Adriana Sandu

Dr. Adriana Sandu is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and PhD Programme Director at Anglia Ruskin University's School of Allied Health and Social Care. She holds a PhD in Public Administration from Syracuse University and has worked across Romania, the U.S., Spain, and the UK. Her research focuses on gender, migration, social justice, and intersectionality, with a particular emphasis on marginalized communities. She is a member of the Safe and Inclusive Communities research theme and leads projects addressing refugee inclusion and gender violence.

Education:

• PhD in Public Administration, Syracuse University (2006)
• MA in Public Administration, Syracuse University (1999)
• BA in Social Work & Sociology, Bucharest University (1994)

Research Interests: Adriana’s work combines poststructuralist feminist theories with visual ethnography and participatory methods. Key areas include transnational living, gender violence, refugee integration, and the impact of migration on identity and belonging. She has led projects such as ‘Crafting the Self’ (Evelyn Trust-funded), which uses arts-based workshops to reduce isolation among migrant/refugee women.

Grants & Collaborations:

• Principal Investigator: ‘Crafting the Self’ (£50k, Evelyn Trust, 2020-2022)
• Evaluation of outreach programs for women in prostitution (£47k Big Lottery Fund, 2018-2021)
• City of Sanctuary pilot project (£1k Guardian Fund, 2017-2018)

Awards: Recipient of the prestigious Ron Brown Fellowship, enabling her studies in the U.S. She has also delivered keynote addresses at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (2016) and co-leads the Women & Girls Research Interest Group.

Teaching & Supervision: Adriana supervises 6 doctoral students and leads the MA Social Work Dissertation module. She has guided 5 PhD completions, with current topics ranging from gender identities in classrooms to innovative pedagogy in sixth form colleges.