Samantha Crossley

Profile

I have been a student, associate lecturer and professional services employee with the University of Leeds, before making the decision to study full-time towards a research degree. My professional background spans across business intelligence, strategy planning, leadership development and engagement, across leading national and international organisations. I started working in Higher Education as a Lecturer in 2015 at both Leeds Beckett University, alongside tutoring and teaching at Leeds University Business School.

In 2020, I was the Instructional Design Working Group Lead for the Leeds Business School at Leeds Beckett University, supporting the redesign of of 80+ modules to embed digital academic practices across the curriculum to support teaching continuity during Covid-19 protocols. Following this, I was the course design lead for a newly credit Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeship and achieved qualified status as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I have been an active independent researcher in ethics and justice, presenting at conferences associated with field of Philosophy at Oriel College, University of Birmingham, Stellenbosch University, and Fordham University. I have a Diploma in Analytic-Network Coaching through the Eco-Leadership Institute and I have Mastery in Systems Leadership through the Small Giants Academy.

My motivation for this PhD is both intellectual and moral. I want to contribute to the future of equitable, healthy, low-carbon environments for children and to support policymakers and practitioners to navigate the demands of justice in an era of deep uncertainty and rapid transition.

Research interests

I am a member of the Society of Ricoeur Studies, an international, interdisciplinary organisation dedicated to the study and promotion of Paul Ricoeur’s philosophy. I have a deep appreciated for his concern with how human beings make meaning of themselves, others, and the world through interpretation. His work seeks to answer a deceptively simple question: "How can we understand ourselves as capable, ethical beings living with others in a complex and often uncertain world?"

My research project is affiliated with CHILI (Child and Adolescent Health Impacts of Learning Indoor Environments Under Net Zero – chili.ac.uk), which brings together three strands that have shaped my career and intellectual development for over two decades:

• a deep interest in ethics and justice;
• long-standing professional experience in systems, leadership and organisational change; and
• a growing commitment to community-grounded, interpretive approaches to social transformation.

Qualifications

• MBA, University of Leeds
• BSc, Mathematical Studies, University of Leeds
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy