EMPLOYMENT

2022-2023            Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cardiff University, School of Law and Politics

  • ESRC-funded project: ‘Non-combatant on the “front line”: British Army control of servicewomen’s war labour in Northern Ireland’

2021-2023            Research Associate, Newcastle University, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology

  • ESRC-funded project: ‘Conflict, Intimacy and Military Wives: A Lively Geopolitics’ (PI: Dr Alice Cree)

2015-2016      Project Engineer, Air Platform Systems Project Team (Part-time)

2014-2015      Maternity Leave

2000-2014      Air Engineering Officer, Royal Navy

EDUCATION

2016-2022      PhD Security, Conflict and Justice, University of Bath, Passed viva 24 March 2021.

  • Title: ‘What did YOU do in the war, Mummy? British women’s experiences of the front-line, 1948-2014’.
  • Funded by ESRC studentship (South West Doctoral Training Partnership).
  • Supervisors: Dr Oliver Walton (University of Bath), Dr Sarah Bulmer (University of Exeter).
  • Including: Maternity Leave (2018), Guest Lecturer/Graduate Teaching Assistant (2017-2021)

2015-2016       MRes Security, Conflict and Justice, University of Bath, Distinction.

2009-2012       MA International Liaison & Communication, University of Westminster.

2001-2005       MEng Aeronautical Engineering, Imperial College, London, 2:1

PUBLICATIONS

Published

  • West, H. (2021). Camp follower or counterinsurgent? Lady Templer and the forgotten wives. Small Wars & Insurgencies, 32(7) 1138-1162. https://doi.org/10.1080/09592318.2020.1860373
  • Antrobus, S. & West, H. (2022). ‘This is all very academic’: Critical thinking in Professional Military Education. RUSI Journal. 167(3) 78-86. https://doi.org/10.1080/03071847.2022.2112521
  • West, H., & Antrobus, S. (2023). ‘Deeply odd’: women veterans as critical feminist scholars. Critical Military Studies. 9(1) 24-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/23337486.2021.1907020
  • West, H. (2023). ‘Autoethnographic creativity: Re-remembering military service’, in Cree, A., (ed.) Creative Methods in Military Research. Washington: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • Cree, A. & West, H. (2023). ‘Theatre of war: Critical feminist research praxis in creative military research’, in Cree, A., (ed.) Creative Methods in Military Research. Washington: Rowman and Littlefield.
  • West, H. (2023). ‘A negotiated gender order: British Army control of servicewomen in ‘front line’ counterinsurgency, 1948-2014’. 16(2). Journal of War and Culture Studies.
  • West, H. (2023). Book review: A Woman’s Place: US Counterterrorism since 9/11 by Joana Cook. War in History. https://doi.org/10.1177/09683445221130401g
  • West, H. (2023). Book review: Breaking the Binaries of Security Studies: A Gendered Analysis of Women in Combat by Ayelet Harel-Shalev and Shir Daphna-Tekoah. International Feminist Journal of Politics.
  • Antrobus, S., Bulmer, S., Caddick, N. & West, H. (2023). ‘Voices of veteran researchers’. 9(1) 1-4. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23337486.2023.2172530

Submitted

  • Cree, A. & West, H. (Second round review). ‘Conflict, coffee mornings and Covid-19: A feminist encounter with military power during the time of a pandemic.’ Critical Military Studies.
  • West, H. ‘The non-combatant on the “front line”: British servicewomen during the Troubles in Northern Ireland’. Security Dialogue.
  • Cree, A. & West, H. ‘”Magnolia Walls”: Theatre-as-method in critical military studies’. Critical Military Studies.

In preparation

  • West, H. & Cree, A. ‘”The theatre is a weapon”: Social action from within the military community’. Target journal: Security Dialogue. Intended date of submission: October 2023
  • West H. ‘Invisible bodies of war: British servicewomen on covert operations in Northern Ireland’. Target journal: Political Geography. Intended date of submission: October 2023
  • West, H. ‘The Making of the Very Model of the Modern Servicewoman: The Oppressive Function of Marginalising Women’s Military History’ For publication in conference proceedings at the Inter-University Seminar, October 2023.
  • Rebisz, B and West, H. ‘Hidden violence and silenced voices: Why have lessons about women in counterinsurgency not endured?’ Intended date of submission: November 2023
  • West, H. ‘Women as Weapon Systems: Human Security Advisers in the Democratic Republic of Congo’ Target journal: European Journal of International Security. Intended date of submission: November 2023

