Email: portico-services@ucl.ac.uk
Help Desk: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/portico/helpdesk
- Lecturer in Literacy Education
- IOE - Learning & Leadership
- UCL Institute of Education
My career started as an early years teacher in St. James' Primary School in Dublin. I studied towards a Ph.D in Reading and Literacy in Early and Middle Childhood at the Ohio State University. I also worked as an Assistant Professor in Literacy Education at Queens College, City University of New York. I am now a Lecturer in Literacy Education and Reading Recovery National Leader based at the International Literacy Centre in the Department of Learning and Leadership. I have co-authored the most recent meta-analytic review of Reading Recovery and my work has been published in Reading Research Quarterly, the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, The Journal of Writing Research, and the Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk. I am a member of the Editorial Review Board of The Reading Teacher and Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk. I have worked in Ireland, the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Malta.


I am quantitative researcher whose publications and standing in the field have been built around (a) my interests in early writing and support for literacy learning in the early years and (b) my interests in supporting evidence-based practice and the role of knowledge exchange in this, with a specific focus on review methodologies. These lines of inquiry have guided my research, teaching, and engagement with education systems in Europe and the United States. I focus on three interdependent and complementary fields: literacy development and instruction, review methodologies to ensure successful translation of research to practice, and early literacy intervention. My expert knowledge in literacy and methodological expertise has resulted in a sustained production of sole and co-authored articles in top tier peer reviewed journals. It has also allowed me to play a versatile proactive role in successful collaboration within collective research groups on funded literacy research for the ESRC, EEF, ETF and the Frobel Trust. My expertise in literacy teaching and learning has allowed me to develop a reputation and profile at national and international level in research on early literacy intervention and literacy pedagogy.
I worked as a primary literacy advisor for the Irish Department of Education for 4 years. I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and I have a successful career of teaching in higher education and have experience working in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Malta, and the United States. I have made a significant contribution to the field of literacy pedagogy at higher level and the teaching of research methodologies. I have played a significant role in course design and assessment as well as the integration of teaching technologies to support learning and teaching. I am module leader of Research Methods in Literacy, module co-leader of Researching Education in Early Years and Primary Education and module co-leader of the Dissertation module of the MA in Early Years Education and MA in Primary Education (Policy and Practice).
01-SEP-2015 – 20-AUG-2017 | Assistant Professor | Elementary and Early Childhood Education | Queens College of the City University of New York, United States |
08-AUG-2012 – 08-AUG-2015 | Graduate Research Assistant | Department of Teaching and Learning | The Ohio State University, United States |
01-SEP-2008 – 06-JUN-2012 | Reading Recovery Teacher Leader and Primary Literacy Advisor | Professional Development Services for Teachers | Department of Education and Science, Ireland |
01-SEP-1998 – 31-AUG-2008 | Primary School Teacher | St James' Primary School | Dublin 8, Ireland |
2018 | ATQ03 - Recognised by the HEA as a Fellow | University College London | |
2015 | Doctor of Philosophy | Ohio State University | |
1999 | Bachelor of Education (Honours) | Trinity College Dublin | |
ATQ10 - Overseas accreditation or qualification for any level of teaching | |||
2007 | Master of Education | Open University |