Dr Alexander Ornella

Dr Alexander Ornella

Senior Lecturer, Director for Education and Student Experience

+44 (0)1482 466094 | A.Ornella@hull.ac.uk

Faculty and Department

  • Faculty of Arts Cultures and Education
  • School of Criminology, Sociology and Policing

Related groups

  • Criminology

Qualifications

  • MBA (University of Leicester)
  • MA (University of Graz)
  • PhD / DPhil (University of Graz)

Summary

Dr Alexander Darius Ornella's research interests sit at the intersection of society and culture, technology, and religion. His current research projects include:

* the relationship between policing technologies and religious communities

* the triangular relationship between religion, media, and crime

* sex workers and religious communities

* OnlyFans and lifestyle choices

* sports and religious communities

He is also one of the Chief Editors of the JRFM Journal for Religion, Film, and Media. The journal has recently been awarded a DFG Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft Open Access grant.

Dr. Alexander Ornella and Dr. Stefanie Knauss have also recently been awarded the GRASP Grants for Research for Arts and Sciences Professors from Villanova University for a project on Religion, Media, and Crime (https://media-religion.net)

I teach across all UG and PGT levels and programmes we are offering as School, including:

Global Issues - Local Impact (L4)

Social Research in Practice (L4)

Research Methods in Policing (L4)

Sexuality, Deviance, and Race: Visuals of Society (L5)

Ritual Crime (L5)

Coordinator for the final year Dissertation module

Recent outputs

View more outputs

Book Chapter

Panic, Loss, Gratitude, and Sanity: The Impact of COVID-19 Gym Closures on the Experience of Community in CrossFit

Ornella, A. D. (2025). Panic, Loss, Gratitude, and Sanity: The Impact of COVID-19 Gym Closures on the Experience of Community in CrossFit. In M. Quidu, B. Favier-Ambrosini, & M. Delalandre (Eds.), À la conquête de la forme: Regards sociologiques sur le marché du fitness (83-104). Presses universitaires de Grenoble

Digital Artefact

The Serious Side of Fun

Ornella, A., & Orton, B. (2024). The Serious Side of Fun. [Podcast]

Journal Article

To study religion and media, we need to teach religion and media: economic realities, challenges, and future directions

Ornella, A. D. (2025). To study religion and media, we need to teach religion and media: economic realities, challenges, and future directions. Journal for Religion, Film and Media, 11(1), 27-47. https://doi.org/10.25364/05.11%3A2025.1.3

Editorial: Paradise Lost - Romanticizing as Playing the Imagined Past

Ornella, A. D., & Bosman, F. (2023). Editorial: Paradise Lost - Romanticizing as Playing the Imagined Past. Journal for Religion, Film and Media, 9(1), 7-11. https://doi.org/10.25364/05.9%3A2023.1.1

"Short Film Is Where Innovative Storytelling Is Born" Using the Science Fiction Short Film in the Religious Studies and Sociology Classroom

Ornella, A. D. (2022). “Short Film Is Where Innovative Storytelling Is Born” Using the Science Fiction Short Film in the Religious Studies and Sociology Classroom. Journal for Religion, Film and Media, 8(2), 49-64. https://doi.org/10.25364/05.8%3A2022.2.4

Research interests

crime, media, and religion

policing technologies

drones and robots

sex workers and lifestyle choices

Co-investigator

Project

Funder

Grant

Started

Status

Project

The Pound in the Pocket

Funder

University of Hull

Grant

£3,500.00

Started

1 February 2019

Status

Complete

Project

Heroin and Crack Action Evaluation

Funder

Humberside Police

Grant

£12,000.00

Started

1 November 2020

Status

Complete

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Ornella is happy to supervise research projects in the area of theology / religion and popular culture, religion and body, religion and technology, religion and film, sports and religion. For more information, please contact him.

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