Our Team
This page features profiles of our current and past team members, as well as visiting staff, whose expertise, dedication, and passion have brought the Oxford Experience to life over the years.
At The Oxford Institute, we draw extensively on the expertise of the University of Oxford for both academic and administrative roles. Our team combines scholarly and managerial excellence with distinguished experience in research, teaching, and pastoral care, creating a truly memorable ‘Oxford Experience.’
Our summer staff are highly qualified, and the diversity of subjects offered ensures that every participant enjoys a world-class educational journey. Anyone seeking an unparalleled academic experience can be confident they will find it at our camp.
Alongside our dedicated team, the host colleges play a vital role in the success of our programs. In recent years, we have hosted our camps at St Anne’s College, University of Oxford, and Imperial College Campus in the UK. From the porters’ lodge to college administration, catering teams, and other ground staff, we are deeply grateful for their continued support, which has been instrumental in making our programs a consistent success.
Deans – Residential Mentors
Each student is placed in a group of 10–15 and assigned to a male or female Residential Dean. The Deans live on-site and play a key pastoral role: supporting students through challenges, encouraging full participation in both academic and social activities, and helping them adjust to independent living and learning. While student independence is valued and encouraged, Deans also ensure a safe and respectful environment by maintaining discipline when necessary. Below are a few profiles of the individuals who have served as Residential Deans for The Oxford Institute.
Tabitha Spence
DEAN - RESIDENTIAL MENTOR
Jonathan Kifle
DEAN - RESIDENTIAL MENTOR
Lucy Aitchison
DEAN - RESIDENTIAL MENTOR
Tom Hendriks
DEAN - RESIDENTIAL MENTOR
Campus Head and Safeguarding Lead
The Safeguarding Lead is responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of all students and staff throughout the Programme. They develop, implement, and monitor safeguarding policies and procedures, provide guidance and training to staff on child protection and welfare matters, and act as the primary point of contact for any safeguarding concerns. The Safeguarding Lead ensures that all incidents are appropriately reported, recorded, and managed in accordance with legal and organisational requirements, thereby fostering a safe and supportive learning environment for all participants.
Peter Hough
Peter has served as Campus Head and Safeguarding Lead for the institute for three consecutive years. With over 35 years of experience, he has also overseen and designed institute’s teacher’s training programmes. Peter is a graduate of St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford.
Administration
Nazish Gulzar
Head of Operations
Julia Strawinska
Program Manager
Shahmeen Munir
Program Administrator
Nauman Saeed Anwar
Head of the Oxford Institute's Executive Leadership Program
Academic Coordinator
Academic Coordinators are distinguished researchers and scholars from Oxford in their respective fields who establish the overall academic direction and uphold the standards of the Programme. They oversee the quality of tutorials, design and organise keynote lectures, workshops, and academic counselling sessions, and evaluate student progress and feedback. Throughout the Programme, they ensure that the academic needs of all students are fully met, while also coordinating student and staff timetables and managing debriefing sessions. Below are a few profiles of academics who have served as Academic Coordinators in our Programs.
Maria Rioumine
Dr. Anna Svenson
Harry Lee
Dr. Megan Robb
Tutors and Guest Lecturers
All our tutors are former or current Lecturers or researchers at the University of Oxford. Our tutors have experience teaching undergraduate students of Oxford University. This means that the participants of the summer programme will receive the best quality learning. We are proud to involve highly qualified and passionate people at our summer programs for the past 2 decades . They motivate students to explore and enhance their academic abilities and creative talents. Participants aspiring to a world-class experience and education can be sure to receive great mentorship while in Oxford. The tutors who have taught various courses at our summer programme are listed below, however this is not an exhaustive list and includes only a few of the tutors who have taught at the Oxford Institute.
Dr. Mahreen Mahmud
Senior lecturer in economics
Dr. Mahreen Mahmud is a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Exeter Business School. She is a development and behavioural economist. Her research focuses on evaluating the impact of social protection programs on household welfare and interventions aimed at enhancing women's economic participation and empowerment using field experiments in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. She received her PhD in economics from the University of Kent and was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Development Economics at the University of Oxford. Mahreen is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Population Economics, a GLO Fellow, and a J-PAL affiliated professor.