Other publications

  • West, H. ‘Female Engagement Teams: Informing Operations Today’ (2023). Policy Brief, Newcastle University
  • Cree, A. & West, H. ‘Conflict, Intimacy and “Military Wives”: A Lively Geopolitics’ (2022). Findings Report, Newcastle University
  • Rethinking Military Spouses: Critical Research Group (2021). Bringing the Homefront to the Forefront: UK perspectives on critical research with military spouses. Post-Webinar Full Report, University of York
  • West, H. ‘Nightingale’s legacy: Women on the COVID ‘frontline’, Defence-in-Depth blog, Kings College London. (2020)
  • West, H. The Voice of the Veteran as Researcher, War and Narrative blog. (2019)
  • West, H. ‘Women and War: after Afghanistan there’s a chance to deploy gender led approaches to conflict.’, The Conversation. (2017)

RESEARCH GRANTS

2023     Women’s History Network Early Career Fellowship (£1500, PI)

2023     Cardiff University AHRC Impact Accelerator Account (£10142, PI)

  • ‘The Greenfinch archive: Sharing servicewomen’s stories of the ‘front line’

2022     Newcastle University, Engagement and Place (£2180, PI)

  • Female Engagement Team Knowledge Exchange Workshop

2023     Newcastle University, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute, Pioneer Award (£1000, PI)

  • ‘”Hearts of Oak”: The affective power of military band music’

2022     Newcastle University ESRC Impact Accelerator Account Festival of Social Sciences. (£500, PI)

  • Screening of research-based play, ‘Magnolia Walls’ at Bovington Camp

2022     Newcastle University Faculty Impact Fund (£5131, Co-I)

  • Conflict, Intimacy and Military Wives: Arts-based public engagement

2020     South West Doctoral Training Partnership Collaboration Fund (£3000, PI)

  • ‘Fighting Women’, Documentary film in collaboration with actor

2019     University of Bath Public Engagement Progression Fund (£2500, PI)

  • ‘We Were There Too’, Documentary film in collaboration with artist

2019     University of Bath Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Conference Funding (£800)

2018     South West Doctoral Training Programme Impact Fund (£780, PI)

  • ‘Uniformly Served: Veterans in Conversation’, Documentary film

2018     University of Bath Public Engagement Seed Fund (£488, PI)

  • ‘She’ll Hold Her Own’, Music video

Under review

  • AHRC Standard Grant. ‘Creative histories: The Iraq and Afghanistan wars 25 years on’. In collaboration with Imperial War Museum. (PI: Dr Alice Cree, CoIs: Dr Nick Caddick, Dr Hannah West). Submitted September 2023.
  • ESRC New Investigator Grant. ‘”Bodies of control”: The negotiated gender order as a framework for understanding contemporary British military culture’. (PI) Submitted September 2023.

HONOURS AND AWARDS

2022     Newcastle University Engagement and Place Award, Shortlisted in Early Career Award category with Dr Alice Cree

2020     University of Bath Doctoral Public Engagement Award

2020     University of Bath Doctoral Recognition Awards, Student Award

2020     University of Bath Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Finalist

2020     Winner Best Conference Paper, Modern Conflict Research Symposium, Imperial War Museum (North)

2017     Winner Best Image, Images of Research, University of Bath

2009     Certificate of Commendation awarded by the Chief of Joint Operations for Distinguished Service in support of Operation HERRICK in The Afghanistan Theatre of Operations for ‘stabilisation planning’

2009     Commander-in-Chief Fleet’s Commendation for ‘female engagement’

SELECTED TALKS AND INVITED PRESENTATIONS

2023     European International Studies Association Conference, Potsdam. ‘The serious and the silly: A feminist encounter with war through theatre-as-method’. Presented paper.

2023     British International Studies Association Conference, Glasgow. ‘Invisible bodies of war: British servicewomen on covert operations in Northern Ireland’; ‘The non-combatant on the “front line”: British servicewomen during the Troubles in Northern Ireland’; ‘”Magnolia Walls”: Theatre-as-method in critical military studies’. Presented three papers.

2023     Centre for Military Women’s Research: Colloquium, Veterans and Families Institute, Anglia Ruskin University. Co-convened workshop on ‘Creative Methods in Practice’.

2023     International Studies Association Conference, Montreal. ‘Invisible bodies of war: British servicewomen on covert operations in Northern Ireland’. Presented paper.

