Julie Scott Jones

Professor Julie Scott Jones serves as Deputy Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she is a leading academic in social sciences based in the Geoffrey Manton Building. She coordinates the MMU Q-Step Centre for Excellence in Undergraduate Quantitative Methods, funded by Nuffield/ESRC/HEFCE, driving innovation in quantitative skills training across social science disciplines.

Her academic foundation includes:

• MA from the University of Edinburgh
• PhD from the University of Edinburgh, examining worldview construction and maintenance among white Protestant fundamentalists in the USA

Professor Jones' research centers on religious worldviews and identity—particularly within fundamentalist communities—and the pedagogy of quantitative research methods. She investigates how meaning systems shape religious identities while developing transformative teaching strategies to build confidence in statistical analysis among students and staff, emphasizing sociology's power to question 'taken-for-granted' social norms.

Her recent publications reveal dual trajectories: advancing quantitative methods education through playful pedagogy, community partnerships, and support systems like 'Maths Cafes,' while continuing ethnographic exploration of religious fundamentalism and the interplay of risk, identity, and everyday life. This work consistently bridges theoretical rigor with practical educational applications across social science domains.

Her scholarly contributions are recognized through:

• Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)

Professor Jones has supervised doctoral research including Sal Watt's 2005 University of Liverpool thesis on HRM and cultural change in civil service. She actively seeks PhD candidates in religious identities, fundamentalism, and worldview systems. Her grant leadership encompasses:

• MMU Q-Step Centre for Excellence in Undergraduate Quantitative Methods (Nuffield/ESRC/HEFCE funded)

As Q-Step Centre Coordinator, she leads interdisciplinary teams embedding robust statistical literacy within social science curricula through innovative teaching frameworks and institutional partnerships, transforming how quantitative methods are taught and applied across humanities and social science disciplines.