On this page, you can meet the talented, creative, enthusiastic and welcoming people who make the Centre for Academic Development work so well.
If you are a member of staff wanting to explore how we can work in a joined-up way to help develop the student academic experience, then please get in touch. If you are a student interested in courses, tutorials, workshops or online resources that can help you reach your full academic potential, we would love to hear from you.
Elaine Allender
University Teacher - English for Academic Purposes
eallender@brookes.ac.uk
Elaine has been teaching In-Sessional Academic English at Brookes since 2010 having come here after a career in English Language Teaching and Teacher Training in Oxford and abroad. She is module leader for INSE4007 Academic Writing for Business and delivers our grammar workshops.
Claire Bennett
Learning Development Tutor
clairebennett@brookes.ac.uk
Claire joined the team in 2021. Prior to joining the team she was a learning support tutor on the Foundation Art and Design. Claire works with students on our 1:1 tutorials, has been part of the team that developed the Head Into Brookes self-study course for new students and convenes our Writing Hub events.
Stefani Goga
University Teacher - English for Academic Purposes
sgoga@brookes.ac.uk
Stefani came to Brookes in 2019 after a career in international English-language teaching. Before working at Brookes she also taught pre-sessional and foundation level English for Academic Purposes. Stefani module leads INSE4001 and INSE 4002, our two postgraduate Academic Writing modules, and also works closely with faculties to develop longer discipline-specific content including Academic English for Nursing (NURS4008) and Developing MA Literacies (EDUC7003).
Kirsten Hall
Learning Development Tutor
kirstenhall@brookes.ac.uk
Kirsten has been a Learning Developer since 2007. Her work is informed by her coaching expertise and earlier work in research, English language teaching and working with refugees. Kirsten is responsible for maintaining effective links with Wellbeing, and has a specialism in working with students with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties. With Widening Participation She is the key contact for Sanctuary Scholarship and care experienced students.
Joanna Lumawig
Centre for Academic Development Coordinator
p0044525@brookes.ac.uk
Joanna joined the Centre for Academic Development in 2018. She has a degree in International Business Management from Oxford Brookes University and she has been working in the University since 2015. Her work experiences include roles in customer service, hospitality and space planning.
Martha O'Curry
Deputy Head of Centre for Academic Development
martha.ocurry@brookes.ac.uk
With a background in English language teaching and teacher training, Martha has worked at Oxford Brookes since 2013 and taught across a range of programmes including the International foundation programme and BA English Language and Linguistics. She is responsible for managing our In-Sessional Academic English modules, embedded academic language and literacies support (DLLS), and the workshop programme. She is the module leader for INSE4006 Essential Academic Writing and NURS4008 Academic English for Nursing.
Catrin Radcliffe
Associate Lecturer - Maths, Stats and Study Skills
Catrin Radcliffe is an Associate Lecturer in Mathematics and Statistics who has been working with the Centre since 2012.
Michelle Reid
Learning Development Tutor
michellereid@brookes.ac.uk
Michelle has worked in learning development for more than 14 years and came to Brookes in 2019. Michelle is involved in 1:1 tutorials and delivers workshops on a range of topics including adapting to postgraduate level study. She redeveloped our A-Z of online study resources and was part of the team who created the Head into Brookes course for new students.
Annalisa Roldan
Centre for Academic Development Receptionist
aroldan@brookes.ac.uk
Annalisa joined the Centre for Academic Development Team in December 2020. After completing her degree in Applied Languages and International Communication in France, she arrived in Oxford in January 2020 for an internship and decided to stay and join the Oxford Brookes team. She has experiences in customer support, hospitality and academic student services.
Ronni Thomas-Osborne
University Teacher - English for Academic Purposes
a.thomas-osborne@brookes.ac.uk
Ronni joined Oxford Brookes in 2019, after teaching for several years in France and the UK. She is the Module Leader for INSE5005, INSE5006, and LANG4009, our academic English module for students of English Language and Linguistics. Ronni enjoys materials development, particularly incorporating online and e-learning resources. She designs and delivers a range of online workshops, and enjoys helping students develop confidence in their academic communication skills.
Kevin Watson
Head of Department and Centre for Academic Development Tutor
kevinwatson@brookes.ac.uk
Kevin has been teaching in higher education for over 20 years and is responsible for our 1:1 service, web pages, outreach activities and the continued development of the Centre for Academic Development as an integrated part of Student Development Services. Kevin is particularly interested in the impact of perceived identities on learner outcomes and developing strategies to ensure that the Centre is effective as a welcoming and inclusive space for all students.
Zephra Weber
Learning Development Tutor
zweber@brookes.ac.uk
With a background in both English language teaching and learning development, Zephra joined the Centre in 2018 after teaching at a university in the U.S. She often works with international students in 1:1s and is passionate about helping students develop their approach to critical writing.