Valentina is a Lecturer in early childhood education. She is a committed and passionate educator with over 15 years of teaching experience across diverse settings, ranging from early childhood to adult education. Her career is driven by a deep-seated interest in advancing equity social justice within education system, and promoting inclusion within Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs. Drawing from her background as a sociologist of education, Valentina focuses her research on understanding the effects of neoliberalism on educational structures, particularly examining the structural and systemic inequalities and power dynamics resulting from choice policy in ECEC. As an early-career academic, Valentina is recognized for her expertise in education policy, critical and affective pedagogies, feminist post-structuralism and . She has also established herself as an expert in affect theory, publishing articles that explore affect as a socio-relational force in education.