focussing on how to design learning opportunities that provide students with quality learning experiences. Her pedagogical approaches bring together elements of inclusion, creativity, self-direction and connnectivism.  Always an eclectic when it comes to making decisions about teaching, Denise seeks to promote the concept of addressing learner needs to provide learning expeirences that nurture individual learners to flourish.