BIOGRAPHY

I was born in Dudley, West Midlands and went on to read BA Geography at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (2003-2006, 1st Class, Gregynog Prize) before an MA in Political Geography (2007, distinction) and ESRC PhD in Human Geography (2007-2010).

I moved to the University of Leicester in 2011 via an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, before starting a Lectureship in the Department of Geography and Environment at Loughborough University in 2012. I was promoted to Senior Lecturer (2015), Reader (2018) and a Personal Chair (2023) and currently lead a Vice-Chancellor’s Research Cluster on ‘Digital Communities and Inclusion‘.

I am a passionate educator on several undergraduate and postgraduate modules in human geography and research methods. I have co-supervised 8 PhD researchers to completion, with 4 pending submission, and have externally examined 10 PhD theses. I have served in leadership roles for my Department including Research & Innovation Director and for the University on research ethics committees. Overall, I’m an enthusiastic advocate for Geography and for research that makes a difference to children and young people’s lives.