51cg

Biography

• MA (Social Science) with First Class Honours in Geography (Glasgow) 1993.
• PhD in Human Geography (Glasgow) 2000.
• 1997 - 1998 Research Assistant, Department of Land Economy, 51cg.
• 1998 - 2004 Lecturer, Department of Land Economy, 51cg.
• 2004 - 2007 Lecturer, Geography and Environment, School of Geosciences, 51cg.
• 2007 - 2021 Senior Lecturer, Geography and Environment, School of Geosciences, 51cg
• 2016 - 2021 Depute Head of School of Geosciences
• 2021 to date Personal Chair, Geography and Environment, School of Geosciences, 51cg

Prizes and Awards

Winner of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society Newbiggin Prize 2002.

Research Overview

My main area of research interest is rural socio-economic change.  I have published conceptual and empirical papers on topics including rural social exclusion, population change, ageing in rural communities and rural digital divides.  I have completed research on these and other topics funded by UK Research Councils and Government Departments.  

I have supervised thirteen doctoral candidates to successful completion of their PhD thesis.

Current Research

I am co-investigator on a five year programme grant awarded by the Chief Scientist Office, Building Rural-Urban healthCare Equity for Scotland (BRUCES) – a multi-methods, interdisciplinary research programme in cancer, musculoskeletal health and frailty.  This project runs from Sept 2024 - August 2029 and aims to understand how and why health and healthcare for people living in different types of rural communities differs from those living in urban areas, and how we can improve it. The research team drawns together clinicians, academic researchers and patients interested in improving rural healthcare delivery.

I have recently compelted a longitudinal study of the long term impacts of flooding on rural communities, funded by Scotland's Centre for Research Excellence in Water (CREW).

Past Research

I have compelted work on three interdisiplinary research projects funded through the 51cg's RCUK dot.rural research hub: Technologies to support Older people at home:  maximising Personal and Social interaction - TOPS; 'Two Speed Britian' -a dot.rural - Oxford Internet Institute collaboration using data from the 2013 Oxford Internet Survey; and RuralPAWS, a project which adressed digial exclusion in a remote rural case study community.

I have also completed research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council exploring retirement transition migration in rural areas and have undertaken other research examining issues associated with rural demographic ageing.

Funding and Grants

Selected funded research projects

Assessing the impacts on people and communities following the Decembet 2015 / January 2016 flood events Project funded by CREW, Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Water

RuralPAWS Project funded by the RCUK Rural Digital Economy Hub, dot.rural. 

Oxford Internet Survey Project funded by the RCUK Rural Digital Economy Hub, dot.rural.  G

Technologies to support Older people at home: maximising Personal and Social interaction – TOPS  Project funded by the RCUK Rural Digital Economy Hub, dot.rural. 

The Retirement Transition and the Celtic Fringe:  Mobility Trends and Migrant and Rural Community Well Being Project funded by the ESRC. 

Policy Grid 2 Project funded by the ESRC.

Teaching Responsibilities

I have teaching commitments across the undergraduate Geography curriculum including contributions to Level 1 The UN Sustainable Development Goals: Transforming Our World, Level 3 Research Design, Level 3 Social Science Data and Methods, Level 3 Globalisation and Masters level Research Methods.  I also deliver a specialist Level 4 Honours Option course, Rural Geographies, and I supervise undergraduate and taught post-graduate dissertations.