Personal statement

I am Professor of Human Development and Education Policy at the University of Strathclyde and a member of the Strathclyde Institute of Education since 2016. I also serve as Depute Head (Research), where I contribute to the strategic development of the Institute’s research and support a collaborative academic environment.

I completed my PhD in Sociology at the University of Mannheim in 2013, where I developed a strong foundation in life course research and quantitative methods. I subsequently worked as a Research Fellow (2013–2015) on the ESRC-funded Applied Quantitative Methods Network (AQMeN) at the University of Edinburgh, further developing my expertise in socioeconomic research and data analysis.

My research examines the development of socioeconomic inequalities across the life course, with a particular focus on the relationships between education, social mobility, and labour market outcomes. Using quantitative methods and large-scale secondary data, I aim to better understand the processes that shape these inequalities.

A central strand of my work focuses on the socioeconomic causes and consequences of school absence. I have led externally funded projects in this area, including the ESRC Secondary Data Analysis Initiative project Family background and educational attainment: An investigation into the mediating role of school absenteeism and the Nuffield Foundation-funded project Understanding school attendance, education, and labour market outcomes. Findings from these projects have been shared through academic publications, policy-oriented outputs, and knowledge exchange activities (see schoolattendance.org).

My research engages with policy and practice, and I have worked with civil servants, charities, and schools on issues related to education. This has included contributions to discussions involving the UK Department for Education, the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and the OECD, as well as participation in advisory activities and presentations to policy audiences.

My publications appear in journals across sociology, psychology, and education, including Sociological Science, European Sociological Review, Child Development, American Educational Research Journal, and the British Educational Research Journal. My work on school attendance, educational inequality, and school-to-work transitions has been cited by organisations such as the OECD and ILO.

I am a Life Course Research Affiliate at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course at the University of Queensland and serve on the Editorial Board of the British Sociological Association’s journal, Sociology. I have also contributed to peer review and funding assessment for organisations including the ESRC, the Dutch Research Council, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

My teaching is closely aligned with my research and combines theoretical and applied perspectives. I convene the Sociology of Education module on the MSc Education Studies programme, which I developed to address gaps in the curriculum. The module is research-led and has been well received by students.

I supervise research in areas including child development, educational inequality, social mobility, education policy, and comparative education, supporting students to engage with real-world challenges and develop strong analytical skills.

For more information, see CV (PDF)