Jane Wills is a Professor of Geography at the Centre for Geography and Environmental Science (CGES) in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science (DEES) at the University of Exeter in Cornwall, UK. She is affiliated to the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) on campus and used to be its Director between 2020 and 2023.

Jane's current research interests are focused on nature recovery and its integration into regional development policy and practice. She also has long-standing interests in the politics and philosophy of research and knowledge production, reflected in a recent edited volume: The Power of Pragmatism: Knowledge production and social inquiry (Manchester University Press, 2020, Edited with Robert W. Lake).

Other books include: Locating Localism: Statecraft, citizenship and democracy (Policy Press, 2016), Global Cities at Work: New migrant divisions of labour (Pluto Press, 2010), Threads of Labour: Garment industry supply chains from the workers’ perspective (Blackwell, 2005), Place, Space and the New Labour Internationalisms (Blackwell, 2001), Geographies of Economies (Arnold, 1997) and Union Retreat and the Regions (Routledge, 1996).

Historically, Jane's research interests focused on the changing geopolitical economy of work and regional economic development; new forms of urban political alliances including community organizing and living wage campaigns; and the politics and practice of localism in the UK. Since moving to the University of Exeter and working in Cornwall, she has shifted focus to explore the geography of public and policy engagement for sustainability working on a range of related topics. 

Current research interests include policy and public engagement in sustainability and intersections with the geography of political institutions. This is part of wider and long-standing interests in devolution and localism, community organizing, civic innovation and social sustainability.

Jane Wills joined the University of Exeter in October 2017, moving from Queen Mary, University of London. Prior to that she worked at the University of Southampton, University of Cambridge and in local government.