Sarah Barnard

Dr. Sarah Barnard is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology of Contemporary Work at Loughborough University, affiliated with the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. She holds key roles including Athena SWAN Champion, School Academic Integrity Lead (PG), and Programme Director for the MSc Occupational Health and Safety Management. Her research focuses on equality, diversity, and inclusion in organizations, with a particular emphasis on sociology of higher education and Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) contexts. She applies both quantitative and qualitative methods to address gender dynamics, leadership, and workplace inclusion.

• Education: Holds a BSc and PhD (degrees not specified further in text).

Her research interests span gender equality policies in academia, LGBTQ+ workplace experiences, AI’s impact on work, and leadership development. She has supervised numerous PhD/MSc students exploring topics like AI-driven gender diversity, employee well-being, queer expatriates’ agency, and EDI work in higher education. She actively contributes to international projects on gender equality through Communities of Practice frameworks.

Her recent work highlights systemic barriers faced by women in construction, academic careers, and leadership roles, alongside evaluating interventions like the Aurora leadership programme. She frequently examines intersections of technology, work dynamics, and sociocultural identity.

• Grants/Projects: Involved in transnational initiatives on gender equality in higher education and co-created participatory models for academic researcher development.

Dr. Barnard’s interdisciplinary approach bridges sociology, management, and technology studies, with a focus on actionable insights for organizational and policy change.