Dr Ria Dunkley
- Lecturer in Geography, Environment and Sustainability (Pedagogy, Praxis & Faith)
telephone: 0141 330 5079
email: Ria.Dunkley@glasgow.ac.uk
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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0238-7344Biography
Ria is a Lecturer in Geography, Sustainability and Environment at the University of Glasgow within the School of Education. She is also a Senior Visiting Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Teaching and Learning at the University of Warwick and a Research Affiliate of the Sustainable Places Research Institute at Cardiff University.
Prior to her current role, Ria developed her research into Environmental Education and Sustainable Communities through several positions, most recently as a Research Associate at the Sustainable Places Research Institute, at Cardiff University (2013-2017). She has also previously held a Research Fellowship in Education for Sustainability (2012-2013) at the University of Warwick. She was a Research Assistant at the ESRC Centre for Business, Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society (BRASS), at Cardiff University (2011-2012) and from 2010-2011, Ria was lead researcher for EU and UK government-funded Education Programmes at the environmental charity, the Eden Project, Cornwall. From 2007-2009, Ria was a lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She gained her PhD and PgC-Teaching in Higher Education from the University of Wales in 2007.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ria_Dunkley
Research interests
Ria's research interests focus upon human-nature encounters in various contexts, which translates into several empirical projects. Firstly, Ria is particularly interested in how and why transitions towards sustainability are formed through environmental education (especially in informal, experiential environments) and community-led action (including through the practices of grassroots and artistic communities). Secondly, she examines how changing perceptions of nature influence the motivations of individuals and communities to participate in environmental sustainability-related initiatives. She is also interested in alternative means of knowledge creation and understanding, beyond scientific and how these influence the transmission and circulation of notions of environmental sustainability. These interests have led to a number of projects such as, Homing In: Sensing, Sense-Making and Sustainable Place-Making (an arts and social sciences collaborative network) (AHRC 2013-2014); a community action for climate change: learning review (Welsh Government 2012-13) and Building Bridges for Education for Sustainability (University of Warwick and Monash University 2012-2013). Ria's recent publications address community involvement in environmental sustainability initiatives, as well as the effects of environmental learning experiences. She is also currently investigating the meaning of citizen science experiences to involved individuals and the role of participatory science in sustainable development.
Ria has also led research projects that assess the impact of environmental sustainability education and public engagement programmes, funded by the Department for Education, Welsh Government and the European Social Fund. This research has involved collaboration with a range of environmental organisations, including the Eden Project, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Grants
- Spark funder crowd funding: Spot-a-Bee: Mapping the Urban Garden Bee, January 2020-June 2020 (Awarded: £3,577.50, PI: Ria Dunkley).
- Chancellors Award, University of Glasgow: Spot-a-Bee 2.0: Gathering pharmaceutical data and enhancing environmental learning opportunities and conservation efforts through plant-based citizen science, November 2019-June 2020 (Awarded: £2,500, PI: Ria Dunkley).
- School of Education, Small project award, Spot-a-Bee 2.0: Ecopedagogy through citizen science: Spot-a-Bee 2.0: a focus upon primary education settings, February 2020-June 2020 (Awarded: £4,765.20, PI: Ria Dunkley).
- European Commission EU Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR): Walk the Global Walk Project, September 2017- December 2020 (Awarded 270,000 EUR, Co-I: Ria Dunkley).
- Academic Returners and Research Support, University of Glasgow: Exploring environmental education in the context of National Parks in Scotland and the United States, June 2019-June 2020 (Awarded: £10,000, PI: Ria Dunkley).
- “National Coastal Change Assessment 2: Enhancing the evidence base and our ability to adapt”, Application for Research and Development Project for the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), PI: Professor Jim Hansom, Co-I: Dr Larissa Naylor; Dr Ria Dunkley; Dr Martin Hurst; Dr Richard Williams (£237,774.70, December 2017).
- “Impact study, British Council school programmes in Scotland”, PI-Professor Kay Livingstone; PI: Professor Catherine Doherty, Co-I: Professor Trevor Gale; Co-I: Dr Catherine Lido; Co-I: Dr Ria Dunkley; Co-I: Dr Stephen Parker (£52,358.92, December, 2017).
- Writing workshop at the University of Stavanger on young people and gardens, University of Stavanger, Faculty of Arts and Education Project Development Grant, PI – Barbara Maria Sageidet; Co-I: Ria Dunkley; Co-I: Sylvia Almeida (20,000NOK) (October 2016)
- International interdisciplinary workshop on Environmental Governance, British Council grant to participate, University of Brasilia, Brazil, 4-8 July 2016.
- Exploring the motivations and experiences of environmental citizen scientists: A comparative study of two citizen science learning spaces, Sustainable places research institute data collection fund award (£2,975.59, PI: Ria Dunkley).
