Academic biography

Roles and Affiliations

I am an Associate Professor of Sociology in the School of Human Development, DCU, where I teach courses across the range of programme offerings on the Humanities (Human Development) and Education programmes.  Prior to joining DCU, I taught at Teachers College, Columbia University, University College Dublin, and have also taught at SciencesPo University in Paris, as a Visiting Professor. I hold a PhD in Comparative Education/Sociology from Columbia University, New York, as well as Masters Degrees in Sociology (MSc. in Applied Social Research) from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the Sociology of Education (EdM) from Teachers College, Columbia University. My undergraduate degree was in (Single Honours) Psychology from University College Dublin (UCD). 

From  2016-2021, I served as Research Convener in the School of Human Development and I have served as a member of the DCU Research Ethics Committee since 2016.   In 2021, I was elected to serve as a board member of  the DCU Governing Authority, the body charged with the overall Governance of the University.

I am a co-editor of Irish Educational Studies, the official journal of the Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) and I have previously served on the editorial board of the journal Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review. I also serve on the steering committees of the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education, DCU and the UBUNTU Network for Sustainable Development and am an affiliate member of the Anti-Bullying Centre, DCU and the Educational Disadvantage Centre, also at DCU.

With  Dr. Yoko Mochizuki, I am currently co-editing the climate and youth section of