Vanessa Rutherford

Vanessa Rutherford is a Lecturer at the School of Education, University College Cork, with a career spanning institutions such as NUI Maynooth, The Open University, and Dublin City University. Her academic journey includes a PhD, MA, and BA in History from National University of Ireland Maynooth. She actively contributes to research on Irish educational history, gender dynamics, and childhood studies.

Research Interests: Her work explores the social and cultural history of childhood in Ireland, gender and power, educational history, and teacher/student identity. Methodologically, she integrates discourse analysis, historical inquiry, and quantitative research, often bridging past and present educational practices.

Teaching & Supervision: She supervises PhD and MEd students on topics ranging from inclusive education to literacy development. Current supervisees include Avril Carey, Denise McSweeney, and Angela Santora. Her teaching covers modules in educational philosophy, psychology, research methods, and women’s studies.

Collaborations & Projects: Vanessa has worked on projects like Changing contexts in becoming a 'good' teacher (Irish Research Council) and History of the School of Education, UCC. She collaborates with scholars such as Cara Delay (USA), E. Wesseling (Netherlands), and M. Forman-Brunell (USA).

Professional Involvement: Active in associations including the Society for the Study of Nineteenth Century Ireland, The Society for the History of Children and Youth, and ESAI. She is a member of the Athena SWAN committee since 2024, advocating for gender equality in academia.