BIOGRAPHY
I am a PhD researcher, educator, and academic coach at Keele University (UK) with seven years' experience of teaching and learning in the higher education sector.
RESEARCH
My research interests focus on North American literature and culture, especially experimental writing movements. I am writing a thesis on feminism and collage methods in experimental poetry published in the US since 2001. This research is generously supported by a faculty-funded Graduate Teaching Assistantship and a grant from the David Bruce Centre for American Studies.
TEACHING AND ACADEMIC COACHING
I am an experienced teacher and mentor in higher education. I have taught in the School of English at Keele University since 2017, where I have been responsible for lecturing, facilitating seminars, re-designing and convening first-year core modules, and providing constructive feedback on student assessments to support their learning development.
In 2019, I took on additional teaching responsibilities as a Write Direction Academic Tutor in the Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence, where I provide one-to-one study skills support for students at all levels of study and every subject area across the institution. It is a privilege to work with so many people and help them achieve their academic goals; the bonus is that I get to learn lots of new and exciting knowledge as students share their research projects with me!
I also have experience in training teachers by delivering continuing professional development activities across the education sector. For example, in June 2019, I organised Trans Youth and Education: National Issues and Solutions in partnership with Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent. This conference brought together over 100 attendees from across the UK to explore how trans inequalities can be addressed in education contexts through engagement with educators, activists, students, academics, charities, practitioners, and organisations. The event was made possible due to generous funding from the Keele Institute for Social Inclusion (KISI).
More recently, in June 2020, I joined the History UK Pandemic Pedagogy initiative as a Fellow, which resulted in a series of open access resources that support educators as they transition to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wrote two blog posts (on collaborative learning and community building in online learning), a short report, and co-produced the Pandemic Pedagogy Handbook. I continue to work with History UK as a Social Media Officer.
I continue to promote innovation and inclusivity in teaching by sharing my pedagogical practice at international teaching conferences and by contributing to teaching on the MA in Higher Education Practice course at Keele University. I have given talks and facilitated workshops on a range of topics (diversity, learning communities, and online teaching) to support colleagues in developing effective teaching practices in physical and virtual classroom environments. Some of this work has been included as a case study on inclusive teaching in Keele University's new Curriculum Design Framework and will be available to access soon.
OUTREACH AND WIDENING PARTICIPATION
I believe in the transformative power of education and have been involved in various widening participation activities, including my work with Higher Horizons+ as an English outreach tutor. It was through these outreach schemes that I was inspired to pursue higher education, so it gives me great pleasure to support secondary school students in exploring their options and reaching their full potential.
AWARDS
My commitment to aiding students and colleagues in their academic and professional development has been recognised through multiple teaching qualifications and awards. For instance, I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and honoured recipient of a Keele Excellence Award in Learning and Teaching (in March 2020) and the Bob Beattie Postgraduate of the Year Award (in August 2020).
COLLABORATION
I am keen to collaborate and welcome any enquiries about my research and teaching. You can get in touch with me by email or on my Twitter page. Alternatively, you can contact me via my profile on Keele University’s website.
PRONOUNS
I use she/her pronouns.