Therese Kenna

I have a strong commitment to social justice that informs and guides my academic practices and engagements across research, learning and teaching, and academic citizenship. Throughout my career, this has taken the form of research interests that centre on the practices and processes creating spaces of exclusion in cities. I also educate geography students to think critically about spaces of exclusion and belonging in cities and encourage them to contribute their own research to these areas, as many former research students have. Together, this work contributes to more inclusive urban futures. Through various academic engagements and practices, I am actively part of meaningful change for more inclusive futures, not just in cities, but also in geography and higher education. I am committed to dissemination of work in accessible and inclusive ways. I adopt and deploy measures for inclusivity in geography education. I teach in areas of diversity, inclusion, and feminist geographies. These fields inform not only my module syllabi, but also my ethos around teaching and learning. I create meaningful inclusive learning spaces through my work as Fellow on the id+ project in UCC, creating accessible and inclusive learning opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. I am leading equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives in my department (e.g. Athena Swan) and advocate for the creation of more caring and inclusive academic processes and practices. I am an urban social geographer with interests in cities and social change, the geographies of exclusion in cities and, teaching and learning urban geography. I have published my research in a range of peer-reviewed journals including Area, The Geographical Journal, Irish Geography, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, Geographical Research, Australian Geographer, and Geography Compass,

I am an urban social geographer with interests in cities and social change, the geographies of exclusion in cities as well as teaching and learning urban geography. I have a number of ongoing projects in the following research areas: Geographies of Exclusion: I am interested in the social and spatial exclusions in the city, new and emerging geographies of exclusion in the city, as well as urban planning and policy responses. Cities of Difference: My interests here revolve around the inclusion of difference within the city, most recently centred on cities of neurodiversity. Teaching & Learning Urban Geography: My interests in this area include learning-centred and action-oriented pedagogies for urban geography, the incorporation of spatially plural urban geographies into teaching, learning and assessment practice in urban geography and, creating inclusive teaching, learning and assessment in urban geography.

I am a lecturer in human geography with expertise in urban social geography. I contribute to the following modules in a range of ways, including coordination, lectures, small-group learning and fieldwork: GG1014: Geographies of global social and environmental challenges GG1015: Applied Geography GG2010: Cities of Diversity GG2022/GG3054: Fieldwork GG2038: Geographical Research Methods GG3001: Geographical Ideas (Feminist geographies) GG3010: Sustainable cities and communities GG3006: Dissertation (Urban Geographies) SC1021: Co-learning and co-creating in inclusive contexts