Dina gained a double BA in English and Education/TESOL from the University of Amsterdam and the University of Wolverhampton in 2001. She then pursued her interest in Applied Linguistics with an MA in English Language and Culture from the University of Amsterdam.

After several years of teaching EAP and ESP (for business, law, IT and engineering) in the Netherlands, Latvia and the UK, Dina embarked on a PhD in Applied Linguistics and Communication at Birkbeck, University of London, which she completed in 2018. Her doctoral research explored identity construction in the discourses of European and international exchange students.

Before joining King’s Foundations, Dina worked as an English and Academic Skills Tutor at Kaplan International College London and taught Skills for Study to undergraduate Health and Social Care students at the University of Bedfordshire. At both institutions, she contributed to a range of projects, developing programmes and creating teaching materials. She has also been on several occasions a guest speaker at Birkbeck, where she presented her doctoral research findings to postgraduate students of Applied Linguistics.

At King’s, Dina leads the CIEL Generative AI in Education Community of Practice, which brings together colleagues to explore the pedagogical use of AI. Beyond King’s, she is Co-Convenor of BALEAP’s Testing, Assessment and Feedback Special Interest Group (TAFSIG). In 2024, she was awarded Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in recognition of her teaching practice.

Dina’s research interests include the relationship between language and identity, particularly how language choice shapes perceptions of self, and the effect of emotions on students’ language acquisition. More recently, her work has focused on AI in education, especially in relation to assessment. This includes developing critical AI literacy among staff and students and exploring the role of AI in formative assessment.

In her spare time, Dina enjoys hiking, hot yoga, running and reading, as well as going to the theatre and exhibitions and spending time with family and friends.