Kathleen Burt, Ph.D.

Director of Research, Media, & Accessibility

The Head Unicorn Wrangler

Kathleen is WorldKind's Director of Research, Media, and Accessibility. Starting out in Biblical Studies, she obtained a PhD from the University of St. Andrews in Jewish and early church ritual, where she tutored in Old and New Testament, developing a keen interest in the first-century world. While studying, she found herself drawn to issues of institutional operations and organizational ethics. She has spent the last few years working in Disability Rights and equity policy, including co-productive research exploring intersectional discrimination among service users. Kathleen serves on a consultative panel bringing the experience of disability-related public policy to the Scottish Government and just finished working in lived experience research for an inclusion project at Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland.

She has done this while also writing about her passion for accessible travel at WanderingWounded.com. She has contributed to Oxford Biblical Studies Online and served on the editorial board of the Considering Disability journal based at the University of Leeds. Most recently, she spent lockdown studying Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science from her home in Scotland.

Kathleen is often found exploring local supermarkets in exotic locations or purchasing handicrafts with a carefree attitude towards her luggage dimensions. Her patient husband recognized that this was an integral part of her life when he spent seven of the first ten weeks of their relationship waiting for her to re-enter the same time zone. She loves gardening, learning languages, planning (travel, weddings, wildly improbable dream kitchens), and acting as a human butler to the small fluffy dog whose house she inhabits. She is on a mission to taste test all the baklava the Eastern Mediterranean has to offer.

 

You can reach her at kathleen@worldkindlearning.com.

Alisdair McLeod, M.A.

Program Support

Not-Evil Host Co-ordinator

 

Alisdair is WorldKind's Local Host and Program Support wizard. Alisdair comes from the old city of Aberdeen, studying Philosophy at its ancient university. As a result, he speaks at least two languages fluently, and is always ready to share his native Doric! He worked for the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, organizing and managing groups from all over the world.

A mind sports enthusiast, Alisdair plays Bridge and Chess competitively, and represented Scotland as a Bridge player. He currently serves as the Scottish Bridge Union's Junior Co-ordinator, taking on the role just in time to reinvent it during the pandemic! He has a great love for the education of 16-26 year old Bridge players, establishing remote and in-person training and mentorship, ensuring Juniors progress safely and enjoyably. Through extensive liaisons with stakeholders and parents, he has taken many Junior Bridge players to attend international events where they represent Scotland as well as organizing events nationally. 

He excels in absorbing, analysing and interpreting information, and always has an interesting fact or story to share - both useful when he worked front-of-house as Receptionist (among other roles) at Aberdeen's popular and greatly missed Mariner Hotel. While he has spent countless hours managing websites or social media accounts, emails and Microsoft Office programs, a personal mantra is that using technology is all very well, as long as he knows what to do if he didn’t have (access to) it. Not content to let his brain rest, he likes the challenge of bringing in a project on budget and in fulfilment of goals. He's a people-pleaser in the best way, used to liaising both in-person and remotely, while keeping customers happy. Accordingly, he is WorldKind's general dogsbody on tour as well as a valued member of the planning and support crew!

Alisdair approaches everything with inexhaustible enthusiasm wherever he can express his talents in a productive manner. He looks forward to publishing his debut novel and embracing a life of creativity. His wife looks forward to reading the next chapter.

 

You can reach him at kathleen@worldkindlearning.com.