Tell us about your contribution that has been recognised through the associate professorship.

I was recognised for my outstanding contribution to Research and Innovation (R&I) and significant contribution to Teaching and Learning (T&L) due to being an interdisciplinary and internationally recognised researcher studying the sustainable development of hospitality and tourism.

I have been centrally involved in the debate on the current approaches to managing sustainable tourism and have led in shaping a broader research agenda on using technology to develop practical solutions to sustainable issues. My research also concentrates on the broader applications of sustainable development by focusing on social responsibility and CSR, entrepreneurship, working conditions, and hospitality and tourism education. I evidenced this through my sustained portfolio of outputs, income generation projects, awards, journal editorial positions, guest speaker invitations, external examiner and assessor roles, leadership roles in external activities and REF contributions.

What does it mean personally to you to be an Associate Professor at Sheffield Hallam?

It feels amazing to be recognised by the University for my contributions. It is important for me in my career development and is added kudos when working with external stakeholders.

Tell us a bit about your career story so far.

I am currently the R&I Lead for the Department of Service Sector Management (SSM), which involves providing leadership of the breadth of R&I activity in SSM.

I never thought I would be an academic, and after my UG studies, I was focused on becoming a hotel manager. However, I was given the opportunity to work with a renowned tourism consultant, and I got more involved in research and data analysis which spurred me to consider a research career.

I moved to Sheffield on the day I submitted my PhD and took up my post as a Lecturer a few days later in 2009. I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2012 and Principal Lecturer in 2015. I have held several roles here ranging from Course Leader, Placement Lead, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRB) Lead, PGRT, PhD Programme Leader and Subject Group Leader.

I work with external organisations such as the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME), the Institute of Hospitality (IoH) and hotel operators, and I collaborate with other researchers in the UK and abroad.

If you could go back in time and give yourself some career advice, what would it be?

Recognise that everything does not need to happen right away, and it is good to take it slow sometimes, take a step back, in order to reflect and focus.

What’s next? Tell us about how you want to further develop your contribution.

Moving forward, I want to consolidate my position as a world-leading expert in hospitality and tourism and to grow the reach and reputation of research in SSM. I will also continue to support colleagues’ career development through mentoring, co-authorship, and growing the research environment.