I am a psychology and education lecturer within the School of Education, at the University of Exeter. My teaching and research focuses on the application of psychology to teaching and learning, with a particular focus on positive relationships and those who often have barriers to education - those with special educational needs, have had poor prior education experience, from disadvantaged backgrounds, or have mental health difficulties.

I have worked in UK higher education for 10 years as a teaching-focused academic in the fields of psychology, education and research methods, and also as a student experience manager. My own PhD and ongoing research focuses on relational practice and what enables students to persist with their studies when things are hard, the role of personal tutoring in that persistence, and how disadvantaged students can be supported to achieve in higher education.

In my earlier career I worked in schools as a specialist teaching assistant supporting those with social, emotional or mental health difficulties, and prior to that in the NGO sector as a political campaigns manager on environmental and human rights issues.