Alexandra Rice
Research assistant on the anthropology of religion
Alexandra Rice has worked at the University of Oxford as a research assistant on the anthropology of religion, program manager for the Social Consequences of Religion Hub, and tutor designing individual programs on international relations and publishable writing. She previously spent five years at USAID as Policy & Research Analyst, organising global evidence summits and developing strategic religious engagement policies. Alexandra holds a Master’s in International Relations and International Economics (Conflict Management) and a BA in International Studies and History (Comparative Religion) from Johns Hopkins University. She is a first-year DPhil student in Politics and International Relations at Oxford.
Dr. Mark Graham
Professor of Internet Geography
Dr. Mark Graham is the Professor of Internet Geography at the University of Oxford. He directs the Fairwork project, an action-research initiative that has encouraged and pressured companies to make hundreds of pro-worker changes to millions of jobs. His most recent book, Feeding the Machine, focuses on the human labour that powers Artificial Intelligence.
Ashlee Stetser
Tutor – Lecturer
Ashlee holds a Master of Science in Diplomatic Studies from Oxford and is a U.S.-trained and licensed attorney specialising in international law. She currently lectures at the University of Cambridge, Boston University, and Vermont Law School, bringing a focus on practical problem-solving to her teaching.
Dr. Aaron Anthony Pillai
Lecturer
Dr. Aaron Anthony Pillai is a junior doctor specialising in internal medicine at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. He holds a medical degree from King’s College London and a diploma from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. With experience working alongside Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on international aid missions, Dr. Pillai is also the founder of Doctors Without Barriers, an initiative dedicated to overcoming obstacles in global healthcare access.
Carlo Palazzi
Tutor – Lecturer
Passionate about simplifying complex challenges, Carlo Palazzi specializes in energy systems research, data science, and strategic insights. Currently pursuing a DPhil at the University of Oxford, he focuses on hydrogen-vector energy systems, contributing to the decarbonization of shipping through the Oxford Green Ammonia Technology (OXGATE) initiative
Inti Mantripp
Tutor – Lecturer
Inti has a degree in Physics and Philosophy from King’s College London, and Masters Degrees in Statistics from the University of Edinburgh and Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing from the University of Oxford. At the Oxford Institute, Inti delivers lectures and courses in Finance and Critical Thinking.
Dr. Bronwyn Tarr
PHD in Experimental Psychology
Ms. Tarr Bronwyn was a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford. She is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Experimental Psychology. Her research combines her passion for dance and music with her curiosity about human nature and the evolution of social behaviors.
Mr. Gavin Fleming
Degree of Arts in Philosophy and Theology.
Gavin studied at Keble College and holds a degree of Arts in Philosophy and Theology. Gavin was awarded a Grace Scholarship, as well as was elected by Governing Body and Faculty to the Wills Phipott Shawcross Divinity Scholarship. He was president of Theology Society at Oxford.
Dr. Anke Hoeffler
Research fellow at the Department of Economics, the University of Oxford.
She delivered a lecture on ‘Globalisation, Development and Inequality’ at Oxford Institute’s summer programme. Her research areas include Economic growth and the economies of conflict.
Prof. Matthew McCartney
Director of South Asian Studies at the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, the University of Oxford.
He holds a PhD from SOAS, University of London, an MPhil from Keble College, Oxford and a BA in Economics from Kings College, Cambridge.
Dr. Philip Beeley
Research fellow at the Faculty of History, the University of Oxford.
He has extensively published on the history of science and epistolary cultures in early modern Europe.He delivered a lecture on the ‘History of Scientific thought’ at Oxford Institute’s summer programme.
Dr. Kate Sullivan
University lecturer in odern Indian Studies at Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Oxford.
She delivered a lecture on ‘Climate Change’ at Oxford Institute’s summer programme.
Dr. Allison Daley
Research fellow at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Her research focuses on Animal Diversity and the origin of species.
