Dr Parkes is a multidisciplinary social scientist whose work sits at the intersection of human behaviour, technology, and data. With a professional background as a Business Psychologist and a PhD in digital economy, she brings a blend of industry-applied research and academic rigor. Her expertise lies in using quantitative and qualitative methods to understand contemporary social phenomena, from digital media habits to sustainable consumer behaviour.

Her research employs an interdisciplinary mix of data science, psychology, and sociology to investigate contemporary social behaviour. Key areas of interest include:

• Science, Technology & Society (STS): Investigating the societal impact of digital media, including binge-watching, personalisation algorithms, and how technology shapes human values and well-being.
• Popular Culture & Media Sociology: Analysing audience engagement, fandom, and the cultural significance of media content through digital traces and discourse analysis (e.g., social media data).
• Sociology of Health & Consumption: Exploring the links between socioeconomic factors, consumer behaviour, and health outcomes, using large-scale retail data to model patterns in areas such as sustainable food purchasing.
• Intersectionality & EDI in Context: Applying her professional expertise in designing equitable assessment systems to research on inequality in digital spaces and consumer markets.

Innovative Research Methodologies: Specialising in exploratory sequential designs, mixed-methods approaches, and the use of 'big data' (e.g., retail transactions, viewing data) for social scientific inquiry.

ACADEMIC

09/2025 - present. University of Nottingham (Ningbo Campus)

Course Taught:

Undergraduate:

• 'Cultural Analysis' (seminar tutor)

Postgraduate:

• 'Media and Communication Research Methods' (seminar tutor)

09/2023 - 06/2025. University of Nottingham (UK Campus)

Course Taught:

Undergraduate:

• ‘Procurement and Purchasing’ (observer)
• ‘Human Resource Management with International Perspectives’ (seminar tutor & assessor)

Postgraduate:

• ‘Project Management’ (demonstrator & assessor) 
• ‘Research Methods in Marketing’ (seminar tutor)
• ‘Organisational Behaviour’ (seminar tutor & assessor)

09/2003 - 12/2003. University of Lincoln

Course Taught:

Undergraduate:

• ‘Radio Production’ (learning advisor)

09/2002 - 12/2002. Minnesota State University Moorhead

Course Taught:

Undergraduate:

• ‘Digital Illustration and Animation’ (teaching assistant/demonstrator)
• ‘Introduction to Editing and Publishing’ (teaching assistant/demonstrator)

NON-ACADEMIC

01/2013 – 07/2025. IBM & SHL

Course Taught:

• ‘British Psychological Society (BPS) Test User’ Training (Level A&B) (director, tutor, assessor)
• Competency Based Interviewing (director, tutor, assessor)
• Assessment/Development Centre Facilitation (director, tutor, assessor)
• Psychometric Test Creation (director, tutor, assessor)

01/2020 – 08/2025. Association for Business Psychology (ABP)

Course Taught:

• ‘Certified Business Psychologist’ Accreditation (mentor, assessor, lead assessor)
• ‘Certified Principal Business Psychologist’ Accreditation (mentor, assessor, lead assessor)

Prior to her full-time academic career, Dr Parkes spent two decades as a consultant and Principal Business Psychologist. This has provided her with a deep, practical understanding of:

• Psychometrics & Assessment Design: Creating and validating robust tools to measure human attributes, attitudes, and behaviours.
• Data Analytics & Insight: Translating complex behavioural data into actionable strategies for organisations.
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI): Designing and implementing fair selection processes and conducting research on levelling the playing field for underrepresented groups.
• Strategic Project Management: Supporting large-scale, high-value project delivery from conception to delivery, including quality assurance and ISO certification.

This background allows her to bring an applied perspective to both research and teaching, connecting sociological theory with the practicalities of human behaviour in organisational and market settings.

Dr Parkes is keen to collaborate with colleagues and external organisations on projects that require a mixed-methods or data-driven approach to social science questions. She is particularly interested in partnerships that explore:

• The analysis of large-scale behavioural datasets (e.g., retail, media, administrative data) to understand social trends.
• Interdisciplinary projects linking sociology with computer science, human-computer interaction (HCI), and applied psychology.
• Research into the societal and ethical implications of emerging technologies and media formats.
• Studies focused on improving equity and inclusion through better measurement and design.