Dr Sofia Reino

University of Hertfordshire

Dr. Sofia Reino is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire whose work investigates the intersection of systems and social equity within leisure and educational settings. Currently completing an MSc in Psychology, Sofia is evolving her established expertise in Information Management to address the social psychology of discrimination and integration within institutional frameworks.

Academic Evolution & Professional Background

Sofia’s career is rooted in the structural and technological drivers of the service economy. After graduating from Universidad de A Coruña and attaining a BA (Hons) from BNU, she completed an MSc in Heritage Tourism Development (with distinction) at the University of Sunderland. Her Ph.D. in Nformation Management (Queen Margaret University, 2010) specialised in benchmarking ICT adoption—a methodological foundation she has utilised to quantify the digital divide.

Bridging Technology and Social Justice

Building on her history with international projects, such as the European Commission’s ISSAC (Heritage Access), Sofia’s research investigates the "human element" of digital and physical spaces. Her work has recently extended beyond tourism into the context of leisure and education, focusing on how institutional frameworks influence human behavior and equity.

Her current research priorities include:

1) Psychology & Integration: Utilising psychological frameworks to study how leisure and education facilitate or hinder social inclusion, with a specific focus on in-group/out-group dynamics.

2) Discrimination in Systems: Applying benchmarking methodologies to identify and measure bias and exclusion within leisure and educational institutions.

3) Sustainable Branding: Redefining sustainability to prioritise social justice and the psychological well-being of diverse and marginalised communities.

International Collaboration & Peer Review

With previous experience as a Senior Researcher at CICTourGUNE (Spain) and lecturing positions at Edinburgh Napier and the University of Sunderland, Sofia brings a deep cross-cultural perspective to her research. She remains an active voice in the academic community, serving as a reviewer for EuroCHRIE, the International Consumer Studies Research Conference, and eReview of Tourism Research.