Dr. Shelley Mckeown Jones

Biography

Shelley McKeown Jones is a professor in social psychology and a tutorial fellow at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, where she joined in 2024. Previously, she held academic positions at the University of Bristol, Leiden University College, and the University of Hertfordshire. She earned her PhD in 2012 and her BSc in 2008 in Social Psychology from the University of Ulster. Shelley is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Chartered Psychologist. Her research interests focus on improving intergroup relations in diverse conflict settings, particularly among youth in divided societies. She employs a variety of methods including surveys, observational and behavioral studies, and experimental approaches to address both basic and applied research questions. Shelley's work is influenced by her experiences in Northern Ireland, and she studies topics such as segregation, intergroup contact, and societal engagement. She has been involved in several funded projects, including a current ESRC Standard Grant for the study of adolescent intergroup interactions, highlighting the importance of collaborative research that informs social psychological theory and its applications.

Research Interests