Dr Sharon Wilson

Sharon Wilson (FHEA) joined the faculty in October 2017 as Senior Lecturer in Mobilities and Tourism Geographies research at the University of Northumbria Business School.

My interdisciplinary research is situated within a global network for social science based mobilities, promoting it as a key discipline for the modernization of societies. Through regular publications and conferences, I enrich a dialogue with civil society and business about the social and environmental challenges of mobility through embodiment theory and non-representational theory. My outputs include an internationally recognised contributions to REF 2021, including 2 x 3/4* ABS outputs and 2 book chapters one ranked at 3*. Since the last submission, two other papers have been accepted in 2* journals and I have 5 other papers progressing towards REF 2025.

My major successes to date are 4 * ranked peer reviewed papers in Annals of Tourism Research: The Frictions of Slow Tourism Mobilities: Wilson, S., and Hannam, K., (2017) and VW Campervan Tourism as Instrumental Metaphor: Embodied Sonic Experiences, Wilson, S., Chambers, D and Johnson, J. (2019). Also, Mordue, T and Wilson, S (2018) Angler and Fish relations in the UK: Ethics, aesthetics and material semiotics, Wild Animals and Leisure. (Book chapter internally reviewed 3*) On this note, I have consolidated my reputation in the field by establishing good connections with Lancaster University (CEMORE) partnering with Cosmobilities Network as key dissemination routes. My international relationship building through attendance at C-MUS (EM)Powering Mobilities symposium Aalborg University (2018) led to Journal development on Deaf Mobilities and Tourism Research Agenda and the Mobilities conference that produced opportunities for 24 NBS staff as conveners and presenters with over 200 delegates from the UK and 21 countries including Tasmania, China, South Africa, Switzerland, France and the USA.

My Publication list demonstrates a solid academic trajectory, beginning this year with acceptance in Mobilities Journal, Taylor & Francis, Wilson, S., and Obrador Pons, P. (2021) Home and Away, VW Campervan Communalities and Brown, D.M, Wilson, S and Mordue, T in Leisure Studies Journal (2021) exploring women’s leisure experiences of Munro bagging. Finally, another book chapter, Netnography of the Sharing and Collecting Behaviours of Online Munro-Bagging also published 2021. Other pipeline papers with Dr Jacob C Miller near completion include Museum as (Geo)political Site: Towards Soft Combat currently reviewed in Geography Compass, Wiley and Wilson, S & Mordue, T (2021) Encountering fish in the city: from care-full and cruel play to deadly indifference just submitted to Leisure Studies, Taylor & Francis.

A keen researcher, since starting in academia 2010, I have presented at 20 conferences, including RC50 in Thailand, organiser, and discussant at the Royal Geographical Society (IBG) Exeter University and the American Association of Geographers (AAG) in New York, Chicago and Boston. I was set to conduct fieldwork at the Davis-Monthan Airforce Base and Pima Air and Space Museum Tuscan, Arizona to collect data for joint publication for anticipated submission in Political Geographies TBC.

My 3 core strengths are internationally recognised research in the field of tourism mobilities, external engagement in the cultural sector towards student employability, a social science based but applied business rich pedagogy. I have a full teaching qualification and HEA Fellowship and member of ITT (Institute Travel Tourism). I currently lecture on Level 7 Toxic, Ethical and Tourism and Technology and conduct dissertation supervision. Current modules leaderships are Level 5 Marketing for Tourism and Events and Level 6 Culture, Tourism and Eventful Cities. Previously I have taught qualitative and experimental research methods, events management, and business practice modules.

With my inherently collegiate disposition and outstanding work ethic, my most notable contributions include 4 contributions to the REF, two of which are 4* ABS and two submitted research bids, alongside the development of an international interdisciplinary research conference brought to NBS in 2021. Outstanding commitments include a few joint publications in the pipeline, a planned a sabbatical in autumn 2022 to attend Aalborg University in Copenhagen for a month to develop a project on Placemaking through the Narratives of Taxi Drivers and the outputs from two bids.

I also welcome applications from potential PhD students interested in my supervision. Do please feel free to get in touch.

Sharon3.wilson@northumbria.ac.uk