Dr Scerri is actively pursuing a number of research projects on service language and interaction. She is working closely with Associate Professor Dr Rajka Presbury and other industry partners.

Dr Scerri’s research projects include:

• Lessons learned: Hospitality operators' perceptions of disaster management for the Australian 2019-2020 bushfire disaster (2020)
• Healthcare through a hospitality service lens: How do health service providers communicate with older people in aged care?’ (2019)
• ‘Experience making: Talk and interaction in the commercial Australian home’ with Dr Rajka Presbury (2018-2019)
• Collaboration with DARE Disability Support: ‘Are You Inclusive?’; NDIS funded research (2019)
• Communication excellence: Developing a teaching tool to enhance hospitality graduates’ service communication soft skills (2019)
• Mentoring in tertiary education: Perceptions of mentors and mentees (2017-2019)

Dr Scerri is actively pursuing a number of research projects on service language and interaction. She is working closely with Associate Professor Dr Rajka Presbury and other industry partners.

Her broad research interests include:

• Interpersonal communication and spoken language in hospitality service
• Interpersonal care behaviour and communication in aged care
• Hosting behaviour in peer-to-peer accommodation
• Disaster management strategies
• Soft skill development and career development
• Inclusive service for hospitality
• Teaching and learning pedagogy.

Dr Scerri is a senior lecturer and research fellow at Torrens University Australia. She is teaching at the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School, in Torrens University Australia’s Hospitality vertical.

Dr Scerri’s research focuses on the dynamics of service, primarily in the context of Australian hotels and the hospitality industry. Dr Scerri is applying this unique hospitality knowledge to research different service settings such as health care, aged care and peer-to-peer accommodation. Her other research interests focus on soft skill development, disaster management strategies for industry, enhancing inclusive service in hospitality, teaching and learning pedagogy, student mentoring and graduate employability. 

With a love for the spoken word, Dr Scerri’s work utilises qualitative research methodologies including grounded theory, thematic analysis and case study methodology. She has presented her research at national and international conferences and in peer-reviewed publications such as the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Dr Scerri is a current PhD and MPhil supervisor and is accepting new students. She sits on the Advisory Board for Torrens University Australia’s Centre for Organisational Change and Agility (COCA) and the TUA Disability Research Working Group. She is a peer reviewer for the Journal of Vacation Marketing.