Email: [email protected]

I joined Aston University in 2010 and have undertaken varied roles such as Programme Director and Associate Dean International. In my current role as Associate Dean for Public Engagement for the College of Business and Social Sciences, I work on knowledge-sharing and knowledge-creating activities that bring together researchers at Aston and members of the community. I work closely with external stakeholders in our region and wider society. 

I also lead and teach modules at in Sociology and Policy.

My research interests are in Sociology of Childhood and Youth, with a focus on Education, Religion, and Health & Wellbeing. 

LK3036/LK3037: Dissertations (supervisor)

LK3029: Education for the 21st Century (module leader)

LK3031: Religion and Society (module leader)

BS2239: Business, Government and Society (module leader)

Funding - Children & Young People, Education, and Religion: 

• Feb. 2024: Awarded £23,528 (PI) by ESRC (Social Science Innovation Award), to support innovative pedagogical changes in compulsory education, and co-design new teacher training packages for Religious Education in schools.
• May 2022: Awarded £29,522 (Co-I) by Culham St Gabriel's Trust to investigate teachers' attitudes towards the concept of 'worldview' and how it is used in the Religious Education classroom (PI: Dr Tim Hutchings, University of Nottingham)
• May 2020: Awarded £8000 (PI) by the Religious Education Council for England and Wales to conduct research on ‘worldview’ in the curriculum (Co-Is: Dr Tim Hutchings, University of Nottingham, and Dr Rachael Shillitoe, University of Birmingham)

I have also acted as academic advisor on three curriculum projects:

• “Worldviews and Religious Advocacy”, led by Jennifer Jenkins, Coventry Diocesan Board of Education 
• “Coventry and Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education”, led by Jennifer Jenkins, Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education 
• “Religion and Worldviews Examplar Framework”, led by Jennifer Jenkins, Religious Education Council for England and Wales 

Funding – Children & Young People, religion, and RSHE (Relationships, Health and Sex Education)

• 2022: Awarded £4,852 (Co-I) by Research England (Policy Support Funding), “Sex Education and School Protests: Understanding the Causes and Consequences for RSHE Policy” (PI: Dr Sarah-Jane Page).
• 2022: Awarded £18,833 (Co-I) by Research England, “Young Muslims' Voices and Attitudes towards Relationships and Sex Education” (PI: Dr Sarah-Jane Page, Aston University; Co-I: Dr Fida Sanjakdar, Monash University, Australia).

 Funding - Children & Young People, Health and Wellbeing:

• 2024: Awarded £149,642.95 (academic partner) by NIHR England (Programme Development Grant) to support the development of a community researchers hub (PI: Dr Christine Burt, BCHC; Co-I: Sophie Wilson, BVSC).
• 2023: Awarded £5420 (PI) by Research England (Policy Support Funding) to work with children and young people to identify health and wellbeing priorities in school settings in Birmingham (Co-I: Dr Alexis Paton, Aston University).
• July 2023: Awarded £1,920 (PI) by ESRC (Impact Accelerator Account) to host three Knowledge Exchange events in East and West Birmingham on health inequalities as part of the Festival of Social Sciences.
• March 2023: Awarded £109,000 (Co-I) by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC) to co-design training package for community researchers, based on the “Community Connexions' Engagement Handbook” (Benoit as main author) (PI: Dr Christine Burt, BCHC; other Co-Is: Dr Suzanne Cleary, Sophie Wilson, Dr Matthew Brooks, Florence Okwu)
• Nov 2022: Awarded £11,000 (PI) (£5,500 by Research England (Policy Support Funding), match-funded by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) to create a series of videos to disseminate research findings using creative media (Co-I: Dr Alexis Paton)
• 2021: Awarded £9422 (PI) (£6311 by Research England Policy Support Funding + £3111 by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) to host a “community sandpit event” to present data to community partners and co-design solutions to tackle health inequalities (Co-I: Dr Alexis Paton)

Additionally, I have been seconded one day a week by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC) since January 2021 to work on 'Community Connexions' (a project funded by the Clinical Research Network - CRN)

Funding - Young People and Higher Education

• 2023: Awarded £1800, Aston University L&T Funding, “Emotional Literacy and Wellbeing among Students at Aston University” (Co-I: Aurélia Robert, Aston University)
• July 2022: Awarded £5,944 (PI), Aston University L&T Funding, ”Foregrounding the Lived Experiences of Students from Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds” (Co-I: Aurélia Robert, Aston University)

Other Awards

• 2023: High Commendation, HSJ Patient Safety Awards (Category: Improving Health Outcomes for Minority Ethnic Communities)
• 2020: Awarded Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• 2013: Awarded Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

• Director/Trustee at the Religious Education Council for England and Wales (REC)
• School Engagement Officer – TRS-UK (Theology and Religious Studies in Higher Education, UK)
• Member of Socrel – the BSA Sociology of Religion study group
• Member of the British Educational Research Association (BERA)
• Member of the British Sociological Association (BSA)
• Member of the British Association for the Study of Religions (BASR)