I am a Reader in Human Geography at Loughborough University, UK. My research explores the geographies of youth citizenship, informal education and volunteering. This work has been recognised by the Royal Geographical Society (Gill Memorial Award, 2017) and the American Association of Geographers (PGSG, 2015) for contributions to cultural, political and historical geography.
I am a Fellow of the HEA, RGS-IBG and of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Democratic Participation’s Political Literacy Oversight Group. In 2017, I was invited to give written and oral evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Engagement [final report; government response]. In August 2018, I began as a Co-Editor of Geopolitics - an international and multidisciplinary journal. I have served on two RGS-IBG Research Group Committees for several years, including Elected Chair of the 'Geographies of Children, Youth and Families' Research Group (2015-2018). I am the Programme Director for the new MA Childhood, Youth and Social Policy, a multidisciplinary taught masters programme at Loughborough University (October 2019 entry).
I began a lectureship in Loughborough in 2012 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2015, before the personal title of Reader in Human Geography in April 2018. Before moving to Loughborough University, I held an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Leicester and completed an ESRC-funded PhD at Aberystwyth University (Feb 2011) where I also received an MA (2007) & BA (2006), graduating with the Gregynog & James Fairgrieve Prize.
