معرفی
Dr Gail Neill is a Lecturer in the School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences at Ulster University's Belfast campus, serving as Programme Director for the Fast Track Community Youth Work degree. With over 20 years of prior experience as a youth worker across Northern Ireland, her academic work bridges community practice and scholarly research in gender, diversity, and youth development.
Education:
- BSc in Community Youth Work, Ulster University (2004)
- PhD, Queen’s University Belfast (2016)
Research Focus: Dr Neill employs feminist participatory methodologies to examine violence against girls, LGBTQ+ youth experiences, and anti-oppressive practice in youth work. Her work emphasizes community-led solutions and public engagement tools, particularly through initiatives like the Critical Youth Research Hub she founded. She actively contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equality and peace.
Research Trends: Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal a concentrated focus on Northern Ireland contexts, analyzing violence against young women through diverse data sources while developing innovative dissemination methods like 'reel life data.' Her work consistently centers youth lived experience and policy impact, especially in post-conflict societies.
Scientific Recognition:
- Academic Excellence for BSc Hons in Community Youth Work (Team award, 2019)
Advising & Funding: Dr Neill supervises PhD researchers Adam McElhinney and Leah Yarr while leading major grants including the ESRC-funded RADICAL project (2023-2025) on youth violence, a Northern Ireland Office study on girls' safety (2022), and Extern's mentoring model (2021-2023). She regularly delivers practitioner training for youth workers.
Research Ecosystem: As a core member of Ulster's Institute for Research in Social Sciences, she co-founded Critical Voice NI and maintains active partnerships with community organizations like YouthActionNI. Her work integrates academic rigor with frontline youth sector engagement through ongoing mentoring programs for LGBTQ+ young women.
