I am a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Essex, with previous academic appointments in the United States. My disciplinary home is in Criminology and Criminal Justice, but my professional interests extend across higher education governance, institutional autonomy, and the conditions that sustain high-quality teaching and learning. My academic work has involved teaching-focused higher education, curriculum design and review, and engagement with programme governance and advisory structures. Through this work, I have developed a sustained interest in how governance arrangements, regulatory frameworks, and quality assurance processes shape academic standards, pedagogical priorities, and the professional conditions under which teaching takes place.
The Council for the Defence of British Universities plays an important role in protecting institutional autonomy, academic freedom, and universities’ capacity to function as sites of independent scholarship and rigorous education. I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to Executive Committee discussions that examine how funding structures, governance arrangements, and regulatory regimes, including the Teaching Excellence Framework, affect the integrity and future direction of UK higher education. I would bring an analytical, governance-focused perspective grounded in pedagogical practice and institutional experience.