2022     British International Studies Association, Newcastle University.

  • ‘Is Women, Peace and Security Shrinking?’. Convened roundtable.
  • ‘Reflections on collaborations between creative arts practice and social science in military, conflict and peacebuilding research’. Participated in roundtable.

2022     Power, Space and Politics Research Group. ‘Conflict, Intimacy, and Military Wives: A Lively Geopolitics’, with Dr Alice Cree

2022     Sandhurst Trends in International Conflict: ‘Practicing/Employing/Working/Doing/Making Security: the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Military operations, RMAS Sandhurst. ‘Women as Weapon Systems: Human Security Advisers in the Democratic Republic of Congo’. Presented paper.

2022     ‘Magnolia Walls’, Northern Stage. Aftershow Q&A. Contributed as speaker.

2021     European International Studies Association, Online.

  • ‘Left Behind: Military families and their forgotten war’. Convened roundtable and contributed as speaker.
  • ‘”Deeply odd”: Women veterans as critical feminist scholars’. Presented paper on panel, ‘War, Ethics and Critique’.

2021     European International Studies Association Early Career Researcher workshop, ‘What is War?’. ‘Gendered encounters with war: Women in ‘front line combat’ (1948-2014)’

2021     British International Studies Association, ‘Critical friendship or critical distance – Engaging with the military in research‘. Convened roundtable and contributed as speaker.

2021     Journal of War and Culture Studies Early Career Researcher Workshop, ‘War and Culture Studies, What’s Next?’. ‘Conflict, Intimacy and Military Wives: A Lively Geopolitics’

2020     Society for the History of War: New Voices in the History of War Twitter Conference. ‘What did YOU do in the war, Mummy? British women’s experiences of the front-line, 1948-2014’.

2020     Modern Conflict Research Symposium 2.0, Imperial War Museum (North). ‘Camp follower or counterinsurgent? Lady Templer and the invisible soldiers’.

2020     European War Studies Network Graduate Conference (New Just War or Just New Wars?), University Paris II. ‘Pregnant, unarmed, in command: Women as weapon systems in frontline combat.’

2019     University of Newcastle Creative Methods in Military Studies. Presented on creative projects, ‘Pretty Young Soldiers’.

2019     University of Bath Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies, Gender and Sexuality Cluster. Presented paper, ‘The exceptional and the incompetent: Framing Female Engagement Teams in Afghanistan’.

2019     Voice of the Veteran as Researcher Workshop, Kings College London. Co-convened workshop and shared paper, ‘”Deeply odd”: Women veterans as critical feminist scholars’.

2019     British International Studies Association Postgraduate Workshop: Militarisation and the Local in Peacekeeping. Presented paper on ‘Women as weapon systems: Human Security Advisers in the DRC’.

2019     University of Bath Minerva Lecture: Exploring Conflict Through Art. Presented on panel about creative methods in my research and showed film, ‘She’ll Hold Her Own’.

2019     University of Bath Joint Social and Policy Science and Politics, Languages and International Studies Seminar: ‘Crossing departmental boundaries’. Convened and chaired discussion seminar.

2019     Voice of the Veteran as Researcher Workshop, Kings College London. Co-convened workshop and shared paper, ‘“Deeply odd”: Women veterans as critical feminist scholars’.

2019     University of Bath Department of Social and Policy Sciences Research Seminar. Convened and chaired panel ‘Creativity as research practice’.

2019     British International Studies Association Workshop (Militarisation and the Local in Peacekeeping: Ambition, Pragmatism and Adaptability). ‘Women as Weapon Systems: Human Security Advisers in the DRC’.

2019     University of Newcastle Creative Methods in Military Studies. Presentation/film, ‘Pretty Young Soldiers’.

2018     University of Bath Workshop (Crisis: Contested Narratives, Interventions and Resistance). Chaired panel on ‘Gendered Dimensions of Crisis’.

2017     European International Studies Association 11th Pan-European Conference on International Relations: ‘The Politics of International Studies in an Age of Crises’, Barcelona. ‘Gendered discourses on counterinsurgency’ in panel FD07-2 ‘Gendered and imperial intersections in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency’.

2017     National Army Museum (Women and the Army: 100 years of Progress?). ‘The women’s services and the battle for the hearts and minds of the women of Malaya, 1952-54’.

2017     University of Bath Faculty of Humanities and Social Science Postgraduate Conference: Changing Lives, Changing Worlds. Delivered ‘Me and My Research: A Reflexivity Workshop’.