- ESRC Impact acceleration Account: Building evaluative capacity amongst outdoor learning practitioners: Enhancing user experience understanding through place-based research methodologies, January 2016 -December 2016 (Awarded ESRC £2,858.00, PI).
- Santander grant to establish a citizen science project: “spotabee.buzz” (Awarded Santander, £5,000, Co-I: Ria Dunkley & Co-I: Professor Les Baillie).
- Cardiff Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (CUROP) award to host placement student for research project: ‘The Campus as a Living Laboratory – sustainable place-making through visualisations’, July, 2015 (Awarded Cardiff University, £1,440, PI).
- GW4 Initiator fund: 'Sustainability, Place and Memory': An Environmental Humanities Network, 2015 (Awarded £5,106 GW4) (PI: Dr Nicola Whyte, Co-I: Ria Dunkley, Co-I, Professor Peter Coates, Co-I, Professor Axel Goodbody)
- ERASMUS+ Teaching mobility placement, Luleå University of Technology, ERASMUS 2015 (Awarded EU funds 1,480 EUR).
- Canal and Rivers Trust (CRT) – Devising a Public Benefits Outcome Framework, 2014 (Awarded CRT, £40,000) (PI: Professor Terry Marsden, Co-I: Dr. Ria Dunkley; Co-I: Dr. Alex Franklin)
- Two Cardiff Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (CUROP) awards to host placement student for research project: ‘The University Campus as a Living Laboratory – Exploring place-based learning approaches to Education for Sustainability’, July, 2014 (Awarded Cardiff University, £2,720, PI).
- Funding to host a HEA Seminar at Cardiff University: ‘The Campus as a Living Laboratory: Place-based Approaches to Education for Sustainability’, 2013. (Awarded HEA, £750.00) (PI).
- ‘Sensing, sense-making and sustainable place making: An arts & social science collaborative network’, 2013, (Awarded AHRC, £39,920.51) (PI: Professor Karen Henwood, Co-I: Professor Carl Lavery, Co-I, Dr Ria Dunkley, Co-I: Dr Chis Groves).
- ‘Creative Resilience through Community Imaginings’, 2013, (Awarded AHRC, £11,939) (PI: Professor Ann Light; Co-I: Dr. Carl Lavery; Co-I: Dr. Ruth Rettie; Co-I: Dr. Katrina Brown; Co-I: Dr Ria Dunkley.
- Best postgraduate presentation, in the Tourism Training Forum for Wales, Tourism Research Conference, 2005 (£200).
- University of Wales, Doctoral Scholarship, 2004-2007 (Fees & Living Stipend).
- Ian Bell Trust Award for work placement, year group’s most promising young professional, 2003 (£1,000).
Supervision
Ria has in the past supported Masters Students through their disssertations in a range of subjects within the field of human geography and education studies. She currently supervises Postgraduate students within the School of Education, through the MEd Professional Practice programme.
She currently supervised the following doctoral candidates within the School of Education:
- Brighid Golden Thesis title: Exploring the potential of development education within initial teacher education in Ireland to develop critical thinking and a commitment to social justice in its students.
- Shuqi Rao The Challenge of Unity among Diversity: A Comparative Study of National Identity Education in the Context of Globalization in China and Scotland.
In addition, Ria has acted as an internal and external examiner for PhD and MRes theses at the University of Otago (New Zealand), La Trobe University (Australia); the University of Birmingham & Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Teaching
I teach on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the areas of geography, environment and sustainability and am course convenor for Rethinking Education and Society at Level Three. I also act as a supervisor for dissertation students at Masters level; and supervise doctoral researchers.
Courses include: Rethinking Education and Society (Level Three); Education and Society (Level One); Education and Society (Level Four); Education Enquiry (Level 3); Education in Practice (Level 3); Education in Practice (Level Four); Social Studies (PgDE); Heritage Citizenship and Sustainability (Level Three) and Dissertation Supervision (MSc in Education Studies).
I was an Advisory Board for PhDs through the Research Excellence Initiative project "War! Popular Culture and European Heritage of Major Armed Conflicts" at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) (University of Rotterdam).
I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and gained a distinction for my PgC in Teaching in Higher Education (2007). I am also an honorary fellow of the Institute of Teaching and Learning at Warwick University (2016-2021).
Additional information
Professional Qualifications
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2007).
- PRINCE2® (PRojects IN Controlled Environments), Accredited Practitioner (2012).
- Professional Certificate in Environmental Management, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), Distinction (2012).
Professional Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
- Member of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
- Member of the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers
- Member of National Association for Environmental Education
- Member of Global Environmental Education Partnership
- Member of the Association of Heritage Interpretation
Academic Refereeing
Area, Environmental Science & Policy, Journal of Environmental Policy, Mobilities, Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene; Annals of Tourism Research, Journal of Tourism Management, International Journal of Tourism Research, Tourism, Routledge, Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, Leisure Studies, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, International Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, Education Research.
663, St Andrew's Building, 11 Eldon Street, Glasgow, G3 6NH
