Dr Gillian Leighton
Thornhill,Ontario
Summary
Multifaceted Lecturer with nearly 30 years of expertise in leading teams, designing courses, teaching, evaluation and research. Expert in leveraging in-depth knowledge and experience in Sociology, Social Policy, Human Resource Management, Business Studies and Research Methods from undergraduate to PhD level students. Known for being calm under pressure, personable, strong work ethic and being able to effectively work in a team or independently. Specialist areas include Family Law, Policy and Sociology as well as Global Human Rights and all areas of Business Studies, including Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour.
Overview
42
42
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Adjunct Professor and Faculty Lead
Algoma University
09.2022 - Current
- Taught Project Management courses to post-graduate students, including:
- Organisational Theory and Design (Faculty Lead)
- Organisational Behaviour and Management
- Human Resource Management and Development
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Creativity and Innovation
- Business Writing and Communication
- Designed, taught, evaluated and amended courses for Yorkville University in Public Policy and Sociology.
- Built relationships with students, mentoring on personal, professional and academic goals while providing coaching and support within a safe environment with the emphasis on EDI and UDL principles.
- Contributed to curriculum development efforts, ensuring content was up-to-date and relevant to industry trends.
- Used variety of learning modalities and support materials to facilitate learning process and accentuate presentations.
- Work utilising continuous assessment to meet robust deadlines.
Charity Director
Iranian Refugees Action Network
03.2010 - 09.2022
- Founder and Director of an international NGO assisting refugees from The Middle East to find safety in countries receptive to their asylum applications.
- Prepared applications, appeals, liaised with global organisations such as the UNHCR, Doctors Without Borders and governments to secure the safety of families.
- Guided team members through periods of change by providing clear communication on expectations and objectives moving forward.
- Secured sufficient funds to cover business obligations by tracking expenses and budgeting accurately.
- Attracted top talent for the company, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
- Secured funding for company growth through investor relations and networking activities.
Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Criminology and Social Policy
University of Northumbria
09.2001 - 09.2016
- Delivered higher-level undergraduate and graduate courses via classroom, online and hybrid methodologies to satisfy course curricula and meet student needs.
- Mentored junior faculty members, contributing to their professional growth and development.
- Designed course materials such as syllabi, lecture notes, assignments aligned with both programmatic outcomes as well as course-specific objectives.
- Advised students on career paths and graduate school options based on their individual goals and interests.
- Conducted research in relevant field, integrating findings into course content and enriching student understanding of subject matter.
- Served on various university committees, supporting initiatives aimed at enhancing overall institutional effectiveness.
- Increased course enrollment by promoting department offerings at university events and open houses.
- Delivered engaging presentations at academic conferences, raising the profile of the institution within the broader academic community.
- Employed advanced knowledge of Sociology, Criminology, Social Policy and Advanced Research Methods to teach challenging high-level courses to graduate students.
- Supervised PhD students to completion.
- Courses taught include:
- Introduction to Sociology, Thinking Sociologically, Sociology of Law, Equality and Inequality, Inequality, Diversity and Conflict, Global Transformation, Radical Ideas in Sociology, Foundations in Social Theory Activism, Power and Resistance, Key Readings in Sociology, Life Stories.
- Introduction to Public Policy, Introduction to Social Policy, Who Needs The Family, Social Policy, The State and Society, Real World Quantitative and Qualitative Research, Advanced Research Methods,
Senior Lecturer in Social Policy
University of Lincolnshire
09.1996 - 09.2001
- Managed undergraduate and graduate programs in Social Policy and joints with Politics, Sociology and Criminology.
- Taught all aspects of Social Policy and Sociology to post-graduate and PhD level.
- Supervised undergraduates and graduates while completing their dissertations and theses.
- Conducted research and produced publications, taking part in international teams and conferences.
- ELLI (electronic learning) champion for the University.
- External Examiner for the University of Central Lancashire.
- Mentored junior faculty members, contributing to their professional growth and development.
- Designed course materials such as syllabi, lecture notes, assignments aligned with both programmatic outcomes as well as course-specific objectives.
- Conducted research in relevant field, integrating findings into course content and enriching student understanding of subject matter.
- Revised curriculum to align with industry trends, ensuring students were prepared for the job market.
- Served on various university committees, supporting initiatives aimed at enhancing overall institutional effectiveness.
- Increased course enrollment by promoting department offerings at university events and open houses.
- Delivered engaging presentations at academic conferences, raising the profile of the institution within the broader academic community.
