Sandra has a first degree in sociology from Durham University, a (postgraduate) B Phil in Latin American Studies (Liverpool University), a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies (Birmingham Polytechnic) and a PhD in Management (Aston University). She has worked at the Universities of Lancaster, Aston, Edinburgh, Queen Mary (London) and St Andrews. Prior to her academic career, she worked in local government in the UK. Since joining academia, she has been seconded to work with several public sector organisations, including the National Health Service and the Scottish Government. She has also worked on a consultancy basis with a wide range of public and voluntary sector organisations. From 2005-2011 she was a non-executive member of the Social Work Inspection Agency Board in Scotland. She has served as a member of several policy advisory groups, including working in an advisory capacity with provincial/ state governments in Australia and Canada. Sandra is former Co-Director of the Research Unit for Research Utilisation (RURU), which is a research collaboration that investigates the use of social science research in public policy and service delivery settings. She also serves on the editorial boards of several academic journals including Evidence & Policy, Public Administration, and Public Money and Management.
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