2011 Dr Victoria Cronin (nee Hickman)

Victoria's PhD research is an investigation of the sustainability of slum upgrading programmes through stakeholder perception : Alternative approaches to in situ and resettlement upgrading projects in Kenya and India.

Victoria completed a MEng in Architecture and Environmental Design at Nottingham University and the National University of Singapore in 2004. During her undergraduate years she worked for building contractors – Sir Robert McAlpine and Building Services Consulting Engineers – Hoare Lea. After graduating she spent some time working for the Sustainability department of Northamptonshire County Council and for Shelter Associates, an NGO in Pune, India on slum upgrading and rehabilitation projects.

In 2007 she completed an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development at Cambridge University for which she was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering - Panasonic Trust Fellowship, and Gold Medal in 2008. She collaborated with Arup on her research dissertation entitled ‘The implementation of building technologies in poor communities, Ladakh, India’.

Between studying Victoria has spent significant periods in Bangladesh, Singapore, Kenya & USA and travelled widely through India, South-East Asia, South America, Zimbabwe and Australia.

After an internship within the Policy Coordination Branch for ECOSOC, Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in January 2008, she has now commenced PhD research at the Centre for Sustainable Development, Cambridge University Engineering Department, supported by a Built Environment Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

Victoria has completed a three month internship with the Housing Policy Section, Shelter Branch, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) in Nairobi during which time she simultaneously collected data for her research case studies in Kibera.

Victoria previously volunteered for the charity Engineers Without Borders’ National Executive as the Professional Network Coordinator and a placement Project Manager. Outside her research, Victoria’s interests include; travelling, wildlife, singing, slums, theatre, dogs, parties and curry.