Button
Sarah Revell-Dennett
About Me
Born and bred in Wellington, New Zealand I began my academic journey in 2008 when I started a conjoint BA/BCA at Victoria University. Majoring in sociology, religious studies and public policy I graduated in 2012 before going on to complete a BA with Honour’s majoring in sociology in 2013. Following this I began a master’s degree in 2014, however owing to the substantive nature of the topic before completion I upgraded to a PhD. I submitted my doctoral research in January 2018 and am now waiting to graduate in December for this to be conferred.
Through undertaking qualitative study in my research , I have developed a number of skills that which have led to my experience in research at end-of-life along with other health-related issues. My research experience in particular has been based on the value of community knowledge in informing end-of-life care, and the importance of appropriate methods of care to ensure the best circumstances for patients and their families. I have experience in public speaking and I am comfortable with presenting research results findings in an informative and confident manner. Alongside this qualitative experience I have also developed practical knowledge that allows me to be comfortable using NVivo software and which has been added to in a one-day introductory course facilitated through the University of Otago, Department of Public Health.
Throughout both my undergraduate and graduate studies I have been interested in social inequalities, and while my graduate research has focused primarily on later-life, I have maintained an interest in inequalities across all ages. In particular I found tutoring a 300-level undergraduate sociology course on social inequalities to be a valuable source for understanding basic literature on inequalities. Having also studied social and public policy during my undergraduate studies, I believe that I have good knowledge of the creation and evaluation of policy initiatives.
My work alongside Dr Rhonda Shaw, as a research assistant, has given me valuable experience in publishing research results that are accessed by both lay society and those with expert knowledge. This demonstrates my ability to communicate research to a diverse audience alongside my strong written communication skills. This research also demonstrates my ability to work with others in a collaborative research environment.
Having lectured a number of undergraduate and graduate courses throughout my studies I am also competent, and confident, with public speaking. I have previously received excellent student evaluations for both the tutoring and lecturing that I have undertaken. I also received particularly good feedback following a seminar I presented on my own research during 2017. This audience for this seminar was diverse and I felt encouraged that it was so well received by both academics and non-academics alike.
