EDUCATION

• Ph.D. Health Psychology, Western Sydney University 
• Ph.D. Psychology of Religion, University of Groningen 

CURRENT AFFILIATIONS/ROLES

• Senior Policy Advisor, The Udoka Foundation
• Research Consultant, COSORI Australia
• Honorary Fellow, School of Psychology, Western Sydney University
• Fellow (FISSR), International Society for Science and Religion
• Research Associate, Cambridge Institute for Applied Psychology and Religion

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Unit Cordinator/Lecturer, Western Sydney University
• Research Associate, Stellenbosch University
• Project Leader, Third Millennium Africa Proj
• Global South Correspondent, In My Street Berlin

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Adult Attachment : place attachment, religious/spiritual attachment, attachment with adult caregivers, attachment psychopathology, attachment & radicalization
• Health & Well-being : minority health, migrant quality of life, suffering, mental health, human flourishing, psychological well-being, social relationships, spiritual well-being, environmental health
• Environment & Behavior : sense of place, community belonging, place attitudes, place attachment, sacred places, pro-environmental behaviors, place flourishing
• Migration & Integration: global migration health, religion & migration, migrant social integration, sense of belonging, African diaspora, acculturation strategies
• Religion/Spirituality :religious coping, spiritual struggles, religion & wellbeing, religion & place, spiritual care, God representations, relational spirituality, attachment-religion framework, African diaspora religion, religion & migration, religious psychopathology 
• Positive Psychology : coping, hope, positive adaptation, self-transcendence, forgiveness, authenticity, resilience, meaning-making, character strengths and virtues.

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

• place attachment disruptions in contexts of pandemics, migration, and mental health,
• the intersections of spirituality, place, and health,
• attachment-related radicalization framework and interventions,
• the role of place in human development and flourishing,
• the integration of psychology (clinical, environmental, positive, health) and the study of religion.

KNOWN FOR

• Pioneering the psychology of religion and place field
• Scholarly work on place attachment disruptions 
• Developing the attachment-radicalization framework
• Developing the circle of place spirituality framework

AWARDS AND HONORS 

• Candidate, Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (2021)
• Fellow, International Society for Science and Religion (2021)
• Recipient of the Wessel Ganzevoort Fund for Research Excellence (2019)
• Dean’s HDR Research Award, Western Sydney University (2016)
• Australian Research Council’s International Postgraduate Scholarship Award (2016)
• Leadership Excellence Award, West Africa Theological Seminary (2012)

LECTURES & INVITES 

• Australian Catholic University, Australia (Feb 19, 2020)
• The University of Gdansk, Poland (Aug. Sept 3, 2019)
• Western Sydney University, Australia (Dec 11, 2018)
• Coventry University, United Kingdom (May 19, 2018)
• Roma Tre University, Italy (July 12, 2018)
• International Association for the Psychology of Religion Conference, Norway (21-25 Aug 2017)
• The University of Groningen, Netherlands (Aug 18, 2017)
• University of New South Wales, Australia (4-5 Dec, 2016)
• Excelsia College, Australia (4 Oct, 2016)
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Mar 2, 2016)

ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS 

• Zuphland 
• COSORI Australia 
• Counted Solutions Pty Ltd 
• EduKA
• count 123 

MEDIA COVERAGE 

• Psychology Today 
• The Conversation 
• University of Groningen News
• Nederlands Daily Newspaper 
• Dutch Reformed Daily Newspaper
• Nieuw Wij! (Dutch)
• Harvard’s Human Flourishing Blog

HOBBIES

• Research
• Traveling 
• Entrepreneurship 
• Preaching
• Speaking
• Writing