Stephanie is Associate Professor in Built Environment in the School of Architecture and Built Environment.  With more than 20 years of experience in higher education and external collaboration, she is an internationally recognised academic and researcher.

Her research investigates the impact of built and urban natural environments on human health, wellbeing, and sustainable behaviours through the lens of environmental psychology and using social science research methods.  Much of this work is contextualised by place-related identities and place meaning; and focused on the underlying mechanisms that promote positive human and climate health outcomes.  She has published 25 peer reviewed papers and led or contributed to funded projects totalling approximately £500,000 during her career.

Stephanie is a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) and Associate Fellow (AFBPsS) of the British Psychological Society (BPS).  She is a founding (and current) member of the BPS Environmental Psychology Section committee and sits on the BPS’ Research Group on behalf of this committee. Stephanie is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).    

She joined the School of Architecture and Built Environment in July 2025.  Her responsibilities include course leadership of the BSc (Hons) Real Estate programme and supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research students on several Built Environment courses.  In addition to contributing to the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum, she is regularly invited to examine PhDs in Psychology, the Built Environment, and Urban Studies, as well as invited presentations for local and national organisations.

Prior to joining Northumbria, Stephanie was Associate Professor in Environmental Psychology at the University of Sunderland, where she sat on the university Sustainability and Environment Strategy and Postgraduate Research Degrees committees.  Her PhD (2001) from Indiana University Bloomington (USA) explored gender differences in wayfinding strategies and their impact on navigation.