Professor Abigail Hunt

BA (Hons) (University of Liverpool), PG Diploma (Nottingham Trent University), PhD (University of Lincoln), MEd (University of Glasgow)

Department: Professors of Practice
E-mail: abigail.hunt@nottingham.ac.uk
Location: C27a (South Building, Jubilee Campus)

I am Professor of Practice in the Nottingham University Business School. My research, external professional activities, and teaching focus on widening participation and inclusion in archaeology, public history, business, and education.

My research and professional practice critically examine traditional written, object-based, and organisational, historical narratives to create new narratives that are multi-vocal in nature. This work has involved working extensively with marginalised groups over the last twenty years to address imbalances in scholarly and public histories, particularly in the areas of agricultural, local, and social history, and archaeology. This has included working with, and/or conducting research into the experiences of young people in alternative education provision, women in agriculture, agricultural labourers, elderly people, and disabled people and archaeology. Through this work I aim to create more accessible and inclusive work, volunteer, and visitor environments in heritage settings. I am passionate about the collection and use of oral testimony to offer new perspectives on well-established narratives, and have trained community groups to improve oral history collection across the East of England, created a regionally significant oral history archive on twentieth century agriculture in Lincolnshire, and have national impact on the continuing use of oral history in the context of public history in my role as co- editor of the Public History Section of the Oral History.

My current research projects are interdisciplinary explorations of how people perceive, experience, and relate to changing urban and rural landscapes and how archaeology can be made accessible and inclusive to disabled people through inclusive education and training, better working practices, and greater representation in the workforce. I have a sustained track record of publishing in high quality publishers and peer-reviewed journals across business, archaeology, and public history, as well as having a consistent professional output in professional publications and in creating new professional materials to be used by people working in the archaeology and public history sectors. I collaborate with colleagues across the UK and internationally to produce peer reviewed pedagogic outputs.

I am committed to supporting the development of my discipline at all levels and at a regional level I am an executive committee member, newsletter editor, and incoming Chair of the Survey of Lincoln, and I am also a member of the Women's Cultural Leaders Network (East Midlands). At a national level I act as a mentor for those working to achieve Associateship of the Museum Association. I have achieved national and international recognition for my impactful work as Director of the Enabled Archaeology Foundation. I lead an international team of archaeologists who are committed to ending the exclusion of, and discrimination against, disabled people through professional training, research, information sharing, and the development of inclusive field work opportunities. My work in this area includes collaborative projects and partnerships with organisations including the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, The Council for British Archaeology, Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, The National Trust, Dig It Scotland, Digging Harlaxton, and Enabling Archaeologie (Netherlands).

My strategic and sustained impact on pedagogic practice was recognised in 2014, when I was awarded Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. I currently contribute to the UK Higher Education sector as a member of University Centre Peterborough's Academic Board and Harlaxton College's (The University of Evansville's UK Study Abroad Centre) Advisory and Academic Boards. I am passionate about teaching and contribute to teaching at the University of Lincoln, where I am an Associate Professor, and Harlaxton College, where I am an Adjunct Professor. I embed my research and professional practice into my teaching and have led the transformation of curricula across the arts, humanities, and business schools.

I have a long track record of securing consultancy income to work with students as partners on external research projects to meet client needs whilst developing students' skills and knowledge. This led to me setting up my own heritage consultancy business in 2023, which has already won a large-scale tender through collaboration with other consultants to do a piece of work on a strategy for managing the built historic environment with the support of community-based organisations in the South of England.


Areas of Expertise
Business Education; EDI in Archaeology and Public History; Capacity Building in the Heritage Sector

 

Recent Publications

The following lists my publications from 2014 to the present day.

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The common theme in my research and knowledge exchange is the embedding of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity to create more accessible and inclusive environments.

School Administrative Roles
Director of MSc Programmes