Personal Statement
Senior Lecturer in Communication and Media | National Teaching Fellow | Senior Fellow HEA

Dr Kerry Traynor is an award winning educator, researcher and sector leader whose work is reshaping higher education practice, community regeneration, and non profit strategic communication in the UK and internationally. A National Teaching Fellow (2025) and Senior Fellow of Advance HE, she specialises in inclusive education, authentic learning, and widening participation, with a strong track record of improving graduate outcomes and influencing sector policy.

Kerry’s research examines inclusive pedagogy, community led development, and strategic and communicative practices within voluntary organisations. Her work is published internationally across leading journals and policy outlets has shaped community regeneration strategies and practice and government policy at local and national level. Her first sole authored book, Social Media for Voluntary Organisations (DSC, 2025), has been positively reviewed by sector leaders and underpins professional training for non profit communication practitioners.

She leads and co produces impactful tools such as the Neighbourhood Transformation Planning Tool, has secured internal and external research funding, and develops interdisciplinary and international collaborations across the UK, China, Thailand and Vietnam. She sits on the Editorial Board of the Global Communication Repository (SISU) and co organises international conferences.

A highly experienced educator, Kerry designed the Russell Group’s first Communication and Media with a Year in Industry programme and convenes the long running Viral Video capstone module, partnering students with industry clients to develop authentic creative practice. Her pedagogic research demonstrating how placement programmes narrow awarding gaps was nominated for Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education Article of the Year and has shaped QAA guidance, University of Liverpool policy, and sector approaches to inclusive employability.

Kerry has held several leadership roles including Associate Dean for Education (School of the Arts) (2021–2025), Chair of the Interdisciplinary Research Group for Liverpool City Region (2023-), and Chief Institutional Moderator for XJTLU (2026-), where she provides institutional level scrutiny of academic standards. She also chaired the working group on employability for the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement in Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies (2024), influencing national programme design.

She works closely with civic and community partners, particularly in the Liverpool City Region, and is Chair of Trustees at Safe Regeneration, a multi award winning community development charity, director of 123 CIC ethical development company, and founder of Safe Homes Community Land Trust.

Kerry welcomes collaboration in inclusive education, community led development, and non profit strategy, and is developing a REF2029 impact case study in these areas.

Research Overview
My research examines how inclusive educational practices, community led development, and strategic communication shape social, cultural and economic outcomes. I work across higher education, the voluntary sector and urban communities to understand how people and organisations create change, and how evidence informed interventions can build community wealth, strengthen local resilience and improve policy and practice.

A central strand of my work focuses on widening participation and inclusive pedagogy. My research on placement education - currently the largest study of its kind - demonstrates how work based learning can boost academic achievement and narrow awarding gaps. This work has been recognised through a Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education Article of the Year nomination and has informed QAA guidance, University of Liverpool policy and sector discussions about inclusive employability and authentic learning.

My research also explores community led regeneration and the contribution of grassroots organisations to neighbourhood transformation. Much of the impact I have generated in this area stems from long standing collaborations with Safe Regeneration exploring social return on investment, added value of collaborative approaches, and strategies for organisational sustainability. This work that has shaped voluntary sector practice, local authority policy and national thinking on community asset development, housing and cultural infrastructure. The Neighbourhood Transformation Planning Tool represents the latest stage of this collaborative programme - while still in its early phases, it builds on established evidence and is beginning to support partners and policymakers seeking more equitable and community driven approaches to place making.

A further strand of my research explores communicative practice within the voluntary sector. My 2025 book Social Media for Voluntary Organisations, published by UK charity Directory of Social Change, has been positively received across the sector and informs professional training. I collaborate internationally with partners in China, Thailand, Vietnam and Ukraine to develop comparative, co produced research on inclusive education, community development, communication and social impact.

Across my practice, I work in partnership with communities, practitioners, governments and universities to co create knowledge, tools and strategies that address structural inequalities and support fairer futures. I welcome interdisciplinary and international collaboration in these areas.