Emma Wainwright

Professor Emma Wainwright is an interdisciplinary social scientist and Professor at Brunel University London, affiliated with the Department of Education and College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences. She co-leads the Human Geography: Space, Place and Society research group and the Education, Identities and Society research group.

• PhD in Geography (Social and Historical Geography), University of St Andrews
• PGC Higher Education, Brunel University London
• PGCE Secondary Education, University of Edinburgh
• MA (1st Class) in Geography, University of Aberdeen

Emma Wainwright’s research focuses on geographies of education, training, and welfare with emphasis on social and educational inequalities. Key areas include higher education student experiences, social housing resident engagement, family-home schooling dynamics, embodiment studies, and emotional labor analysis. Her work prioritizes low-income, marginalized, and 'hard to reach' populations.

Recent publications explore commuter students’ spatial-temporal university engagement, digital technology’s impact on well-being, parental engagement toolkits, and refugee youth community programs. These works span Geography, Education, and Social Policy disciplines while addressing subfields like educational access, welfare-to-work transitions, and participatory research methodologies.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Brunel Impact Award nomination (2025)
• BERA Conference Award (2023)
• Royal Scottish Geographical Society Newbigin Prize (2006)
• Brunel Teach Award (2018)

She supervises PhD students Valeria Ferriera (osteopathic training), Hannah Filer (dance and wellbeing), Karen Western (bereavement support), and Gemma Cook (Cerebral Palsy policy experiences). Former supervisees include successful PhD graduates in refugee youth studies, cultural nationalism, and music education for sustainable development.