I joined Christ Church in April 2019, after almost 10 years at Edge Hill University where I served as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Education and prior to this as Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
My previous roles include Assistant Undergraduate Dean and Director of the Combined Honours Centre at Newcastle University and before this Head of the Department of English (and Principal Lecturer in Romantic Literature) at Oxford Brookes University.
My research interests are in historical anthropology, and ethnographic and postcolonial methodologies. I’m currently working on a cultural history of peeping. Stretching from the 16th-century origins of bo-peep (a game of hiding and suddenly reappearing played with children) to peek-a-boo (another game played with children that involves hiding behind something and suddenly reappearing), peeping (unlike the ‘looking quickly’ connotations of peeking) continues the activity of hiding but increasingly involves looking at someone through a narrow opening (as in peephole and peeping Tom). My work follows the cultural history of this, from the 18th century novel (Samuel Richardson’s two novels Pamela and Clarissa) to recent issues around up-skirting.
In my role here I am responsible for the achievement of the Strategic Framework’s objectives within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Education.
What are your current priorities?
The Faculty of Arts, Education and Humanities was created in 2020 through the merger of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities with the Faculty of Education. Bringing the two faculties together has strengthened our existing partnership and stakeholder engagement work and has enabled the development of exciting new activities.
Interdisciplinary work is a strategic priority, as too is maximising the potential of digital tools and platforms for teaching and research. I am committed to promoting an open research environment and the diverse range of our public-facing activity testifies to our strong commitment to touch our precious existing audiences and create new ones. I feel privileged to lead a faculty with a large and dynamic provision for student teachers and teacher educators. We will continue making a major contribution to community development and to supporting the aspirations of children and young people in the region.
What inspires you about Christ Church?
Our core values and our genuinely inclusive approach to all aspects of what we do and how we work.