معرفی
Dr. Liz McDonnell is an Associate Professor in Sociology and Criminology at the School of Law, Politics and Sociology, University of Sussex, where she has been a faculty member since 2013 and affiliated since 2004. She teaches research methods in the MA Gender Studies program and courses on sexualities and intersections for undergraduate students. She also holds leadership roles as co-director of the Centre for Gender Studies and chair of the EDI Committee in LPS.
Her educational background includes a BA in Sociology/Social Anthropology from the University of East Anglia, an MA in Criminology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne, and a PhD in Sociology from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Her research spans personal life, identity, institutional cultures, social inequalities, and health, with a strong emphasis on qualitative methodologies and research ethics.
Dr. McDonnell’s research interests focus on pro-social behaviors, generosity, asexuality, intimate relationships, hate crimes, and institutional cultures. Her recent work explores human giving during the pandemic and the effects of legal aid cuts on the Criminal Cases Review Commission. She has led interdisciplinary projects with Law and Criminology colleagues and continues to contribute to research culture development in UK universities.
Her publication record shows a consistent trajectory in themes of asexuality, research ethics, and social connectedness. Articles such as 'Asexual isn't who I am' and 'Negotiating the boundaries of intimacy' reflect her deep engagement with identity and intimacy, while recent works on generosity during the pandemic indicate a shift toward positive sociology. Her methodological expertise in qualitative research, particularly diary and interview methods, is evident across her publications.
She has received competitive research grants from the British Academy, ESRC, and the University of Sussex, supporting projects on generosity in the time of COVID-19, legal aid impacts, and post-referendum societal shifts. She is also an associate consultant for Research Coach, collaborating with Imperial College on research culture development.
Dr. McDonnell has supervised numerous research projects and contributed to institutional ethics as Chair of the Social Science and Arts Research Ethics Committee (2017–2020). She is a member of the Academic Advisory Group for APP Evaluations at the University of Sussex. Her work bridges sociology, criminology, gender studies, and health, demonstrating a commitment to interdisciplinary, ethics-informed, and socially impactful research.
She is affiliated with the Centre for Gender Studies and contributes to collaborative research networks, particularly around equality, diversity, and inclusion. Her ongoing work with universities aims to transform institutional cultures and support researcher well-being, especially in relation to gender equity.
