Prof Janet Boddy is names as the new Head of the School of Education & Social Work

Congratulations to Janet Boddy, Professor of Child, Youth and Family Studies, who has been appointed as the new Head of the School of Education and Social Work within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Sussex.

Janet has built up significant leadership experience during her time as Deputy Head of School, as well as through her various other leadership roles for the School over the years. Janet is also Adjunct Professor in the Childhood, Family and Welfare Division of NOVA at OsloMet University where she co-convenes the Family Research Network. In 2020 Janet was made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and this month [June 2025] was elected as a new Trustee of the Council of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Janet's research is concerned with family lives and with services for children and families, in the UK and internationally. She also has a long-standing interest in methodology, particularly in relation to complex evaluation, qualitative, longitudinal and narrative approaches, cross-national research, and research ethics and governance.

Janet succeeds Professor Simon Thompson in the role who the School recognises and thanks for his kind, thoughtful and professional oversight and leadership of the School to date which have put it in the strong place it's in today.