Dr. Mega Robb
PhD in Oriental Studies at Oxford University.
She holds a PhD in Modern South Asian Studies. She is proficient in Urdu and Hindi (along with her first language English) and has extensively studied literature in these languages. Megan taught English Literature and English Language at the Oxford Institute’s summer programme.
Dr. Hannah Meslen
Research fellow at Oxford Martin School at Oxford University.
She holds a PhD in Law and has published in the realms of legal theory and the philosophy of punishment. She delivered a lecture on ‘Modernity and Technological Progress’ at the Oxford Institute’s summer programme.
Dr. Helen De Cruz
Research fellow at the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford University.
Her areas of expertise include the philosophy of cognitive science, philosophy of religion and naturalistic approaches to epistemology. Her research aims to answer “Is it reasonable (for humans) to hold religious beliefs?”
Edwards Adkins
Masters in US History degree from Oxford University.
He is studying towards a Ph.D. He is researching Richard Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” in the presidential elections of 1968 and beyond.
Maria Pereve Dentseva
BA in Musics from Oxford University.
She taught Music and French at the Oxford Institute. Her interests include French and German modernism, and contemporary electronic and digitised music – areas she hopes to pursue at postgraduate level.
Julia Mallett
BSc Natural Sciences, Department of Education, Oxford University.
She holds a BSc Natural Sciences degree and has completed two placements at secondary school teaching at O and A Level students. She taught Chemistry at Oxford Institute’s summer programme.
Monica Enescu
PhD candidate at the department of Engineering Science at Oxford University.
Her research focuses on non-rigid registrations of time-series data. Monica taught Information Technology and Engineering during Oxford Summer Program.
Hannah Penny
BA (Hons) degree in English Literature from the University of Cambridge.
She has led English Literature workshops under the Outreach Programme at St. John’s College, Cambridge and taught English Language and English Literature during Oxford Institute’s Summer Programme.
Dr. Junsong Lin
PhD in Particle Physics at the University of Oxford
His research interest is on dark matter direct detection, which is one of the most challenging problems in modern physics. Junsong taught Physics at Oxford Institute’s summer programme.
Dr. Rinchan Mirza
Samuel brings extensive experience in account management and administration in research. He leads the administration team, and is in charge of the smooth running of the Programme.
Rinchan has vast experience of teaching and research at Oxford University and has also worked in a major consulting firm.
Dr. Maurizio Tinnirello
PhD in Politics and International Relations.
He has tutored students at Cambridge, Columbia and Oxford Universities. He has over four years of teaching experience and taught Politics and International relations at the Oxford Institute.
Dr Bernie Hogan
PhD, Toronto, 2009
Dr Bernie Hogan (PhD, Toronto, 2009) is Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. His research covers social network analysis, social media, and how large systems manage knowledge for individuals. He has published across multiple disciplines, including communication and health informatics. His 2010 paper “The Presentation of Self in the Age of Social Media” introduced the theory of the lowest common denominator. His software Network Canvas won INSNA’s Richards Award, and he has led projects totalling USD 7 million.
Roger Frosh
Entrepreneur in Residence
Roger works with universities and researchers to develop self-sustainable ventures. He is a commercialisation expert and specialises in supporting startups and spinouts as well as v business performance. Roger ensures venture ideas are viable and teaches participants how to pitch for funding and investment. Roger's recent experiences include working with Oxford University Innovation (the university technology transfer office) and LSE as Entrepreneur in Residence.
Dr. Mahreen Mahmud
Senior lecturer in economics
Dr. Mahreen Mahmud is a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Exeter Business School. She is a development and behavioural economist. Her research focuses on evaluating the impact of social protection programs on household welfare and interventions aimed at enhancing women's economic participation and empowerment using field experiments in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. She received her PhD in economics from the University of Kent and was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Development Economics at the University of Oxford. Mahreen is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Population Economics, a GLO Fellow, and a J-PAL affiliated professor.
