Role
Melanie is an Educational Developer within the Academic Development team in the Centre for Academic Development and Quality (CADQ). Melanie is responsible for supporting schools to address disparities in student attainment, progression and outcomes through equitable learning and teaching approaches. Melanie’s areas of focus and passion centres on race equity, intersectionality and decoloniality within Higher Education.
Career overview
Melanie joined NTU in 2021 as an Educational Developer within CADQ while completing her MA in Development Education and Global Learning part time.
Before joining NTU Melanie had various roles within Higher and Further education in the UK, all of which have had a thread of race equity and decoloniality as specialisms.
Research areas
Melanie has an MA in Development Education and Global learning from UCL (University College London).
Melanie’s research thesis was titled ‘Decolonising UK Higher Education and its intersections with Global learning’. The study investigated the understanding, rationale and pedagogical point of view of staff within different UK HE institutions towards their efforts to decolonise education. It also examined if their efforts to decolonise education aligned with best practice in global learning.
External activity
Publications
Melanie enjoys sharing her knowledge and development in creative ways.
November 2021 - Panel member for the NTU global 'Decolonising and Decarbonising Higher Education' - as part of COP26 NTU events.
May 2022 - Co-presenter at Birmingham City University's Decolonising HE Academic Practice - Lectures, Provocations and Roundtables. Talk title: 'The Decolonial Student Voice Loop'
July 2022 - Presenter at Leeds Trinity University conference on Race, Equity and Social Justice in Higher Education. Talk title: 'Navigating Social Justice in HE, a student's perspective and journey'
February 2023 – Chair for NTU’s empowering ethnic minorities (Public sector) panel.
March 2023 – Co-presenter at AdvanceHE EDI conference. Talk title: ‘Creative changemakers – Recognising and rewarding agency, power and impact of student’.
May 2023 – Presenter at SEDA Spring conference. Talk title: the Role of the Educational Developer in an ever-evolving landscape
May 2023 – Presenter at ‘when I dare to be powerful’ conference. Talk title: Tell us about your lived experience