ACCESS’s Chris Jones promoted to Professor of Environmental Psychology

This year I was successful in being promoted to Professor of Environmental Psychology at the University of Portsmouth. I have been asked to pen a few words to chart my journey to this point, so read on if you want to learn more – including how I first met ACCESS’s illustrious co-directors.

My journey to Professor started at the University of Sheffield following the successful defence of my thesis in 2007, where I was fortunate to join a 4-year Leverhulme Trust funded research project focused on understanding risk in the context of meeting energy demand in the face of climate change. This project, led by Prof. Nick Pidgeon (Cardiff) and my former supervisor, Prof. Dick Eiser (Sheffield), and colleagues at UEA (including Prof. Irene Lorenzoni), provided me with my first taste of environmental social science, and set me on a path of research into energy and environmental technology acceptance.

My first studies in this field focused on NIMBYism in relation to local wind farm development and were stimulated by an announcement of plans for the introduction of wind turbines in the Sheffield region. It was during my time conducting and disseminating this research – which cast a critical eye on the term ‘NIMBY’ – that I first met the future ACCESS Director, Prof. Patrick Devine-Wright!

Following my post-doc, I assumed the role of Lecturer in Social and Environmental Psychology at Sheffield, where I re-introduced teaching on environmental psychology to the undergraduate programme following the retirement of Prof. Chris Spencer. Over the next 6 years or so, I largely continued with the lines of research begun under my post-doc, although I hopped between different technologies (e.g. Nuclear fission, fusion, carbon capture utilisation and storage) thus developing a reputation for bringing environmental social science insight into programmes of technology R&D. I even became Co-Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy Storage and its Applications.

In 2017, I was fortunate to get a move to the University of Surrey, where I joined the Environmental Psychology Research Group, led by ACCESS Co-Director, Prof. Birgitta Gatersleben! My 5 years at Surrey were inspiring. I was cognisant of the long history of environmental psychology at the University and was keen to ‘do my bit’ to continue this tradition in my role as Senior Lecturer in Social and Environmental Psychology.

In 2022, I relocated to the University of Portsmouth as Associate Professor in Applied Psychology, where I now lead my own research group dedicated to technology acceptance research, TARG:ET. It was around the time of my relocation that the ACCESS project was beginning to take root, and I was pleased to remain affiliated to the project following my move.

Indeed, the opportunity to help chart the past and shape the future of environmental social science in the UK, has been very enjoyable. Moreover, I firmly believe that my involvement with ACCESS, alongside other funded initiatives like FEVER (Future Electric Vehicle Energy networks supporting Renewables) and UK-HyRES (UK Hub for Research Challenges in Hydrogen and Alternative Liquid Fuels), have contributed to my reputation and career portfolio, ultimately giving me a ‘fighting chance’ when I applied for my Professorship earlier this year. So, thank you, ACCESS!