Staff

Dr Elaine Williams

BA., MA. PhD

Biography

Lecturer: School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, University of Galway.

Elaine specialises in community engagement, with a strong focus on Participatory Action Research (PAR), conservation volunteering, social capital, wellbeing, and environmental sustainability. With a vested interest in the Burren Region, Elaine has vast experience working alongside, and from within, communities incorporating creative methodologies such as video walkabouts, photo elicitation and biographical narrative interpretive method (BNIM). Her research draws particular attention to (and calls for an acknowledgement of) the everyday messiness and complexities of researcher positionality, when embedded in the field.

An Irish Research Council of Ireland PhD Graduate, her research focused on exploring human-nature relationships, delivering practical and applied strategies for wellbeing enhancement, landscape conservation and community engagement. Elaine is passionate about creating opportunities to build stronger community-university relationships through PAR.

Dr Williams has worked (in several capacities) in academia at University of Galway for the past 11 years (Lecturer, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Academic Placement Coordinator; Teaching Assistant and Administrator). External to the University, she has also upheld positions such as Community Engagement Officer (Burrenbeo Trust) and ChangeX Burren Coordinator (ChangeX), working closely with communities setting up and establishing environmental, sustainability, health and wellbeing programmes. Elaine held the voluntary role of Assistant Business Manager for the academic journal `Irish Geography¿ (2014 -2018). She is also a member of the Geographical Society of Ireland and the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers.

Teaching: Environmental Planning and Sustainability; Critical Geographies of Children, Young People and Families; Political and Cultural Geography: Identity, Race and the Nation. Research Supervision.

Research Interests

Elaine's IRC funded Ph.D. makes a significant academic contribution to knowledge within the field of Geography and the broader Social Sciences. The work is committed to delivering outputs that meet the needs of the communities it has engaged.

Contributions include:

Providing critical insights into the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in environmental management strategies vis-à-vis delivery of programmes such as conservation volunteering.
Highlighting the significance of the voluntary and environmental CSO sector in Ireland in engaging with communities and creating opportunities for enhanced wellbeing and environmental sustainability.
Producing a framework for evaluating wellbeing within these contexts.
Signifying the importance of place-based connectivity and local knowledges.
Understanding the personal motivations and drivers for engaging in environmental sustainability practices and with CSOs.
Generating new perspectives around the challenges of researcher positionality (from working within the CSO) in an attempt to demonstrate how frameworks like Participatory Action Research (PAR) can aid the development of greater community-university relationships in the future.

As FLIARA Post-doctoral Researcher, Elaine had experience working on a 2.99 million euro Horizon Europe Project, with 15 partners, spanning 10 European countries. This project champions rural women within these countries, demonstrating their innovative capacity, with a particular focus on all four dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, social and cultural). Within this role, Elaine was responsible for assisting with the coordination of FLIARA¿s first Community of Practice (01 &02 July 2024).

Book Chapters

	Year	Publication
	(2025)	'Qualitative Methodologies for Researching Sustainable Lifestyles' Fahy, F., Reilly, K., Williams, E (2025) 'Qualitative Methodologies for Researching Sustainable Lifestyles' In: Handbook of Research on Sustainable Lifestyles. US: Edward Elgar. [Details]

Conference Publications

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	*Working for Wellbeing* Williams, E. (2016) A Celebration of Active Conservation Volunteering: Working for Wellbeing of People and Place Working for Wellbeing [Details]

Thesis

	Year	Publication
	(2021)	Creating Opportunities for Engagement: Exploring the Relationship between the Burren Landscape, Civil Society and Community. Williams, E. (2021) Creating Opportunities for Engagement: Exploring the Relationship between the Burren Landscape, Civil Society and Community. Thesis [Details]

Other Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	'`Nurturing Communities and Enhancing Their Role in Landscape Conservation¿' Williams, E. (2016) '`Nurturing Communities and Enhancing Their Role in Landscape Conservation¿' La Cañada: European Forum for Nature and Pastoralism Magazine, Number 30, Winter Issue, . [Details]

Published Reports

	Year	Publication
	(2024)	FLIARA: Ireland¿s Female-Led Innovators in Agriculture and Rural Areas. Farrell, M., Weir, L, Murtagh, A. and Williams, E. (2024) FLIARA: Ireland¿s Female-Led Innovators in Agriculture and Rural Areas. University of Galway, Ireland, Galway. [Details]
	(2018)	Engaging with Burrenbeo Trust: A Community Perspective. Williams, E. (2018) Engaging with Burrenbeo Trust: A Community Perspective. National University of Galway, Galway, Galway. [Details]

