Employment History

Collections Manager (Earth Collections), Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Mar 2023 - Present

• Responsibility for the day-to-day management of the vertebrate palaeontology collections, including access, documentation and digitisation, specimen care and storage, development, and collections-based research

• Work with colleagues in departments across the Museum to carry out or support a variety of public engagement activities including digital, events, specimen identification, and exhibitions

• Sit on the OUMNH Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee

Senior Curator of Natural Sciences, Horniman Museum and Gardens

Jul 2016 – Feb 2023

Notable achievements include:

• Art Fund Museum of Year 2022, Winner. I directly contributed to the content behind our application in a number of ways. See Awards and Grants page for details.

• Core member of the specialist team of palaeontologists which excavated the Rutland ichthyosaur, largest near-complete marine reptile skeleton in Britain, as featured on BBC2’s Digging for Britain programme.

• Subsequent to the Rutland ichthyosaur excavation, I have personally delivered an online talk and Q&A to over 3,700 children across 140 schools, through both the Horniman and on my own time.

• Part of the curatorial team which worked with others on the successful National Lottery Heritage Fund application for a £475,000 grant in initial support to develop the Nature and Love project, to include: Redisplayed Natural History Gallery; Nature Explorers Adventure Zone; Sustainable Gardening Zone

• Scientific Advisor for the 2019 content overhaul of the Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs temporary exhibition.

• Key role in the Beat Plastic Pollution temporary exhibition, Winner of the Museums and Heritage Award - Limited Budget Project of the Year 2020.

• Curatorial Lead on the major project to document and curate 175,000 fossil specimens in the Bennett Collection.

• Created four new mini-exhibitions to go on loan as part of the Object in Focus programme: Fish without Bones (sawfish); The Amazing World of Ammonites; Rocks, Minerals and Mysteries; and A Billion Years of Climate Change in 7 Rocks.

• Internal committees: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group (Jul 2020 - Present); Environment Champions Community (Jun 2020 - Present); Climate and Ecology Action Group (2017 - Present); Staff Council / Staff Wellbeing Forum (Dec 2016 - Present).

Project Curator - Science and Nature, Zayed National Museum (UAE) and British Museum

May 2014 – Jul 2016

Notable achievements include:

• Lead Curator on 3 of the 8 galleries.

• Curatorial lead on the successful major redesign proposals of three galleries focusing on the geology, palaeontology and natural history of the United Arab Emirates.

• Successful proposal for a high-profile PR event on Middle Eastern Miocene fossil material. Hailed a great success and attended by members of the UAE Royal Family.

Curatorial Assistant, Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy

May 2011 - May 2014

Notable achievements include:

• Part of the user testing programme of collections management database AdLib, to improve performance.

• Overhauled taxonomy modules within AdLib, addressing issues such as incorrect spellings, synonyms, and duplication of entries, as well as significantly adding to vertebrate hierarchies.

• Key role in three Museums and Heritage Awards, between 2012 and 2014.

• Overhauled Specimen Adoptions Programme, leading to a 500% increase in sales.

• Authored over 120 articles for the Museum’s website on a wide range of curatorial and scientific subjects.

Museum Assistant, Lapworth Museum of Geology

Jul 2002 – Aug 2005

Notable achievements include:

• Sole staff member on weekends with responsibility for opening and closing the Museum and interacting with visitors.

• Discovered a major flood and implemented emergency response to save archival material dating back to the 1800s. Received a commendation from the Dean of Science as well as funding to work on a remedial conservation and relocation project of the damaged material.

Charity Work

The International Rhino Foundation

• Committed financial supporter; 2017 – Present

• Advocate on social media

The Sumatran Orangutan Society

• Committed financial supporter; 2016 – Present

• Advocate on social media

Save the Rhino

• Regular events volunteer and fundraiser; 2012 – Present

• Committed financial supporter (Ambassador level)

• Advocate on social media

The Shark Trust

• Member; 2007 – Present

• Forum moderator; Dec 2008-Jul 2010

The Gorilla Organization

• Member; 1994 – Present

• Advocate on social media