Profile

I joined UCC in 2015 as Professor of Plant Biology. Until 2021, I was the Head of Discipline for Plant Science, and in September 2021, I took on the position of Head of School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Before joining UCC, I worked as Senior Lecturer at University College London, where I also filled the position of Head of Teaching for Biological Sciences. Since joining UCC, I chaired the School’s successful departmental Athena SWAN bronze application, served on the UCC Lecturer Probation & Establishment Board/Senior Lectureship Promotions Board.

Throughout my career, I kept an equal balance of research-, teaching- and admin-related activities, maintaining a strong research output and fulfilling several editorial responsibilities for international scientific journals.

Types of Mentoring Offered: 1:1 or panel mentoring, Speed Mentoring - One meeting to address specific mentee need, Short term relationship (6 months or less).

Mentoring Topics Include: Advising Students, New Programme Development, Innovation in Research, Time Management - Balancing Academic Activity,Collaborative Research,Preparing Articles for Publication, Choosing Where to Publish - Publishing Strategically,Developing an Academic Profile, How the University Operates Academically, Writing Grant Applications, Managing/ Leading Grants and Projects, Research and Professional Ethics, Leading Labs/ Field Work, Grading & Assessing Student Work, Career Development, Academic Leadership, Speaking at Conferences

Approach as Mentor: I am fully committed to supporting individuals from backgrounds that are under-represented in senior academic positions and those that have faced obstacles (e.g. caring responsibilities, part-time working) in their academic careers. Academic staff often face overwhelming workloads and responsibilities, and I would be delighted if I could help staff re-focus on the aspects of their work that initially inspired them to embark on an academic career. Every person’s situation is different, and I hope that, as a mentor, I will be able to support the mentees in reaching their goal, whether it be career progression, finding a better work-life balance or simply solving an immediate problem.