I am a Lecturer in Physical Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London, a position I have held since September 2022. I completed my PhD, funded by the London NERC DTP, in April 2024. My research focuses on reconstructing past environments and climates to inform future scenarios, with interests in archaeology and science policy. I am the Departmental Marketing, Careers and Employability Lead (2024-), responsible for overseeing careers-related activities in the Department, with a particular focus on undergraduate students.

My expertise lies in palaeoecology (pollen) and tephrochronology within lake sediments. My research involves: (i) analysing pollen data to reconstruct vegetation changes, (ii) creating tephrostratigraphic profiles and integrating them with chronological data (e.g., radiocarbon dating, varve counting) to develop robust age models, (iii) combining pollen and tephra data with geochemical, diatom, and isotope evidence to assess environmental responses in lake systems, and (iv) providing environmental contexts for human activity during the Holocene by integrating archaeological and ecological data.

Currently, I focus on fossil pollen and volcanic ash (tephra) in annually-laminated sediments (varves) at Diss Mere, Norfolk. My extensive fieldwork includes sediment coring, water sampling, vegetation mapping and sedimentology. By incorporating palaeoecological approaches, I address questions relevant to ecosystem resilience and recovery after disturbances, aiding policy and management decisions.

I am now applying my PhD findings to the heritage sector. My research aims to deepen our understanding of East Anglia’s environmental history using these interdisciplinary methods.

Teaching Qualifications

• Associate Fellow for the Higher Education Academy. Passed with distinction. 2020.

Course convenor

• Global Conservation Challenges (GG3111) 3^rd year undergraduate module. This course explores the challenges for conserving species, communities and ecosystems at regional to global scales.
• Biogeography (GG2043) 2^nd year undergraduate module. The main themes explored are dispersal strategies of organisms; the principal factors limiting species distribution; natural selection and evolution; island biogeography; natural and anthropogenic threats to ecosystems; extinction and the effects of disease.
• Geographical Techniques (GG1011-Statistics) 1^st year undergraduate module. This course involved a series of lectures followed by computer practicals and introduced students to statistical methods in Geography in Microsoft Excel.
• Supervision of Dissertation students (GG3001) Third-year and MSc students.

• MSc Key concepts in Past and Current Climate Change (GG5291) MSc module. This co-taught module offers an overview of climate forcing factors (both internal and external), as well as key events, cycles and thresholds. As the module convener, I deliver sessions on the subdivision of the Holocene and the Anthropocene.
• MSc Palynology (GG5203). For this intensive MSc option course in 2023, I delivered a series of lectures on pollen principles, identification, application, and analyses. I ran workshops on data presentation using specialist software, held drop-in help sessions and supervised identification practicals on the microscopes.

Other teaching

• Undergraduate Tutor (GG1001/2) Physical Geography
• Designing and delivering a programme of Physical Geography tutorials, including sessions on the geosphere, biosphere, environmental change, academic study skills and marking formative essays.
• Field teaching – Geographical Research and Field Training (GG1032 & GG2003) – second year undergraduate field course to Sicily, first year undergraduate field courses to Spain and Cardiff
  • Supervision of project groups, marking and demonstrating on Physical Geography techniques, including sedimentology, geomorphology, vegetation dynamics, and fluvial processes.

May 2021-Aug. 2021      UKRI Science Policy Intern at The Royal Society

3-month science policy placement at The Royal Society, London, working within the Data, and Research and Innovation teams.

Sept. 2017-Sept. 2018   Postgraduate Research Assistant in Tephrochronology

Working on Royal Society and Leverhulme funded projects to investigate volcanic ash layers from archaeological and environmental sites in Europe, Armenia, and the Levant.

Sept. 2018-April 2024    PhD Quaternary Science – Royal Holloway University of London

PhD Title: ‘‘Analysing human-climate interactions in the Holocene using a high-resolution pollen and tephra record from Diss Mere, England.’ Funded by the London NERC DTP.

Sept. 2016-Sept. 2017    MSc Quaternary Science – Royal Holloway University of London

Classification: Distinction

Sept. 2013-July 2016     BSc Geography – Royal Holloway University of London

Classification: First Class