Dr Sara-Jayne Williams
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Role:
Department staff:
Collaborations:
- Avon Fire and Rescue Service
- University of East Anglia
- ROSPA
- SPUR
- Water Research Company
- Southwest Water
- Southern Water
- Yorkshire Water
- Tampere University
- Galway University
- Genoa University
- Welsh Government
- Disaster Climate Education Network
Research staff:
- Environmental Psychology
- children
- nature
- behaviour change
- Sustainability
- Resilience
- learning
- Climate change adaptation strategies
- Research Methodology
Teaching staff:
- Qualifications:
- Qualifications and Professional Recognition PhD, Applied Experimental Cognitive Child Psychology, University of Bristol. Thesis title: "Can the Child Witness provide Accurate Testimony?" Postgraduate Certificate of Higher Education BA (Hons) Psychology, Swansea University Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
- Position:
- Associate Professor in Environmental Psychology
- Department:
- College of Arts, Technology and EnvironmentFET - Geography and Environmental Management
- Telephone:
- +441173283185
- Email:
- Sara3.Williams@uwe.ac.uk
- Social media:
-
About me
I am Programme Leader for the BSc Environment and Sustainability programme and a researcher within the Centre for Environment, Society and Resilience (CESR) at UWE Bristol. My background is in psychology, community development and sustainability, and my work focuses on understanding how people learn, adapt and respond to environmental and societal challenges.
My research sits at the intersection of environmental psychology, sustainability education and social change. I am particularly interested in how values, attitudes, identities and lived experiences shape people's relationships with the environment, and how learning and participation can support more sustainable and resilient futures.
A significant focus of my work is exploring children's and young people's agency in responding to complex challenges such as climate change, environmental sustainability and community resilience. Through collaborative research with schools, communities, industry partners and policymakers, I seek to develop approaches that enable meaningful participation and positive change.
I am committed to integrating research and teaching, creating opportunities for students to engage with real-world sustainability challenges through research-informed learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Area of expertise
My expertise spans environmental psychology, sustainability education and participatory research, with a particular focus on the role of communities, children and young people in environmental and social transformation.
Key areas of expertise include:
- Environmental psychology and human-environment relationships
- Sustainability and climate change education
- Children's agency, participation and voice
- Learning for transformation and behavioural change
- Climate resilience, adaptation and sustainability transitions
- Participatory, creative and arts-based research methodologies
- Community-engaged and co-produced research
- Youth engagement in environmental policy and decision-making
- Qualitative research methods and stakeholder engagement
- Sustainability curriculum design and pedagogical innovation
I have extensive experience working with schools, communities, public sector organisations and industry partners to develop research that supports environmental sustainability, resilience and social impact.
Selected Research Projects:
- Principal Investigator, Water Warriors
- Co-Investigator, CCC-CATAPULT (JPI SOLSTICE)
- Co-Investigator, VIP_CLEAR (AHRC)
- School Lead for Sustainability, UWE Bristol
- Programme Leader, BSc Environment and Sustainability
Publications
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