[1][2] Her father was a coal miner, and Mutch was aware of the 1967 Strongman mine disaster growing up.
[1][7] Mutch was not in the building at the time, but the disaster led her to focus on researching how teachers and schools cope with catastrophes such as earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, pandemics, and shootings, and how they recover afterwards.
She has conducted research across the Asia Pacific region, including education responses to the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the 2011 Japan tsunami, bushfires in Victoria, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
[9] In 2005, Mutch received the American Educational Research Association's Critical Issues in Curriculum Special Interest Group's Early Career Award.
[1] In 2013 Mutch was made an Honorary Life Member of the Pacific Circle Consortium, an honour which is awarded for those with 25 years of service to the organisation.