About

I am a versatile environmental technician within the School of Science. My role incorporates areas of Earth sciences, environmental sustainability, conservation and geographical information systems. I have extensive industry experience in palaeontology, biostratigraphy and microscopy which allows me to work across teaching, lab demonstration, and collection curation.

Teaching responsibilities

I assist, demonstrate or teach on a wide range of modules for our BSc Earth Sciences, BSc Environmental Science & Sustainability, BSc Biology/Zoology, MSc Conservation Biology and MSc Environmental Assessment & Control degree programmes, including:

• Academic & Practical Skills in Environmental Sciences (level 3)
• Foundations of Geoscience (level 3)
• Earth Materials (level 4)
• Earth Scientist's Toolkit for Beginners (level 4)
• Advanced Toolkit for Earth Scientists (level 4)
• Climate, Oceans & Atmosphere (level 4)
• Structural Analysis (level 5)
• Volcanic & Metamorphic systems (level 5)
• Applied Sedimentology (level 5)
• Field Biology (level 5)
• Understanding Life Through Data (level 5)
• Introduction to GIS & Remote Sensing (level 5)
• Sustainable Water Resources (level 5)
• Elective Advanced Methods (level 6)
• Contaminated Land & Remediation (level 7)

As a qualified field first aider, I frequently assist in field visits and am skilled in many field techniques.

I teach in the use of Digimap and demonstrate various GIS packages including Idrissi, QGIS and ArcGIS pro.

I assist both undergraduate and postgraduate students during their Independent Research Projects especially in relation to risk assessments, field techniques and digital communication.

Membership of professional bodies

GCG (Geological Collections Group)

HEaTED (Higher Education and Technical Education Development)

Qualifications

• MSc Conservation and Land Management (distinction) - Bangor University (including independent study: 'The impact of Mob-grazing compared to set-stocking on soil quality at Glynllifon, Gwynedd')
• MSc Micropalaeontology (merit) - University College London (including independent study: 'The dating of turbiditic sequences using micropalaeontological techniques in the Sorbas Basin SE Spain')
• BSc (Hons) Geological Sciences (1st class) - Oxford Brookes University

Experience in industry

• Worked for TimeTrax (now part of PetroStrat) as a biostratigrapher and micropalaeontologist
• Carbonate petrographer for Badley Ashton and Associates Ltd
• Consultant micropalaeontologist
• Experience of working in NHS and food laboratories

International experience

I was seconded to Abu Dhabi, UAE for two years while working for Badley Ashton and Associates Ltd and stayed as a consultant micropalaeontologist and WFTGA certified tourist guide for another 14 years.