At Reading, we have a proud history of diversity and inclusion. We know that we can only achieve our vision of being a world-class, forward-looking and ambitious university by recruiting, supporting and developing staff from the widest variety of backgrounds. If you're already working at the University and are interested in joining our Faces of Reading initiative, please see our staff portal on taking part.

For further information, or to learn more the initiatives and activities currently underway at the University, visit our diversity and inclusion pages.

As part of the University's personal development opportunities, I was fortunate enough to enrol on the Springboard Women's Development Programme, a University-sponsored scheme for women in non-management roles. It was a fantastic learning experience and I've gained a brilliant and supportive network of people from it.

My role as PA in the Dean's Office means I support several senior members of the School, as well as providing wider departmental support. Our office serves as a point of contact - it's busy, dynamic and fast-paced - and I love being part of such a hub of activity. One of the aspects I particularly enjoy is that it requires a huge amount of interaction across the University which enables me to see, and feel part of, the 'bigger picture'.

Being part of this community and network led me to apply for the role of Member Nominated Trustee for the University of Reading Pension Scheme. It's wonderful to have the opportunity to be part of something that plays such an important role in the future of my colleagues and peers.

Our department is known for its research quality and size, meaning there is continual scope to collaborate with a wide range of colleagues on diverse projects. It's a very sociable and dynamic environment to work in; there's everything from sports clubs and summer barbecues to get involved with, though I leave most of the partying to the PhD students these days...

Working across an array of both short- and longer-term projects, I've had the chance to gain in-depth knowledge of wide-ranging subject matter and also pursue personal research interests. In particular, my Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship promoted independence, leadership and a degree of autonomy in my work which has been a valuable experience. I've also undertaken a variety of University-led career development courses which I've found to be beneficial.

I am highly physically disabled, but this is something I rarely bring up and, in the world of academia at least, has never been a barrier to a successful working and social life. Reading is a great place to work, and I hope to continue my research here.

The thing I enjoy most about Reading is the School I work in, both the staff and the students. Everyone is supportive and friendly and will stop to have a chat – and that includes the Head of School. We do our work but we also do have time to catch-up as well. And because I’m the Undergraduate Programmes Director, I get involved with RUCS (Reading University Construction Society) as well as the University's Ghana Student Society.

I’ve been given the opportunity to grow in what I do, and I think Reading gives everyone that opportunity – you just have to be yourself, and take it. Regardless of where you come from, grasp the opportunity and go with it.

The culture here is extremely student-facing - it's not a cliché, it's true. During a day in the Careers Centre, you never know who's going to walk in the door next. It allows me to engage with a wide variety of students from across the University. I've moved from working two days a week to four, which enables me to balance work with family commitments.

One of the best aspects of working here is the environment - the campus, the trees, being able to walk around the lake every day - it's wonderful. The people also make this a great place to work. The focus on professional development and training is excellent – I’ve taken opportunities to learn skills from negotiation and reflective practice, to technology and app software. I was also awarded Fellow status for the FLAIR scheme for my work in supporting learning.

As I’m visually-impaired, my Guide Dog, Molly, stays with me throughout the day. Her calm, self-contained temperament makes her the ideal match - a more excitable dog would have a hard time coping with all the students! She sleeps happily in my office during the day and runs around at lunchtime. The University gave me a private office, and so this way I don’t disturb my colleagues. Access to Work provides funding for necessary support: this includes JAWS screen reading software, braille capabilities, and sighted assistance for producing work and engaging with students.

I believe that good practice – what works for those with disabilities – is good for everybody. 

With the help of my supervisors and mentors, I was able to adopt a flexible approach to my work; I began to split my time between home and my office. I was also given a computer so I could continue with my work, and bursaries from the University to spend on childcare arrangements. This was extremely beneficial, and made what could have been a stressful time much easier. Having regular meetings with my supervisor was really, really helpful - they enabled me to remain in the loop while I wasn't in the office.

Thanks to this help from the University, family commitments haven't held me back - I was awarded PhD Researcher of the Year 2013 Faculty of Science winner. Now, I work as a Research Scientist in the Department of Meteorology. I've been given opportunities to pursue my personal interests, to lead on research projects, and to develop computer-based skills including data implementation, analysis and coding.

I'd recommend Reading - as a place to work and study - to anyone. I'm regularly contacted by students back home in Cameroon asking how they too can study for a PhD here. Since I first arrived, I've found it to be a very friendly, welcoming environment - something that hasn't changed during my time here. I now have two children, and am looking forward to returning from maternity leave to continue my work later this year.

The HR team was really helpful in going through my options with me, and my manager helped to make sure my responsibilities were split between the other Business Partners while I was on leave. Because of this, I was able to help my wife, Khrystyna, but I also had the opportunity to get to know my son.

