About me

I am confident, personable and highly self-motivated. My friends and colleagues know me to be a positive, organised, sensitive and professional leader and team-member. I strongly believe in promoting positive and healthy workplaces and non-discriminatory learning environments. That’s why I work with social justice organisations and engage in pro-bono work for non-profit groups that share my values and ethics.

I have published a wide range of writing, as an academic, researcher and journalist. My diverse international experience in commercial and public sectors provides me with a broad perspective, along with personal understanding of the transformative power within learning. My teaching, consultancy, research and mentoring roles reflect my Humanistic approach together with my strong sense of social justice. I present my research at international conferences and regularly undertake peer-review of texts for a range of inter/national academic journals.

Education

Oct 2010 – Dec 2013. PhD in Education (completed a full-time scholarship). Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent. UK. Thesis Title: Performativity and Affectivity: Lesson Observations in England’s Further Education (Tertiary) Colleges. My qualitative research investigated quality control policies in post-compulsory education and teachers’ emotional labour. My thesis was published by Springer and is available here.

Jan 2021-May 2022. Masters in Legal Studies (online). Awarded Merit. University of Auckland. Specialism in International Human Rights and Environmental Law.

2007- May 2008. Masters in Lifelong Education. Awarded Distinction University of Nottingham, UK. My dissertation was focused on the emotional intelligence of teaching in post-compulsory education sectors.

2006-2007: Post-Graduate Diploma in Continuing Education Training: PGDipCET Awarded Distinction University of Nottingham, UK.  This is a UK tertiary teaching qualification, endorsed by Higher Education Authority & INZ.

2000 – 2006: BA (Hons) Social Studies (2.1) University of Warwick, UK. Sociology & Continuing Education (double major). I undertook my undergrad studies as a self-funded, part-time mature student, whilst employed by the University of Warwick’s Medical School.

Oct 2005: Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Trinity College, London, UK.

Other training:

Economics 101 (online) Hillsdale College, USA. (Completed July 2022)

New Zealand Certificate/Diploma In Adult Literacy & Numeracy Teaching Level 5 (Open Polytechnic). (Completed Oct 2018)

New Zealand Sign Language Level 1a (Completed Sept 2017)