Role
As part of ERET – educational research and evaluation team, Erick’s role relates directly to NTU’s strategic plans. The Success for All strategy at NTU influences most of his projects. His work usually goes into reports that land directly into the SfA steering board, aiming to better inform their decision making. He is also responsible for any quantitative aspect of the team’s work, specializing in descriptive statistics. Erick is part of the AHH ethics committee, reviewing different research project proposals on regular basis.
Career overview
Erick moved to the UK back in 2015, he came to do his MA in Sociology at NTU. Prior to that, his work as researcher was mainly doing research into extreme poverty and entrepreneurship in Guatemala’s rural communities. However, a lot of those research projects funded by international organisations were aiming only to produce a report that would have little impact on those communities. With his MA, he wanted to do applied research and have more impact with his work. After breaking into the UK’s academic landscape as a research associate for the School of Social Sciences, Erick got his current role, he is very proud of seeing his research influence the NTU community. He is currently the longest serving member of the team and wishes to continue working closely with students to better inform decision makers at NTU.
Research areas
Most of his research career has been linked to researching inequalities. Back in Guatemala his research was focused on structural and economic inequalities and how people organised to cope with such inequalities. Currently his research area focuses on student success and the awarding gaps. In a way, it is looking at how structural inequalities may impact student journeys and how to better support those students.
External activity
Publications
Nottingham Trent University's Student 2025 Project: Situating the student voice within institutional considerations of factors influencing disparities in student outcomes. Presentation at AdvanceHE EDI conference in Manchester, March 2022. Hambling, Jenny; Morataya, Erick.
Pedagogic phenomenography for evidence-based decision making. Presentation at AdvanceHE EDI conference in Manchester, March 2022. Mckay, Francoise; Morataya, Erick.