Country Coordinators
Zahida Afzal
Middle East
Zahida Afzal is the Director of Britannia Academia with extensive corporate experience in the Middle East. She founded Britannia Academia to promote educational excellence and empowerment, believing education should go beyond vocational training to foster values, critical thinking, empathy, and purpose. Her mission is to help young people excel in their careers while leading meaningful, socially impactful lives.
Fareeha Ashraf
UAE
Fareeha holds a degree in Business Administration. She has an extensive work experience of managing Human Resource and conducting corporate trainings in Middle East. She is Regional Coordinator of the Oxford Summer Camp. Fareeha holds a degree in Business Administration. She has an extensive work experience of managing Human Resource and conducting corporate trainings in Middle East. She is Regional Coordinator of the Oxford Summer Camp.
Marina Zhang
Japan
Marina Zhang completed her Masters in Information Systems and Management from the University of Warwick, and has over 20 years of experience in the education sector in China and South Africa. She has professional experience in global asset allocation and investment across the United States, Australia, and China, and is currently residing in Tokyo, Japan. Marina has been working with the Oxford Institute for over 12 years now.
BlueDot International Education Consultancy
Turkey
BlueDot is a leading education advisory organization based in Turkey. Inspired by Carl Sagan’s ‘Pale Blue Dot,’ our Country Coordinator promotes global connection, cross-cultural understanding, and education without borders. Guided by values of unity and international openness, our Country Coordinator helps students navigate their academic paths and build global futures. Their team works closely with the Oxford Summer Program to select the most outstanding students from Turkey.
Esther Wanjau
Kenya
Esther has maintained sustained engagement with the education sector at the Government of Kenya. She holds a Masters Degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Manchester.
K Winocour
USA
Ms. Winocour is a global education leader and consultant who partners with schools and learning organizations to strengthen leadership, culture, and outcomes. With experience across school and nonprofit settings in several countries, she supports leadership, curriculum design, teacher development, strategic planning, and organizational improvement. She is known for translating complex challenges into actionable growth and building cohesive, high-trust teams.
Mona Masoud
Bangladesh
Ms. Masud is a Canadian Bangladeshi based in Bangladesh with extensive international education. She completed her International Baccalaureate at Kungsholmens’ Gymnasium (Stockholm, Sweden) and a BCom in Marketing and Management at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada). She holds certifications in Leadership from Harvard Business School Online and Academic Counselling from ICS India. Ms. Masud has significant professional experience working with youth through leadership roles in education.
Ahmet Ataner
Cyprus
Following his Masters in Business Administration, Ahmet has worked as Lecturer and General Secretary of the European University of Lefke in Cyprus. He has also served as Chief Executive Officer of the Cyprus Development Bank, as well as the SOS Children’s Village Kinderdorf International. He is currently running a consultancy firm specialising in international education, careers, and investment and has represented the Oxford Institute in his region for 5 years now.
Yujiao Zhang
China
Yujiao holds a Masters degree in Management and Information Systems from the University of Manchester and now works as a management consultant for Global Fortune 500 clients. He brings over 15 years’ experience in teaching, training, and talent performance both within China and internationally in India, Germany, and England. Yujio has been working with the Oxford Institute for over 7 years now.
Abroad Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Abroad Saudi Arabia is a leading education advisory organisation based in Jeddah, working across Saudi Arabia for many years. In partnership with the Oxford Institute, they aim to attract top students from the best schools in Saudi Arabia to the programme. Their team handpicks, shortlists, and interviews these students for participation, ensuring only the finest candidates are selected.
M Calbucci
Brazil
Ms Calbucci is an international education professional and psychologist passionate about creating global learning opportunities. With solid experience in student advising, recruitment, and international partnerships, she brings a strong intercultural perspective. She combines empathy, strategic thinking, and market expertise to support meaningful and well-informed educational journeys.
K M Onyenaucheya
Nigeria
Ms Onyenaucheya is a Quality-focused Higher Education Recruitment Officer with professional experience in recruiting for international Universities. She manages marketing plans and promotional activities and is also very well experienced in the ability to counsel students with the right information and guide them through applications, conversion, enrollment and Visa process.