Dr

Emma

Heywood

Dr Emma Heywood is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Radio and Communication at the University of Sheffield. She is Impact Lead at the Sheffield Institute for International Development (IGSD), Chair of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) Radio and Sound Section, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Her teaching has been recognised with a University of Sheffield Vice-Chancellor's Award for Learning and Teaching.

Emma's research explores communication, media, participation and innovation in contexts of conflict, displacement and social change. Her work focuses particularly on Africa, where she has led and contributed to a range of externally funded projects examining community media, gender, misinformation, social cohesion, humanitarian communication, and the role of communication infrastructures in development processes. She has conducted extensive fieldwork across West and East Africa, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A significant strand of her research examines the role of radio and other communication systems in conflict- and crisis-affected environments. Her work has investigated issues including gender-based violence among internally displaced populations, media responses to misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, community participation in development initiatives, and the relationship between communication, trust and social change. She is the author of Radio and Women's Empowerment in Francophone West Africa (Palgrave Macmillan) and has published widely on radio, development communication, gender and conflict.

Emma is also the founder of The 80:20 Pathway, a University of Sheffield spin-out that provides training, consultancy and practical tools to help researchers, innovators and organisations engage communities throughout the innovation process. Drawing on research from communication, development and innovation studies, the programme helps organisations reduce implementation risks and strengthen innovation adoption, sustainability and impact. The 80:20 Pathway has supported clients from universities, innovation agencies and development organisations seeking to improve the real-world uptake and effectiveness of their work.