Profile

I grew up in a deprived area and attended a low progression high school. Consequently, I left school with a handful of low grade qualifications and floated about in a number of jobs. I made the decision when I was about 24 years old to return to education. I completed an NC in social care and the following year managed to achieve higher grades and these qualifications allowed me entry into university.

I obtained a first class honours degree at Glasgow Caledonian University and then I came to Strathclyde, completing my MRes, PhD, post-doctoral studies and I am now a Teaching Fellow within the School of Psychological Sciences and Health.

I manage and oversee the BA Psychology degree programme years 1-4. I work collaboratively with students and staff alike to ensure the delivery of a psychology curriculum that equips students to either become professional psychologists or part of the wider psychological workforce.  I also teach and supervise students who are conducting research. My teaching interests include psychology of physical activity, critical thinking, research design and analysis. My research focuses on understanding more about physical activity behaviour. I also have interest in a psychological construct known as ‘imposter phenomenon’ and this means that people feel like a fraud and have difficulty internalizing their success.

Half of the week I work from home, and the other half I work on-campus. The flexibility helps me manage my work-life balance. Irrespective of where I am based, I often interact with students on a daily basis talking about all things psychology and the degree programme. I enjoy this aspect of my job as it helps build a rapport with my students.