Dr Mandy Yilmaz
Senior Lecturer
My academic journey began at the age of 30 when I enrolled in an Access to Learning course. Having left school at 16, I initially pursued a career in a Travel Agency before later transitioning to Recruitment. Little did I know that this journey would lead me to the University of Dundee, where I stayed for 10 years, completing my Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees in Psychology.
The Scottish degree programme differed from that in England, involving 4 years of study with a variety of subjects. I initially studied English, Geography, and Psychology for 2 years before focusing solely on Psychology for the remaining 2 years.
Upon joining the University of Chester in 2010 as a Lecturer, I progressed to the role of Senior Lecturer and later served as Deputy Head. After spending several years in the role of Deputy Head at the School of Psychology, I have now returned to my position as a Senior Lecturer. I am passionate about collaborative work with students, aiming to help them unlock their full potential, make the most of their university experience, and gain the skills and confidence needed for their career ambitions.
As a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, an award-winning teacher of Psychology, and a Chartered Psychologist specialising in Developmental Psychology, my research interests revolve around the development of self, culture, infancy, and parenting.
As a wife and mother of 3 (the last of whom arrived whilst I was studying), I am proud of my journey and believe that anything is possible.
Mandy is passionate about teaching and has several awards including Most Inspiring Lecturer and Outstanding Academic Support through the Student’s Union Above and Beyond Awards. Nationally, Mandy was awarded the Psychology PG Teaching Award (2010) awarded by the Higher Education Academy Psychology network in recognition of the significant impact she made through teaching.
Mandy is currently the Module Leader for Developmental Psychology (PS6002) at Level 6, and Family Psychology in Society (PS7305) at Level 7. She supervises dissertation students at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels on the MSc Family & Child Psychology and MSc Psychology Conversion programmes.
As a Developmental Psychologist, Mandy's primary research interest is in the developmental of self-awareness. Working with collaborators in a number of countries, Mandy has researched this topic from a social and cross-cultural perspective.
Currently, Mandy is engaged in a few research projects. One with Dr Lisa Oakley, is a funded project which evaluates the Believe Project run by Motherwell Cheshire. Another with Foster4, working alongside Dr Hayley Gilman, explores motivations and obstacles facing foster families.
Journal Articles
Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. & Oakley, L. (in prep). Evaluation of Believe Peer Support Service: Supporting mothers with looked after children. (Grant awarded)
Ross, J., Urquhart-Yilmaz, M., Dale, R., Cassidy, R., Yildirim, I., & Zeedyk, M.S. (2016). Cultural differences in self-recognition: The early development of autonmous and related selves. Developmental Science, pp1-13 DOI: 10-111/desc.12387
Conference Papers
Urquhart, M. (2019). Alternative non-professional Psychology options: Preparing yourself for the graduate job market. Invited keynote presented at the BPS Careers in Psychology, Sheffield.
Ross, J., Urquhart-Yilmaz, M., & Zeedyk, M.S. (2016). The socialisation of self: Investigating the link between autonomous parenting and early mirror self-recognition. Paper accepted and presented at the 1st Lancaster Conference on Infant and Child Development (LCICD), Lancaster University, August 2016.
O’Neill, L., Carroll, J., Kirkham, J., & Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2014). “Students – switch your mobiles on!” Teaching enhancing student engagement. Paper presented at Annual Staff Conference, University of Chester.
Lloyd, J., Rohner, R.P., Kirkham, J., & Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2014). The PARQ-AO: A valid and reliable tool for assessing perceived parental acceptance in parent-adult offspring relationships. Paper presented at 5th International Congress on Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection Conference, Chisinau, Moldova.
O’Neill, L., Carroll, J., Kirkham, J., & Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2014). Enhancing the student experience. Paper presented at HEA Stem Annual Learning and Teaching Conference: Enhancing the STEM Student Journey, Edinburgh.
Peach, D., Urquhart-Yilmaz, M., & Zeedyk, M.S. (2012). A phenomenological dialogic thematic analysis of maternal dyadic discourse during a mirror self-recognition study. Paper presented at BPS Psychology of Women Section Annual Conference, Windsor.
Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2010). Student Assistanceships: A model which promotes confidence, motivation and learning. Paper presented at PLAT 2010, the fifth biennial Psychology Learning and Teaching Conference, Edinburgh. June.
Ross, J., Urquhart-Yilmaz, M., Dale, R., & Zeedyk, M. S. (2010). Mother-infant interaction and the development of bodily self-awareness in Kenya and Scotland. Paper presented at British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference London.
Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2008). Maternal role in the development of self-awareness in early infancy. Paper presented at the BPS Scottish Branch Conference, Clydebank. November 2008.
Zeedyk, M. S. & Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2008). Maternal influences on the development of self: Insights from cross-cultural comparisons. Paper presented at the BPS Developmental Section Conference, Oxford. September 2008.
Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2008). Maternal role in the development of self-awareness in early infancy: A Scottish perspective. Paper presented at the Fifth Annual Conference on the Dialogical Self, Cambridge. August 2008.
Zeedyk, M. S., & Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2008). Early mother-infant mirror play in Turkish and UK cultures. Paper presented at the Fifth Annual Conference on the Dialogical Self Cambridge.
Urquhart-Yilmaz, M., Morcos, M. L. & Ritchie, M. (2005). Being Female in a Scottish University. Paper presented at the Women as Global Leaders: Educating the Next Generation Conference at Zayed University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. March 2005.
Invited Public Talks
Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2009). Mother-infant relations in early infancy: a cross-cultural perspective. Presented at Café Science Extra, Sensation, Dundee. February 2009.
Urquhart-Yilmaz, M. (2009). Mother-infant relations in early infancy: a cross-cultural perspective. Presented at Café Science Extra, Sensation, Dundee. May 2009
Mandy gained both her Master of Arts (Honours) in Psychology and PhD ‘Maternal role in the development of self-awareness in early infancy’ at the School of Psychology in the University of Dundee.
She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society.