Meet Frances

Hello! I am Frances Ryan, author and creator of awesomeness at Just Frances. (Pronouns: She/Her)

I am a small-town gal from the mountains of Washington State, I embrace my small-town “redneck” roots and am quite proud of them because I know that the stereotypes aren’t (always) true. I now live in Scotland, the place that captured my heart and soul more than 20 years ago.

I grew up in a large Catholic family as the third of six daughters to two awesome parents and I am now the proud Aunty to 20+ nieces and nephews (including those by marriage) and a handful of great-nieces and nephews. Oh, and I was once a foster mommy to an awesome kid, too!

In my professional life, I am a university lecturer in informatics. I research human information behaviour in online environments, especially as they relate to everyday life contexts and “lived” or real-world, experiences – including issues of identity and reputation and determinations of trust and the management of personal health. (Read more on my research blog at www.FrancesRyanPhD.com.)

In my personal life, my time is spent running, walking and hiking, writing, crafting, swirling, geocaching, finding bargains in charity shops, and perfecting my mobile phone photography skills. I am a passionate cook (although a less-passionate dish-washer!) and I dabble in growing things in the garden, too. As a life-long learner, I enjoy spending time in museums and libraries and I love attending public lectures and hands-on workshops. I also enjoy travelling and spending time with my family and friends.