Keele’s School of Social, Political and Global Studies has appointed a new Honorary Professor of Practice to support cohesion, equality and policy development in a number of its courses.

Professor John Coxhead has been appointed to the role to support the development of subjects including criminology, sociology and education.

Throughout his career, Professor Coxhead has acquired a wealth of experience having worked as a police officer for 30 years, as well as achieving two Queen’s Awards for Innovation in Policing Learning and Development.

In addition to his work in the police force, he also gained extensive experience in multi-agency working, including managing education, social work, health, youth work, police, fire and family resource joint working.

In recent years, he has co-produced knowledge exchange and research activities for the national Police Knowledge Fund and the East Midlands Police Academic Collaboration, as well as being a resident columnist for the UK’s largest selling publication on policing, Police Professional, and a regular reviewer at the Oxford Journal of Policing.

Professor Coxhead is a Keele graduate and returned after joining the Derbyshire Constabulary to complete a research masters in Criminology. He went on to undertake a doctorate researching the link between policing learning and development and workplace performance.

He later undertook postdoctoral applied research with Lancaster University and the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency, on serious organised crime profiling. He then worked on community cohesion with the Strategic Police Matters Unit, which has a pan-European remit as part of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Professor Coxhead said: "I am delighted to be able to return to Keele University, where it all started for me. Keele is a unique university with world-leading strengths in multi-disciplinary education and innovation. I hope to be able to contribute just a little to that inspiring culture by supporting the further development of interprofessional practice, innovation and change in multi-agency working and collaboration."

Professor Robert Ladrech, Head of the School of Social, Political and Global Studies, said: "This is a really positive development in the spirit of interdisciplinarity. John has a longstanding link to Keele, and his wealth of professional experience in supporting and developing multi-agency practice will be really beneficial to Keele's teaching and research."