2017     National Army Museum 5 x 15 talks: Women in Military History. Presented paper: ‘From military engineer to academic researcher’.

2017     University of Warwick Postgraduate Conference: Challenge Landscape of Gender In/Equality. Presented paper: ‘”Female engagement”: an embodiment of the securitisation of development’.

IMPACT AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

Public Engagement

  • Research showcase, Northern Stage. Public exhibition including commissioned art installations, visual representations of research findings. (2022)
  • Radio interview on BBC Radio Newcastle to talk about the research behind the play, ‘Magnolia Walls’ (2022).
  • Documental Theatre #Whereto initiative for South West theatre makers. Short film, ‘Fighting Women’ selected in top 5 from 76 applicants. (2020)
  • FUTURES@Holburne Museum. Screened documentary film, ‘Uniformly Served: Veterans in Conversation.’ (2019)
  • Bath Fringe. Selected to screen music video: ‘She’ll Hold Her Own’ in exhibition, ‘This Woman’s Work’. (2019)
  • International Women’s Day, The Edge. Public talk/screening of music video: ‘She’ll Hold Her Own’. (2019)
  • 44AD Gallery: ‘Living on the Margins’. Poem ‘These shoes and this handbag, poster ‘(Wo)man of war’. (2019)
  • University of Bath Film Festival. Introductory talk and screening of music video: ‘She’ll Hold Her Own’. (2018)

Stakeholder Engagement

  • Briefed research findings of ‘Conflict, Intimacy and Military Wives’ project to Academic Forum of Office of Veteran’s Affairs; Ministry of Defence Families and Safeguarding Team; Johnny Mercer MP; Luke Pollard MP; Baroness Hodgson; Naval Families Federation; RAF Families Federation; Relate; Shelter.
  • Briefed PhD findings to Lucy Arora, International Affairs Unit, Specialist Advisor to the Defence Select Committee and Joanne Crouch, Assistant Head – Human Security, Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

  • ‘Women in the Armed Forces: Recruitment to Civilian Life’. Submitted written evidence to Defence Select Committee, subsequently cited in report.
  • ‘Human Security Doctrine Note 23/03’. Consulted on review of drafts of this doctrine note, written by Land Warfare Centre Warfare Branch.
  • Counterinsurgency Forum. Co-convened a biannual symposium bringing together early career scholars, established academics, practitioners and policy makers.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

  • Social Media Editor, Journal of War and Culture Studies. (2022+)
  • Veterans Research Advisory Group, Kings College London. (2022+)
  • Defence Research Network. Founder and co-chair of this network for Masters, PhD and early-career researchers studying defence, security or the Armed Forces in relation to policy, strategy, history, culture and society. Over 2500 followers and 350 subscribers to our monthly newsletter. Have led the planning and delivery of numerous workshops and seminars including ‘Bridging the Gap: Knowledge Exchange between PGRs and ECRs in Defence Research’ and the ‘Voice of the Veteran as Researcher’ seminar at Kings College London. (2016+)
  • Department of Social and Policy Sciences Equality and Diversity Committee Postgraduate representative, University of Bath. (2019-2020)
  • South West Doctoral Training Partnership Mentor. (2017-2018)

OTHER PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

2020     Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

2015     APM Project Management Qualification

2012     Chartered Engineer (Engineering Council)

2012     Certificate in Strategic Management & Leadership (Chartered Management Institute)

2012     Diploma in Strategic Leadership & Executive Management (Institute of Leadership & Management)

TEACHING 

Guest Lecturer, Cardiff University

2023          PL9231 Critical War and Military Studies, Department of Politics and International Relations

Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Bath. Guest lecturing on the following modules:

2017-2021 SP30210 Conflict, Security and International Development, Department of Social and Policy Sciences

2017-2020 SP50326 Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding, Department of Social and Policy Sciences

2020         PL31012 Closing Global Gender Gaps, Department of Politics

2019         CL29854 Aircraft Stability and Control

2018         PL20904 Political violence and terrorism in the UK, Department of Politics

  • PL30897 Peace Processes in the Middle East and Europe, Department of Politics

Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Bath. Weekly seminar lead on the following modules:

  • SP20208 International Politics of Development, Department of Social and Policy Sciences
  • SP30210 Conflict, Security and International Development, Department of Social and Policy Sciences

External speaker, Defence Academy. Biannual lecture on critical thinking:

  • Ministry of Defence Human Security Adviser’s Course