Alexandra has worked in access to higher education in the UK for over 10 years across three different universities. Her current doctoral research considers transition to university, particularly how university-led widening access programmes may support transition for students underrepresented in the UK higher education context.
Prior to joining Oxford, Alexandra completed a Churchill Fellowship research project to investigate international approaches to supporting university transitions for underrepresented students. This research explored programmes in the US and New Zealand, culminating in final report: “Linking Access with Ongoing University Support” (Lyons, 2024) (https://www.churchillfellowship.org/ideas-experts/ideas-library/linking-access-with-ongoing-university-support/)
While completing her DPhil as a part-time student, Alexandra continues to work in university widening access. As Outreach Research and Evaluation Manager at Imperial College London, she looks across quantitative and qualitative evidence from Imperial’s portfolio of Outreach programmes to inform programme developments and future initiatives.
Alexandra is interested the links between research, policy, and practice, and understanding how we can support belonging and inclusion in education. As an evaluation practitioner entering the academic space, Alexandra is also keen to explore the differences and overlaps between research and evaluation.
Supervisors
Rachel Brooks and David Mills