M·E·L Research Ltd Welcomes Holly Taylor-Dunn as Senior Evaluation Lead
M·E·L Research Ltd is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Holly Taylor-Dunn as Senior Evaluation Lead, a significant addition to our seasoned Evaluation & Learning team. Holly joined the organisation in the final quarter of 2023, bringing a wealth of expertise from her notable career in academia and practice within the fields of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
On joining M·E·L Research, Holly said:
“I am excited to join the exceptional team at M·E·L Research Ltd. Their ethos resonates profoundly with my professional journey and areas of focus to date and I look forward to leading evaluations that will contribute to meaningful change, with a team who really care about making a positive difference to organisations, communities, and the broader society. I’m looking forward to bringing my own experience to M·E·L, but also to working across a number of aligned spaces where relevant.”
“We are thrilled to have Holly on board. Her extensive experience in realist evaluation and her nationally recognised expertise in the domestic abuse and crime and justice spaces bring a unique perspective to our evaluation team. Holly’s proven track record in leading meaningful evaluations will be instrumental in continuing our commitment to delivering insightful and impactful evaluation projects moving forward, and to supporting clients who require a trauma-informed, specialist approach – although everyone we work with will benefit from this wider set of considerations.”
Holly began her careers as a Domestic Abuse Officer with the police, dedicated to aiding victims seeking help. Holly’s journey then led her to a prominent Women’s Aid organisation, managing community-based services for affected women and children. She went on to pursue a PhD at the University of Birmingham, employing Realist Evaluation to scrutinise the effects of criminal justice policies on successful domestic abuse prosecutions.
In 2014 when she joined the University of Worcester, and delivered the Master’s Degree programme in Understanding Domestic and Sexual Violence between 2017 and 2021. Concurrently, she led various research projects, including evaluations for charities and police initiatives aimed at violence reduction. A significant milestone was her commission by the Home Office in 2017 to conduct a study on stalking and harassment victims, influencing policy and practice shifts across England and Wales in subsequent years.
In 2021, Holly moved to the Open University, leading a module assisting student police officers in conducting research as part of their degree.
In addition to her role at M·E·L Research, Holly will continue advisory roles with the Open University Human Research Ethics Committee and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Services Ethics panel, reflecting her national role in research ethics.
At M·E·L Research Ltd, Holly will lead evaluation projects, embodying our ethos of collaborative, innovative, and insightful evaluation. Her arrival further fortifies our evaluation team, ensuring our ability to continuously deliver value-driven evaluations that aid organisations across the academic, third sector and government/regulatory space in understanding and enhancing their impact on communities and broader societal spheres.
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