INLT Co-chairs
The INLT is steered by co-chairs who take on a range of different responsibilities but is primarily a collaborative community of scholars who communicate through our list-serv channels to share resources and create a community of practice. You can read a little about our current co-chairs through their profiles below.
(opens in a new window)Dr Sonja Rewhorn (sonja.rewhorn@open.ac.uk), C-Geog, FRSG, SFHEA is a senior lecturer in Geography and Environmental Studies at the Open University in the School of Social Sciences and Global Studies. Sonja is her School’s Artificial Intelligence lead and the Employability lead. A key and enjoyable part of her role is the support and management of Associate Lecturers. Sonja was an Associate Lecture in Geography and Environmental Studies, at the Open University, between 2021 and 2025. Sonja is passionate about combining research and real-world applications for her teaching.
Sonja’s research interests include rural geographies and justice and access to services. This includes, in 2021, co-authoring (opens in a new window)Does Wi-Fi/Data connectivity disadvantage OU students? an Open University Scholarship project. As well as pedagogic research in student learning, digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, student experience and skills development. This includes in 2024 co-authoring (opens in a new window)ChatGPT and the distance learner: working with AI to write assignments as the site of teaching and learning, an Open University Scholarship project. Sonja contributed to the 2025 book, Teaching Fieldwork in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, co-authoring the chapter ‘Research in the field and professional practice’ and co-authoring two vignettes, ‘Hybrid fieldwork approaches – the independent study of ‘place’ and ‘Distance teaching field skills without access to the internet – a second-year Human Geography module’.
Sonja joined academia in 2012 after several years in both national and local government in the United Kingdom. Sonja’s discipline research builds on her local and regional policy development experience and her PhD is A Critical Review of Rural Proofing in England. Sonja has been a visiting lecturer at Aberystwyth University, Surrey University, University of Gloucestershire and the University of Chester. Whilst she completed her PhD, she was an Academic Skills Adviser at the University of Chester; a role which became the catalyst for her research interest and passion to support students with academic and graduate attributes skills development.
At the Open University Sonja is chair of a second-year undergraduate module Environment and Society. Previously Sonja was a member of module teams for the second-year undergraduate module, Environment: sharing a dynamic planet and the final year dissertation module, Researching Everyday Geographies Sonja was a member of the module production team for the dissertation module having the skills and latterly the assessment lead.
Sonja was an Associate Lecturer at the Open University (2021 – 2025) on a second-year undergraduate module, Changing Geographies of the United Kingdom and a first-year undergraduate module Introducing the Social Sciences. Sonja enjoys working with students and has a passion to help ensure students have the foundations for study through development of their academic skills. Sonja developed and annually deliver seminars for the level two Geography and Environmental Studies students on becoming an academic citizen which focus on skills for academic integrity.
Sonja is a member of the editorial board for the (opens in a new window)Journal of Geography in Higher Education. I am the Treasurer for the GeogEd research group ((opens in a new window)https://geogedrg.org/the-committee/) at the Royal Geographical Society-with the Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG). I have been an Ordinary Committee member for the Rural Geography Research Group at the RGS-IBG.
Sonja was the Open University lead for Digi: Đổi ((opens in a new window)https://digidoi.phuxuan.edu.vn/en/ ), a British Council-funded project in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University and Phu Xuan University to build a digital transformation ecosystem in Vietnamese higher education.
In 2017, Sonja participated in Newton funded project, Learning Without Borders with partners from the UK and Thailand. The partnership promoted international research and innovation between the UK and Thailand academics to share practice on the use of affordable mobile technologies learning in marginalised remote non-formal settings. During my time in Thailan and I co-authored (opens in a new window)Pamai Guardians an educational resource for local sustainable farming.
Péter Bagoly-Simó ((opens in a new window)peter.bagoly-simo@geo.hu-
Péter's research focuses on School Geography's disciplinary identity, map skills, and Geography's contribution to Education for Sustainable Development.
(opens in a new window)Helen Walkington ((opens in a new window)Hwalkington@brookes.ac.uk), PhD, NTF, PFHEA is Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Social Sciences at Oxford Brookes University, UK where she teaches geography and carries out research into higher education pedagogy. Her undergraduate degree was in Geography at Durham University, followed by a PGCE (secondary geography teaching qualification) from the University of Cambridge. Her MSc (Pedology, Soil survey and Land Evaluation) and PhD (Geography Education) were both from the University of Reading. She has written and presented widely on research-based learning strategies and research mentoring excellence, particularly at undergraduate level.
Helen initiated and managed a university-wide student experience project called Get Published! and supports geography students in publishing their work through the national undergraduate research journal GEOverse. In 2018 she received the Taylor and Francis Award from the Royal Geographical Society with Institute for British Geographers (RGS-IBG) for sustained contributions to teaching and learning in Higher Education. Helen is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education, and is a Trustee of the Royal Geographical Society.
(opens in a new window)Niamh Moore-Cherry ((opens in a new window)niamh.moore@ucd.ie), PhD, PFHEA, is College Principal in the College of Social Sciences and Law, University College Dublin and Dean of Social Sciences. She is also Full Professor of Urban and Regional Governance and Sustainability in the School of Geography.
Niamh takes care of the website for INLT.
She has extensive research and practice experience working in partnership with students and other colleagues on the challenges of student engagement, belonging and the transition to higher education and has worked on commissioned research to inform policy and institutional change related to '(opens in a new window)Why students leave higher education'.
In December 2017, she was awarded Principal Fellowship of the UK Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE) in recognition of her international and strategic leadership of university teaching and learning. Her commitment and experience has also been recognised through a University Teaching Excellence Award in 2018.
Niamh's disciplinary research is focused on focused on understanding the governance of urban (re)development, metropolitanisation and its urban and regional outcomes. She leads a research group comprising PhD and postdoctoral scholars examining the relationship between (opens in a new window)Cities, Governance and Sustainability and has a strong record in policy analysis and community engagement. Niamh has extensive research and practie experience working in partnership with students and other colleagues on the challenges of student engagement, belonging and the transition to higher education.
Niamh was Chair of the (opens in a new window)International Geographical Congress which was hosted by the Geographical Society of Ireland in Dublin in August 2024. She serves on the Editorial Board of Journal of Geography in Higher Education.
Dr James Boxall ((opens in a new window)james.boxall@dal.ca) is the Director of the GISciences Centre and Professor of Geography and GIS at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is currently the Co-Chair of the Canadian Roundtable on Geomatics and a Governor of the Nova Scotia Museums. A Fellow for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, he was elected Governor of the RCGS in 2013 (with responsibilities for Canadian Geographic Education). He is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society as well as a member and past president of numerous geographic and geospatial associations.
James has received the Canadian GeoLiteracy Award (RCGS) for his support of geographic education through the creation of the Canadian Council for Geographic Education. He was also a co-organizer for the St. John’s Declaration for “Advancing Geographic Education for Canadians”, and co-chairs the joint CAG-RCGS Committee for moving that effort forward.