Keelin Howard

Dr Keelin Howard is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU). He holds course leadership roles for BSc Criminology, Criminology and Forensic Studies, Criminology and Law, and contributes to teaching in Health and Social Science, as well as Migration Studies postgraduate programs. His career spans roles as a youth worker, part-time lecturer, and now full-time academic.

Education: Earned BSc (Hons) in Social Sciences from BNU in 1997, followed by a PhD in 2007 at BNU investigating the voluntary sector's role in UK asylum policy implementation. Research focuses on migration, mental health's intersection with digital media, criminology, and social justice. Notably, his work on mental health strategies for social media users with severe diagnoses has informed university modules and media discussions.

Research highlights include ethnographic studies on asylum seeker policies, qualitative analysis of social media's mental health impacts, and evaluative work with mental health charities on debt management. He advocates for evidence-based social science to advance equality and justice, particularly in criminal justice systems.

Teaching and mentoring: Passionate about guiding diverse students into postgraduate studies/careers in social sciences. No specific grants or labs are explicitly detailed, though collaborations with local charities demonstrate applied research engagement.