About

I am currently a Team Manager in land-based higher education, key stage 4 and apprenticeships and a further education and higher education lecturer at Derby College. I am in my ninth academic year teaching and have a keen passion and interest in anthrozoology. I currently teach Animal Science and Zoo Management at Derby College, programmes accredited by the University of Derby.

My main areas of interest lie within research between human-animal interactions and the human perception of animals. I spend a lot of my free time out in southern Africa, working at a zoo or running fieldtrips to a private game reserve. I am very interested in understanding and furthering research on the comparative psychology behind human-animal interactions and the impact direct and indirect interactions have for humans and animals alike.

My key aim is to widen the literature base in anthrozoology, raise awareness of the impact to the human, non-human animal and establishment of human-animal interactions while highlighting and progressing with suitable alternative measures and progressing with positive welfare regulations.

Thesis title

Humans as Enrichment: Human-animal interactions and the perceived benefit to the human, non-human animal and zoological establishment

Supervisors

• Dr Maren Huck
• Professor David Sheffield

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Zoo Biology (2:1), Nottingham Trent University
• PGCE, University of Derby
• MA Anthrozoology (merit), University of Exeter