I am a Professor in the School of Education at the University of Galway and Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Teacher Education . My research focuses on teacher education and educational leadership with a strong emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. I have held numerous leadership positions including Director of the Professional Master of Education, Director of Teaching and Learning and Head of the Discipline of Education. I have recently collaborated on European-funded projects addressing diversity, equity, and cultural responsivity in education, working with partners from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Turkey. I am lead editor of a Special Issue for the Learning Environments Research Journal, focusing on Creating more Equitable and Inclusive Learning Environments . I also edited "Professional Learning Approaches for Diversity, Democracy, and Equity: Big Ideas for Better Schools", published by Routledgein 2026. I have acted as External Examiner and Programme Reviewer for doctoral theses and education programmes at several universities across Ireland and internationally. Since 2008, I have taught on initial teacher education programmes and Masters and PhD courses, covering topics such as inclusive teaching, culturally-responsive pedagogies, plurilingualism in education, modern language teaching methodologies, education policy, reflective practice, and quantitative, mixed and practitioner research methods. My own experience as asecond-level teacher of modern languages continues to inform my work in teacher education and curriculum development. I have successfully supervised PhD students from Ireland, Germany, Nigeria, Italy, South Korea, and Indonesia. I am passionate about supporting international students and academics in teaching, learning, researching, academic writing, and publishing. Beyond my teaching and research, I have advised and reviewed for various government bodies, research institutes, and policy organisations, including the Irish Department of Educations Teacher Supply Data Working Group, Oide - Support Service for Teachers and School Leaders, the Teaching Council, and the European Research Executive Agency. I have delivered keynote presentations at prestigious events, such as the World Deans of Education Conference in Dublin, the Challenges Facing Teacher Education Lecture Series in Koblenz, the Solidarity and Support in Schools Conference in Krakow, and the Education Reimagined Conference in Jember.

My research explores policies and practices in teacher education and educational leadership to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in education and wider society. I examine strategies to attract, support, and promote a diverse teaching workforces. I explore leadership practices prioritising equity and social responsibility, aiming to create supportive, empowering environments for teachers and students. Through school-university partnerships and teacher practitioner research, I promote collaborative professional development that addresses real-world challenges. My overarching goal is to shape resilient, reflective educators equipped to lead diverse and democratic classrooms, ultimately fostering educational spaces that celebrate and respect all students varied linguistic, cultural, and social backgrounds. With a deep-rooted interest in languages, I am keenly interested in plurilingual education contexts and the learning environments that support students linguistic and cultural diversity. 

Learning and Teaching MethodologiesProfessional PracticeMentoring and TutoringDiversity in EducationQuantitative Research MethodsMixed Methods ResearchPractitioner Research in EducationModern Foreign Languages Teaching Methodologies