Conference Contributions

	Year	Publication
	(2024)	35th International Geographical Congress 2024, Williams, E. (2024) Comprehending Researcher Positionality: Lessons from Participatory Action Research (PAR).'. [Oral Presentation], 35th International Geographical Congress 2024, University College Dublin , 27-NOV-24 - 27-NOV-24. [Details]
	(2019)	EUGEO Congress in Conjunction with 51st Conference of Irish Geographers, Williams, E. (2019) Navigating Multiple Researcher Positionalities in the Field. [Chaired Session], EUGEO Congress in Conjunction with 51st Conference of Irish Geographers, University of Galway , 18-MAY-19 - 18-MAY-19. [Details]
	(2018)	RGS-IBG Postgraduate Mid-Term Conference, Williams, E. (2018) Creating Opportunities for Engagement: Exploring conservation volunteering in the Burren landscape¿. [Oral Presentation], RGS-IBG Postgraduate Mid-Term Conference, Royal Holloway, University of London , 18-SEP-18. [Details]
	(2017)	XXVII European Society For Rural Sociology Congress, Williams, E. (2017) Creating Opportunities for Engagement: Exploring conservation volunteering in the Burren landscape. [Oral Presentation], XXVII European Society For Rural Sociology Congress, Krakow , 19-JUL-17. [Details]

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	Conservation Notes: February Edition. Williams, E. (2016) Conservation Notes: February Edition. Newsletter [Details]
	(2016)	Conservation Notes: January Edition. Williams, E. (2016) Conservation Notes: January Edition. Newsletter [Details]

Pamphlet

	Year	Publication
	(2014)	A toolkit for conducting our own community research. ChangeX. Williams, E. (2014) A toolkit for conducting our own community research. ChangeX. Pamphlet [Details]

Report

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	Learning Landscape Symposium: Engaging and Activating Communities Workshop Report. Williams, E. (2016) Learning Landscape Symposium: Engaging and Activating Communities Workshop Report. Report [Details]

Workshops

	Year	Publication
	(2018)	Engaging and Activating Communities Workshop. Williams, E. (2018) Engaging and Activating Communities Workshop. Workshops [Details]
	(2015)	Conducting Wellbeing Research: Your Role as a Community¿. Williams, E. (2015) Conducting Wellbeing Research: Your Role as a Community¿. Workshops [Details]

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Honours and Awards

Year	Title	Awarding Body
2021	Higher Education Authority of Ireland Bursary	Higher Education Authority of Ireland
2016	Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Doctoral Scholarship	Irish Research Council of Ireland
2015	Galway Doctoral Research Scholarship	University of Galway
2015	Discipline of Geography Travel Bursary	University of Galway

Professional Associations

	Association	Function	From / To
	Geographical Society of Ireland	Member	/
	Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers	Member	/

Teaching Interests

Elaine's academic experience spans over a decade, working with, mentoring and supervising students both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She has been at the forefront of module delivery (preparations pre lectures, design of assessments, marking and evaluation ¿ both of student work and through student feedback of the modules).

At Undergraduate level, she has taught on the following modules:

TI229 Political and Cultural Geography;
TI3127 Critical Geographies of Children, Young People and Families;
TI150 Principles of Human Geography;
BSS3101 Work Placement for Social Scientists;
BSS3102 International Work Placement for Social Scientists;
BSS3103 Research Placement for Social Scientists;
TI254 Space, Place and the Irish Landscape;
TI254 Fieldtrip Coordinator;
TI252 Theory and Practice II;
TI251 Theory and Practice in Geography.

At Postgraduate level:

TI6131 Introduction to Development;
TI6126 Critical Geopolitics and Security;
TI6128 Development and Justice;
TI6129 Field-Based Learning (International Fieldtrip to Bosnia). Academic coordinator (2013, 2014 and 2015).

Modules Taught

Term/Year	Module Title	Module Code
2024/2025	Political and Cultural Geography: Identity, Race and the Nation	TI229
2024/2025	Critical Geographies of Children, Young People and Families	TI3127
2024/2025	Research Seminar in Sustainable Development	TI350
2024/2025	Principles of Human Geography	TI150
2024/2025	COOPERATIVE LEARNING AND GROUP RESEARCH METHODS	BSS2101
2024/2025	Environmental Planning: Principles & Processes	TI236
2024/2025	Research Seminar in Social Sciences	BSS4100