- Supervised junior lecturers' course development and recommended refinements to enhance student learning.
Management and Development Consultant
Self-Employed
09.1991 - 09.1995
Worked with Blue Chip companies such as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, British Aerospace and Marks & Spencer to evaluate, implement and evaluate successful management and development programmes.
Lecturer in Human Resources Management and Operations Management
Beverley College
03.1993 - 03.1995
Principal subjects taught included Operations Management and Human Resource Management.
PA to the Finance then Engineering Directors
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
01.1982 - 01.1988
- After a Commercial Apprenticeship, PA to the Finance then Engineering Directors, in 1989 I was appointed the company’s first ever female manager, aged 27, in the role of Training Manager, managing a budget of £500,000 and 15 staff
- I left to pursue my first degree in Psychology and Human Resource Management at Strathclyde University before transferring to Lincoln University.
Education
PhD in Child Support and Family Policy -
Lincoln University
01.2003
Master of Science - Social Science (Family Law And Sociology)
Lincoln University
Lincolnshire01.1998
Bachelor of Science - Combined Studies, University of Lincoln (UK And International Law, Sociology, Management, Politics, Applied Research Methods, Psychology)
Humberside University
Hull, England01.1994
Diploma of Management, Open University (Distinction) - Human Resource Management And Development
Diploma of Management (Dist)
Open University01.1991
DipIPD (Distinction), Institute of Training and Development - HRM And Training And Development
DipIPD (Dist)
Institute Of Training And Development01.1991
Skills
- Research and analysis
- Academic Research
- Academic Writing
- Class Management
- Course Development
- Classroom Management
- Student Engagement
- Online lectures
- Online content delivery
- Curriculum Creation
- Group and individual instruction
- Discussion Facilitation
Affiliations
- 2024-present, Project Management Institute
- 2003-2016, Higher Education Academy, Fellow
- 2001-2016, British Sociological Society, Member
- 2000-2016, Social Policy Association, Member
- 2000-2010, American Political Science Association, Member
- 1999-2012, National Council for Family Proceedings, Member
- 1991-date, Institute of Personnel and Development, Member
- 2010-date, International Mothers’ Network, Member
External Examiner
4 years, University of Central Lancashire, Department of Education and Social Science, BA Hons Sociology, BSc Hons Ethnic and Racial Studies
Research Supervision
6, human rights, social policy, inequality, social justice, culture, religion, gender
Research Interests
- International family policy and law
- Global maternity/paternity issues
- Family law
- Employment law
- Equality
- Human rights
- Social justice
- Gender equality
- Religious diversity
- Ethnic diversity
- Political diversity
- Social policy
- Family
- Health
- Education
- Ageing
- Disability
- Homelessness
- Teaching and learning
- Innovation
- Electronic methods
- Children's rights
- Parental rights
- Middle East
- Democracy
- Women's rights
- Interviewing ethics
Grants Obtained
- HEA (Higher Education Academy) for developing electronic online assessment
- International Institute for Qualitative Methods on investigating gender inequality in the Northumbria Police Force
- Royal Society for mapping out the needs of refugees in Newcastle upon Tyne
- NED to develop infrastructures to help refugees worldwide, including the establishment of an international database
- Grants as part of the Departmental International Development team from Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Nuffield Organisation, the National Lottery, and the ESRC
Media Contributions
- Northumbria University’s representative on human rights, the Middle East, refugees, international family and children policy
- Articles and interviews with the BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Radio Newcastle, Northern Echo, Newcastle Chronicle, Prima Baby, the Sunday Times, the Guardian, the Daily Mail
Contact Details
647 328 9777, drgillianleighton@gmail.com
Course Leadership
- BSc (Hons) Sociology and Social Policy
- BSc (Hons) Criminology and Social Policy
- BA (Hons) Social Policy and Politics
- BSc (Hons) Sociology
- MSc Social Research
- MA International Development
Publications
- Ahwazi prisoner dies as Iran’s regime weaponises Coronavirus to crush dissent, Dur Untash Studies Centre, 27 July 2020, https://www.dusc.org/en/articles/7061/?fbclid=IwAR1MXi-yMm6h2Zpe12srNl7KlctskDY2ns4tI_nBp_8miy5Z3XKSdDXPQgM
