Jane Booth

Dr. Jane Booth is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Wolverhampton, part of the School of Social, Historical and Political Studies. She holds a PhD in Political Science and a BSc in Politics and Psychology from Oxford Brookes University, complemented by a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and Senior Fellow status from the Higher Education Academy. Her research focuses on co-production, community engagement, death studies, and curriculum development in higher education.

Teaching highlights include leading community-based learning modules and designing the 'Advocacy in Action' course, where students collaborate with graphic designers to create campaigns on social issues. Notable projects include the IMPACT Bradford initiative (2017 Teaching Award winner) and the Dying 2 Talk project, co-designing resources to foster youth conversations about death and bereavement through archaeology. She also pioneered Death Cafés at the University of Wolverhampton.

Professional activities include peer reviewing for journals like Journal of Social Policy and presenting at conferences such as the Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference. She has held roles as External Examiner at the University of Westminster and Edge Hill University. Her work bridges academia and practice, advocating for community partnerships to address social challenges like youth violence and mental health.

• Awards: Vice Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award 2017
• Grants: Dying to Talk (AHRC-funded, 2021–2022) and earlier iterations (2018).
• Lab/Teams: Institute for Community Research and Development (ICRD), collaborating with organizations like Child Bereavement UK and MYMUP.