Contact
Biography
I joined the School of Sociology and Social Policy in 2019, having worked at Russell Group and post-92 institutions beforehand. I hold a PhD in Criminology, MA in International Criminal Justice, and PGCHE in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
I am a member of the European and British Societies of Criminology. In relation to the latter, I was Chair of its Green Criminology Research Network for four years.
I also sit on the Welsh Government's Clean Air Advisory Panel and its Promoting Awareness of Air Pollution Delivery Group.
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5826-3848
Expertise Summary
My expertise lies in environmental harm more broadly and air pollution more specifically. Sitting in the field of criminology, I research the effectiveness of formal and informal social controls aimed at addressing environmental problems. This includes the more traditional 'top-down' approaches, such as law and regulation, but also those deemed 'bottom-up', such as the application of deviancy labels by 'non-elite' groups and the educational potential of citizen science.
My current research focuses on three overlapping areas:
Air Pollution - My current work explores the separate areas of wood burning stove emissions and the exposure of children to air pollution in schools. With regard to the former, my research has identified indoor emissions from stove appliances, looked at how people engage with technology revealing this reality, and explored the limits of existing smoke control area regulations. I sit on the Welsh Government's Promoting Awareness of Air Pollution Delivery Group.
My work on air pollution in schools looks at the human aspects of technological solutions. Previously, I have explored the potential for personal air quality sensors to minimise exposure on the school run, while my current work explores the possibility for low-cost filtration systems to address the problem and provide educational opportunities.
Environmental Justice / Citizen Decision Making - I also have an interest in the decision-making procedures underpinning unequal exposures to environmental harm. This has included primary research into the treatment of First Nation peoples in and around Northern Canada's oil sands frontier and - closer to home - the injustices that arose during the felling of Sheffield's street trees. Associated with this is also my writing on Extinction Rebellion and the deliberative possibilities created by their activities. I am also co-editor of Gendering Green Criminology, the first collection aimed at sensitising green criminology to issues of gender from an intersectional standpoint.
Crimes and Harms of the Powerful - As a criminologist, I have a long-standing interest in environmental crimes and harms of the powerful. My work in this area has involved mixed methods research into the regulatory system underpinning the 'sustainable development' of Canada's oil sands industry, its relationship with settler-colonialism, denial, and extractivist politics. My more theoretical work relates to this in that it considers how the concept of 'state crime' can be expanded to include instances of environmental destruction. I am currently working on resurrecting the concept of deviance to encourage environmental criminology to be more solutions orientated.
Funding
June 2024: Awarded £245,000 (PI) by Welsh Government (Local Air Quality Management Support Fund) to trial an air quality information system aimed at reducing domestic combustion emissions (Co-I's: Dr Menna Price, Swansea University; Prof. Ian Walker, Swansea University; Prof. Paul Lewis, HWB360; Tom Price, Swansea Council; Dr Rohit Chakraborty).
October 2022: Awarded £4,313 (PI) by ESRC (Future Impact Leaders Programme) to develop an educational semi-automated air filtration system able to meaningfully improve air quality in schools (Co-I's: Rohit Chakraborty, AirRated).
August 2021: Awarded £4,500 (PI) by the University of Nottingham Institute for Policy and Engagement (Policy Impact Pathways Programme) to develop and trial a pilot air quality information system ('burn alert') able to reduce domestic burning emissions across the UK (Co-I's: Dr Rohit Chakraborty, University of Sheffield).
Media Engagement:
My work regularly appears in the media, including BBC News, The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, and the 'i', among others. I also occasionally write academic blogs.
Teaching Summary
I teach across two modules in the School of Sociology and Social Policy: Understanding Crime and Victimisation (1st year) and Crimes and Harms of the Powerful (3rd year). I am also a personal tutor… read more
Recent Publications