the turn to things requires a reconsideration of where knowledge resides—can humans and non-humans only be accessed and known relationally, as they meet? or can there be a thing-in-itself, individuals-in-themselves, and a third space where they encounter each other? (godin, 2022, p. 122)
i’m always open to students/colleagues who want to collaborate or engage in mentorship as i carve my way toward becoming a practitioner-scholar.
<aside> <img src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/44/ff/2a/44ff2af6f48591ddcaf0d0aeff4afa63.jpg" alt="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/44/ff/2a/44ff2af6f48591ddcaf0d0aeff4afa63.jpg" width="40px" /> i navigate my responsibilities at both the centre for blended realities and research & knowledge exchange at falmouth university by exploring digital archival systems and their potential for enhancing audience engagement. alongside this, i work on impact case studies that measure how research findings make a difference beyond academia.
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<aside> <img src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ab/a4/43/aba4438bd58def4c7976426d2b015fdc.jpg" alt="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ab/a4/43/aba4438bd58def4c7976426d2b015fdc.jpg" width="40px" /> **my work is rooted in cross-disciplinary strategies aimed at amplifying the voices and narratives of justice-involved girls, sexual minorities and other marginalised communities whose stories are often overlooked/misrepresented. i believe that by weaving together insights from disciplines, i can create a more layered interpretation of the challenges these groups face and, more importantly, provide platforms that empower them to share their experiences authentically.
during my ma, i designed an online autobiographical monologue workshop that leveraged video as a medium for exploring complex discussions on gender and sexuality. the project was awarded a distinction, a recognition that underscored the potential of using multimedia and personal storytelling as tools for critical reflection and dialogue. building on this foundation, my phd research focused specifically on justice-involved young women residing in out-of-home placements. many of these women had experienced significant trauma and social exclusion, which made it imperative to adopt methods that were both sensitive and empowering, and through a series of creative workshops that combined elements of drama, visual arts and reflective writing, i worked to help these young women reclaim their stories. the goal was to document their experiences and also to enable them to reinterpret their pasts and imagine new possibilities for their futures.
central to my research are the perspectives of mnemohistory, monster culture and hauntology: frameworks that go into how the spectres of the past continue to shape present realities. mnemohistory for instance examines how collective memories are constructed and transmitted, often distorting or silencing certain voices. meanwhile, monster culture challenges the binaries of normalcy and deviance, encouraging one to consider how societal fears manifest in the treatment of marginalised groups. hauntology, with its focus on the unresolved echoes of the past, provides a lens for examining how historical injustices continue to haunt contemporary social and cultural landscapes.**
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<aside> <img src="https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/08/00/73/01/360_F_800730152_rqzQBKmZEbo6LbudnMLpuy0vRUsCf540.jpg" alt="https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/08/00/73/01/360_F_800730152_rqzQBKmZEbo6LbudnMLpuy0vRUsCf540.jpg" width="40px" /> in addition to these theoretical underpinnings, i am dedicated to refining my skills in qualitative methods, digital humanities and the creative applications of technology in research. i believe that embracing innovative methodologies (not just instruments, but as important analytical viewpoints) can transform how one conduct research and engage with participants. digital platforms, in particular, offer unprecedented opportunities for participatory research, allowing marginalised communities to document/share their experiences in ways that challenge traditional gatekeeping practices in academia.
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i’ve opted not to document my works as there are more convenient platforms available, like google scholar (link above) and my orcid (here), to track my publications. but i actually curate the chiaroscuro, a space for my writings on mnemohistory, hauntology, and monster culture, along with contributions from across the globe.
the chiaroscuro is a handpicked hauntology-focused platform that i oversee, dedicated to the integration of academic and non-academic perspectives in exploring hauntology and its related viewpoints.
in the summer of 2023, i collaborated with accessed, an ngo committed to empowering students from underrepresented backgrounds. together, we co-created a research-based tutorial pack for key stage 5 sociology and psychology called ‘girlhood chronicles: experiences of girls in the past few years’. it was published on 27 november 2023 and is available for access here. it’s an open-access resource.
i split my time (and brain cells) between the uk and taiwan. teaching, talking about research and all that jazz. i’ve scribbled down a few examples further down.
https://widgets.plusdocs.com/painting-grid
i’ve been working with dr jeremy chang over at the institute of education, national sun yat-sen university in kaohsiung, taiwan. we usually team up in a blended style: jeremy’s with the students in person while i beam in online from afar. one of our recent highlights was a keynote session hauntology and teacher beliefs that we gave in one of his postgraduate classes in spring 2024. the course is set to run again around the same time in 2025.
this webinar looks into the intriguing intersection of hauntology and teacher beliefs, presented as part of the ‘studies in teacher beliefs and epistemologies’ course. the session offers a concise overview of hauntology and explores its relevance to three key aspects of teacher beliefs: historical ghosts, uncertain futures and invisible forces. by creatively examining teacher beliefs through this lens, participants are encouraged to reflect on the profound influence of educators’ backgrounds on their current teaching philosophies.
starting this fall 2025, we’ll be co-teaching a course. ‘dark’ pedagogy: teaching through discomfort is for master’s and phd students and will run in a blended format, both in-person and online. we’ll be looking into how discomfort, uncertainty and even failure aren’t just hurdles in learning but can actually be powerful tools. instead of avoiding these feelings, we’ll explore ways to intentionally entwine them with teaching to prompt sustained enquiry and long-term academic curiosity.
this course goes into how feelings like discomfort, uncertainty (and even failure) play a part in the learning journey. instead of treating these emotions as setbacks, we’ll explore how they can be purposefully folded into everyday teaching to encourage reflection and intellectual growth. through lenses from philosophy, psychology and education, students will consider how ‘unsettling’ experiences can spark emotional and cognitive change. the course brings together ideas from critical pedagogy, hauntology and trauma-informed practices and links them to real-world curriculum planning and classroom strategies.
one of our mid-term plans is to kick off a research project using intercultural perspectives and a hauntological framework to explore an exchange trip involving a cohort of student teachers from jeremy’s institution. they’ll be heading to kyoto university and some local secondary schools for observations and exchange activities. we’re interested in exploring how this programme impacts them in terms of experiences and also their attitudes and how they reflect on the whole journey.
