Dr Emma Wainwright
Reader

Summary

Emma is a Reader and a Geographer with expertise in the geographies of education, training and welfare. She is co-lead of the Human Geography: Space, Place and Society research group (with Nicola Ansell and Monica Degen). She is also a member of the Centre for Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifecourse, and Education, Identities and Society, and Embodiment in Academic and Professional Practice research groups. Emma studied Geography at the University of Aberdeen and, after completing her PGCE (Secondary) at the University of Edinburgh and a brief period of secondary teaching, was awarded a scholarship by the University of St Andrews to undertake her PhD in Social and Historical Geography. Prior to working at Brunel, Emma was a Research Executive in the Social Research Institute at MORI (now Ipsos MORI).

Emma's interdisciplinary research interests focus on: education, training and welfare-to-work; social housing and resident engagement; family, parenting and care; embodiment, body work and emotional labour. Her work has been funded through grants awarded by the ESRC, the British Academy, Barclays, the Froebel Trust, the Learning and Skills Council, the Money Advice Service, and Brunel University London. Emma has successfully collaborated with various social housing providers across London and the South East including A2Dominion, Catalyst and East Thames (now L&Q) to deliver research and evaluation projects. 

Emma is currently an editor of the British Educational Research Journal. She is external examiner at the University of Hertfordshire (BSc Geography) and Cardiff University (MSc Education, MSc Education, Policy and Society and MSc Childhood and Youth), and acts as a regular reviewer for various academic journals. In 2006 Emma was awarded the Newbigin Prize by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for her paper published in the Scottish Geographical Journal. Recent work has been published in Area, Educational Review, British Journal of Sociology of Education and Population, Space and Place.  

Emma currently works part time (FTE 0.6) and her working days are Monday, Thursday and Friday. 

Qualifications

PhD, Geography, University of St Andrews

PGC in Higher Education, Brunel University London

PGC in Secondary Education (Geography and Modern Studies), Moray House, University of Edinburgh

MA (Hons) Geography (1st Class), University of Aberdeen

Responsibility

Internal:

Co-lead Human Geography: Space, Place anc Society research group 

Senior Tutor (2017-2021)

Programme Co-Lead BA Education (2019-2021)

Chair of EC panel and SEC meetings (2017-2021)

Member of Department Management Board (2017-2021)

Member of University's British Academy review panel

Director of Centre for Human Geography (until 2015)

External:

Co-Editor: British Educational Research Journal (2018-ongoing)

ESRC Peer Review College member (2010-ongoing)

External Examiner, MSc Education, Policy and Society and MSc Childhood and Youth, Cardiff University (2018- 2022)

External Examiner, BA/BSc Geography, University of Hertfordshire (2018-2022)

External Examiner, BA Geography, Newcastle University (2014-2018)