Dr Emma Beacom

Biography

Dr Emma Beacom is a Lecturer in the Department of Food Business and Development at University College Cork. Dr Beacom teaches undergraduate and postgraduate modules on topics such as Food Business and Marketing, Sustainable Food Business, Consumer Behaviour, Sustainable International Business, Research Methods and Market Insight and Decision Making. She holds a BSc in Consumer Studies with Diploma in Professional Practice, a PgCert in Quantitative Methods for the Behavioural and Social Sciences, and a PhD in Business and Management from Ulster University. Her PhD thesis titled 'Defining, Measuring and Predicting Food Insecurity in Northern Ireland: A Stakeholder Approach to Inform Business and Policy Implications and Response' was awarded Ulster University Business School Best PhD Thesis (2019). Dr Beacom has completed a PgCert, PgDip and Masters in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at UCC, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Dr Beacom is a Programme Director for the BSc Food Marketing & Entrepreneurship programme and serves on various school and college-level committees related to Academic Standards and Development, Teaching and Learning, and Internationalisation and External Engagement. In her role as Programme Director, Dr Beacom has been involved in strategic direction and development of the programme, and has developed a student-industry project consultancy initiative with companies accredited with the Bord Bia Origin Green Sustainability programme. At the 2024 Cork University Business School Teaching Excellence Awards she received an award for Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into Teaching, and in 2022 was awarded SATLE research funding under the call theme 'Education for Sustainable Development' for her work on project-based Work-Integrated learning. Dr Beacom is actively involved in pedagogy research, and is currently leading a project investigating the use of an Artificial Intelligence programme to aid student critical thinking. Dr Beacom integrates various action-based learning methods into her teaching and has authored several SAGE Business Case studies.

Dr Beacom's research interests include food poverty (food insecurity), social supermarkets, community food provision, food marketing, consumer behaviour, food product development, and retailing and food promotions and her research across these areas has been published in various peer-reviewed journal articles, at academic conferences, book chapters, and disseminated at policy briefings, evidence submissions and stakeholder events. Dr Beacom was awarded funding from the Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland for her PhD research which evaluated food insecurity indicators used nationally and internationally, food insecurity (food poverty) definition approaches and quantitatively and qualitatively considered predictors of and contributors to food poverty. This project addressed the knowledge gap related to the business implications of societal (food) poverty and involved development of a framework conceptualising food poverty risk factors, implications for individuals,  the economy and business, and opportunities for business and policy response. Her food poverty research has involved those with lived experience of food poverty, and a range of stakeholders working in the area and/or those with relevant influence (e.g. policymakers, political representatives, consumer group advocates, community organisations, food aid providers). Dr Beacom has worked on research projects funded by organisations such as safefood and the British Academy of Management and Irish Academy of Management, and is currently leading on a project investigating the development and management of social supermarkets. Dr Beacom has experience using a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and with conducting research with various consumer and stakeholder groups, as well as analysing population level surveys and conducting systematic reviews. Dr Beacom's publication profile can be accessed at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Emma-Beacom-2?ev=hdr_xprf

Dr Beacom is currently an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Food Products Marketing and SN Business & Economics, and regularly peer reviews journal articles in her field of expertise. Dr Beacom is currently an external examiner at the Atlantic Technological University, contributing to the academic oversight of their BSc in Nutrition, Food and Business Management.