- Hostages of Iran’s Water Policies in Iran, Dur Untash Studies Centre, 17 July 2020, https://www.dusc.org/en/articles/6884/?fbclid=IwAR2P5kmEOQZE4XxiWeQLYK7bHx_7wixHY3no_dpVHN2YnRPjLsyGR9abtMo
- A teenage boy murdered, his body held hostage: will the world now act against Iran?, Dur Untash Studies Centre, 8 September 2019, Dur%20Untash%20Studies%20Centre%208%20September%202019
- Ahwazis ask for clean water but get live bullets from the Iranian regime instead, Middle East Monitor, 3 July 2018, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180703-ahwazis-ask-for-clean-water-but-get-live-bullets-from-the-iranian-regime-instead/
- Problems and Solutions for Asylum Seekers Facing Racial Discrimination, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, 2018
- Syria’s Refugee Crisis – What Can We Learn From Iran and Libya?, EU Resettlement News Digest, 2018
- Iran – Still in the Axis of Evil, Gatestone Institute, 2014
- Custody and Guardianship, Social History of American Families, 2014
- Divorce and Religion, Social History of American Families, 2014
- The urgent need to revisit the effectiveness of refugee resettlement policies, Iranian Refugees Action Network, 2014
- Life for Iranian Women on International Women’s Day 2014, Iranian Refugees Action Network, 2014
- Iranian Refugees – a human rights disaster, Iranian.com, 2013
- Iranian Refugees – a human rights disaster, Right Side News, 2013
- Iranian Refugees – a human rights disaster in the making, Global Politician, USA, 2013
- On the Eve of the Anniversary of the 2009 Iran Elections – Four Years on, Iranian Refugees Action Network, 2013
- When the Bough Breaks – What Happens to Refugees?, Iranian Refugees Action Network, 2013
- As More Refugees Flood into Turkey, the Asylum System Struggles to Cope, Iranian Refugees Action Network, 2012
- In Tough New Stance, Australian PM Plans to Deport Asylum Seekers, Iranian Refugees Action Network, 2012
- Providing the Right Kind of Support for Young Asylum Seekers, Iranian Refugees Action Network, 2012
- Perihan, a Kurdish Woman From Turkey With Two Daughters Saved From Deportation, Iranian Refugees Action Network, 2012
- Retirement’ and ‘New Right’, Encyclopedia of consumer culture, 2011
- Family’, ‘Lone Mothers’ ‘Divorce’ and ‘Iran’, Encyclopedia of motherhood, 2010
- Iranian Refugees – a human rights disaster, Gatestone Institute, 2008
- The Family, International Encyclopedia of Social Policy, 2006
- Child support when the bough breaks, Family Law Journal, 2002
- Men and women’s role in the family – progression or regression?, Conference Proceedings from ‘Citizenship and the Welfare State: 50 Years of Progress?’, 1997
- Politicising the family: new roles, old policy?, Conference Proceedings from the Social Policy Association, 1997
- Child support – the hand that rocks the cradle, Family Law Journal, 1996
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Welsh
Professional Working
French
Elementary
Persian
Elementary
Certification
Member of the Project Management Institute.
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Member of the British Sociological Society.
Member of the Social Policy Association.
Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development.
Timeline
Adjunct Professor and Faculty Lead
Algoma University
09.2022 - Current
Charity Director
Iranian Refugees Action Network
03.2010 - 09.2022
Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Criminology and Social Policy
University of Northumbria
09.2001 - 09.2016
Senior Lecturer in Social Policy
University of Lincolnshire
09.1996 - 09.2001
Lecturer in Human Resources Management and Operations Management
Beverley College
03.1993 - 03.1995
Management and Development Consultant
Self-Employed
09.1991 - 09.1995
PA to the Finance then Engineering Directors
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
01.1982 - 01.1988
PhD in Child Support and Family Policy -
Lincoln University
Master of Science - Social Science (Family Law And Sociology)
Lincoln University
Bachelor of Science - Combined Studies, University of Lincoln (UK And International Law, Sociology, Management, Politics, Applied Research Methods, Psychology)
Humberside University
Diploma of Management, Open University (Distinction) - Human Resource Management And Development
Diploma of Management (Dist)
DipIPD (Distinction), Institute of Training and Development - HRM And Training And Development
DipIPD (Dist)
Similar Profiles
Jeevan Thomas JaisonJeevan Thomas Jaison
Student Ambassador at Algoma UniversityStudent Ambassador at Algoma University
Nick EspostoNick Esposto
Community Economic and Social Development Sessional Lecturer at Algoma UniversityCommunity Economic and Social Development Sessional Lecturer at Algoma University
Katie KlineKatie Kline
External Field Instructor at Algoma UniversityExternal Field Instructor at Algoma University