Biography

With roots in Germany, South Africa and the United States, Jessica has enjoyed higher education in the Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom. She holds first-class honours degrees in BA English & Marketing (2020) and MSc Strategic Marketing (2022) from Maynooth University, Ireland. In 2021, Jessica received a PhD studentship from The Open University to pursue her interest in consumer behaviour and sustainability. Her research on “Identity Constructs in the Contemporary Consumer Landscape” explores the role of relationships (to nature, people, products and services) in the sustainable farming sector. Using identity theory as a lens to investigate layers of the public and private farmer, Jessica’s research seeks to supplement the well-established consumer behaviour literature with fresh insights on identities in the contemporary context, which calls for more consideration of sustainable practises arising from increasingly stringent conditions.