I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at York St John University, having previously served as Associate Head: Sport (secondment). I am also an Academic Research Lead for the Motivation, Performance, and Wellbeing (MPaW) research group and contribute widely in netball, including as a Yorkshire Netball Board Member and casual Research Advisor for England Netball.
My academic background includes a first-class BSc(Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science from Loughborough University, MSc in Sport Psychology from York St John University, and a PhD (Sport and Exercise Psychology), with The University of Leeds as the awarding body. During my postgraduate studies, I worked as a Visiting Lecturer and full-time Research Assistant, and after completing my PhD in 2015, I undertook my first Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology post, at Nottingham Trent University.
My main teaching responsibilities lie in the areas of Sport and Exercise Psychology and Research Methods, having designed and delivered modules in these areas across all levels of undergraduate study and postgraduate study. I currently lecture across all BUES endorsed BSc/MSci Sport programmes in the School of Science, Technology, and Health at York St John University and Module Direct Fundamentals of Sport and Exercise Psychology and Introduction to Research Methods in Sport.
My research centres on promoting positive experiences and healthy engagement in sport and education so all individuals can access, enjoy, and experience the benefits of these activities (e.g., wellbeing and performance). Adopting mixed methods, I consider: i) how personality and individual differences (i.e., perfectionism and motivation) shape the way individuals perceive and interact with the world around them, ii) how barriers to accessing, enjoying, and experiencing the benefits of sport and education can be removed. In this regard, I currently lead the 'Engagement' stand of the Motivation, Performance, and Wellbeing (MPaW) research group and have produced a profile of high-quality research outputs and presentations with staff and student collaborators at York St John University (e.g., Professor Daniel Madigan), other UK universities (e.g., Professor Camilla Knight, Swansea University), and universities internationally (e.g., Professor Henrik Gustafsson, Karlstad University).
My research has been supported by commissions and small grants and I have refereed grant applications. I currently serve on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology (IJSEP). I am also actively involved in schemes that enable students to co-collaborate on research (e.g., Students as Researchers, York St John University) and a lead supervisor for MSc by Research and Doctoral students. I am currently accepting new postgraduate research students.
Recent publications
I am a member of professional bodies such as The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), with affiliations to the Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology and, formerly, BASES Heads of Department forum. I am also a UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and mentor candidates applying for UKCGE and HEA recognition at York St John University as well as undertake assessments for UKCGE and HEA. From 2018 to 2022, I was the Academic Institutional Lead for Athena SWAN (gender equality charter mark framework) at York St John University. During this time, we secured our first Institutional Athena SWAN Bronze award. Recently, I was nominated by external HEI colleagues and have subsequently been invited to be a member of the CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) Workforce Insight Group, which aims to make actionable recommendations to shape a recognised and respected sport and physical activity sector.
