Norwich University welcomes new academics to its Psychology and Computer Science courses

Norwich University is delighted to welcome Lyndsey Wallace and Jawwad Chattha to its staff this autumn. 

Lyndsey joins the University as Senior Lecturer for BSc (Hons) Psychology, one of a range of new courses launched at Norwich in the last year.

Lyndsey is a social psychologist whose research is rooted in social justice, with a particular focus on gender, objectification, diversity, intersectionality, structural racism, and White privilege. 

One of Lyndsey’s recent projects explores how people view diversity in leadership – and how this shapes beliefs about belonging and inclusion in corporate settings. Another recent project, a series of five experimental studies, shows how women in positions of power face sexual objectification, revealing an unexpected cost of success. 

Lyndsey also works with researchers around the world on projects exploring identity and culture. These include work on body image and eating disorders among queer men, and how Chinese women’s relationships with their mothers affect their confidence and sense of self. 

Across all her work, Lyndsey’s aim is to shine a light on the psychological forces that keep inequality in place, and to find ways to build a fairer, more inclusive world. 

Speaking about her role at Norwich, Lyndsey said: 

“I am excited to be working alongside both students and staff developing the new Psychology course. I look forward to getting to know the University and my students better and building a collaborative and unique space for psychology at Norwich.”  

Jawwad joins the University as Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Computer Science, bringing with him extensive experience as a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a researcher in wireless networks, communication systems, network security, and applied machine learning.

Jawwad’s research journey began during his Master’s studies at Virginia Tech, where he created a simulator for mobile networks and developed ways to encourage cooperation between devices.  

This helped to resolve problems caused by selfish behaviour in network systems – when nodes or devices act in their own self-interest, often by conserving their own resources, which can harm the system’s overall performance and stability. 

This early interest in collaboration and communication shaped his research and, during his PhD, Jawwad explored new technologies for faster and more reliable wireless communication, focusing on systems that will power the next generation of networks. 

Jawwad’s work includes reducing delay in energy-harvesting networks, detecting unauthorised drones using radar, and combining machine learning with blockchain to create safer, smarter connected vehicles, including both autonomous road vehicles (such as cars and buses) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones).

Jawwad’s work has been widely published and, alongside his research, he contributes to the scientific community as a reviewer for leading IEEE journals and conferences. His long-term goal is to design strong, efficient, and secure network systems that help shape the future of intelligent and autonomous technology. 

Speaking about his role at the University, Jawwad said:  

“I am really excited to join Norwich as everyone has been extremely welcoming. I am looking forward to teaching students as well as interacting and collaborating with everyone.”