Professor Julieanna Powell-turner
Assoc Dean Research & Innovation (S,B&E)
Biography
A Professor in Environmental Organisational Sustainability, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, and the Director of the Centre for Research into Environmental and Sustainable Transitions (CREST) in the Faculty of Science, Business and Enterprise. As a senior leader in the faculty, I am responsible for transitioning to a new super faculty and shaping, implementing, and delivering the university's research and knowledge exchange strategy. This includes overseeing relevant Key Performance Indicators such as the Research Excellence Framework, the Knowledge Exchange Framework, Civic Engagement, and the provision of Postgraduate Teaching and Research (PGT and PGR). I have taught and researched environmental organisational sustainability for over 2 decades. I have successfully secured considerable external funding, published in the academic and government press, and seen numerous Doctorates through to completion.
Teaching and Supervision
My teaching relates to the challenges, vulnerabilities, and opportunities in environmental sustainability from a systems perspective. This includes global industrialisation related to protection, climate change, social cohesion in communities, resource management, industrial projects, fragility and criticality of environmental networks, geopolitical risks, leading sustainability, stakeholder dialogue, sustainable supply chains, LCA, product lifecycles, circular systems, through life capability management, and research methods.
Research and Knowledge Exchange
My research relates to the intersections between natural resources, society and protection through life. The through-life approach aims to apply strategic foresight to future threats and opportunities that may reduce the likelihood and/or impact of disruptions through risk identification (disruptions), assessment (occurrence and impact), action (strategy and mitigation), and monitoring (reduce risk). A passionate advocate for participatory action research and smart specialisation processes, I focus on creating sustainable, cross-sector partnerships that drive meaningful change in the defence, security, business and civilian domains where my strategic vision and actionable insights ensure alignment with evolving sustainability challenges and opportunities. As an academic, I have secured substantial funding from UKRI and other government partners and am supervising students in climate action, social cohesion, energy transition, sustainable composites, green skills, green energy systems, benefits realisation, and project benefits. Much of my research has focused on Europe, South Asia, and East Asia, which contribute to creating an environment that is enabling sustainable growth. Sustainability is the driving force behind all my endeavors, guiding me to identify and shape best practices in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (inner and outer).