What I found is that going to work is the easy part. At home, you have to dress and feed your child, bathe them and read to them, make sure they sleep and take part in activities. And just being there for them is integral. That time is very hard to achieve when you’re working: you come home, de-stress, and do all the basic necessities, but just spending time with your child is when you really bond with them and see what type of person they’re becoming. Thanks to the University’s flexibility, I got that time with Luke.

Read more about family leave at the University of Reading. 

For example, there are days when I work at home so I can pick up my five-year-old son from school. My electric car cuts down on carbon emissions but unfortunately not on travel time; I still have at least an hour-long commute each way, so being able to work from home on certain days really helps to fit everything in.

There’s a lot of support for doing things differently at the University, and from my mentor and manager. In addition to flexible working, I also benefit from interdisciplinary research interactions through my work with the Centre for Past Climate Change, and I’m co-chair of the Equality and Diversity Committee in the School of Mathematical, Physical, and Computational Science.

Read more about flexible working in the School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences.

The best employers value diversity. Shared Parental Leave recognises that not all families are the same and there's no template for family life. As gay parents, we recognise this more than most. It’s a fantastic opportunity that would have made a huge difference to our lives.

Of course, there are elements of parenting that remain the same gay or straight and that is the deep embarrassment teenagers feel about their parents - not because we’re gay but because we are his parents. The last words on gay parents can go to my son, “I hope for a world where having gay parents is normal, just like I have normalised it".

Read more about the University's LGBT Plus Staff Network.

I have a sight condition called Stargardt's macular dystrophy. I don't use any recognisable visual aids, so it's not something that's immediately obvious.

The University has always offered me support if I've needed it, ever since my first interview for the role. People are aware and regularly check in to make sure that everything is OK. The main thing is that I am free to work in a way that's best for me. It's never felt like people are offering to help just to tick a box, and I think that's important.

I like helping people. Someone once asked me how I judge my own value, and I realised that the most important thing to me is my impact on the people around me, and what I do for others. And the University has been very supportive of this. In 2011 when an elderly relative became ill, I was encouraged to work flexibly so I could be available for hospital appointments and general support.

This flexibility is extremely helpful in maintaining a work/life balance – and it impacts how you feel about your job. I feel valued and motivated, and have been able to take on new responsibilities, such as becoming a member of the University’s Staff Forum. These types of opportunities have a huge impact on my personal and professional development; for example, I’ve gained experience working within the wider University as well as with senior management, in addition to a good awareness that the University genuinely values the feedback of its employees.

Read more about flexible working in the School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences.

I've always felt that I should be a good citizen. We all have our specific roles and job descriptions, but if you stick to just that, life becomes pretty boring. So I have many roles. I coordinate international collaboration and engagement in my Department, which gives me the opportunity to travel and meet people from all over the world, I'm the Warden of Windsor Hall, I'm a Harassment Advisor, and I also edit the Journal of Food Engineering. I always wanted to do more than just the 9-5.

My suggestion to colleagues would be to get involved. It's not just about teaching and research here. There's lots happening at the University, and you can have an enriching and fulfilling career with good social interaction as well. We have colleagues and students from all over the world, so you can meet all kinds of people, and the experience is very satisfying. This is an enlightened place to work.

Read more about the University's team of Harassment Advisors.

I now live in London, and I have two children. My work schedule was set up to balance being a mother and a lecturer, so I was able to start early in the morning and work three days a week. I would creep out of the house quietly so as not to wake my children! Now the children are older and they don't need so much of my attention.

I also act as carer for my mother and mother-in-law. It would be fair to say that I've always had significant care responsibilities, but have always managed to balance them with my work because the University has been flexible. I never missed a parents’ evening and made it to most school events. I now work from home two days a week but this requires that I am very reactive on the days I'm not in Reading and also that I am flexible about the days I choose to work from home.

My research, meanwhile, focuses on sustainability and responsibility in investing. This is one of the reasons I joined Henley Business School’s Athena Swan committee. Henley is trying to go for the Athena Swan Bronze Award, which is a charter of proof from the Equality Challenge Unit that shows we’re able to provide all staff with opportunities to flourish, whether that’s getting the same opportunities for mentoring, or career progression, or remuneration.

This is important for universities as well as businesses – you need equality to succeed. And because of my own research in sustainable investment and corporate social responsibility, the Athena Swan work really struck a chord with me.

I actually commute from Manchester at the weekend. I work hard to maintain my work life balance, but I'm enjoying my job so much that it is absolutely worth it. When I wake up in the morning I look forward to work. I feel really excited all the time about the things I'm doing. I'm very busy but not stressed, so that's a good sign.

It's a place that offers you a lot of opportunities. I will do my PhD here next year and the University has been very supportive of this. There are never any obstacles to professional development; they always help you to find a way to make things work.

I thought I might just stay for a few years, but now I think I could stay here until I retire!

Read more about the Department of Modern Languages and European Studies.

My children are 20 and 22, so when we arrived in the UK they were at school. 

If I ever had to pick them up (if they were ill or something like that) I would always be able to. The University was always flexible and supportive.

I went on to work with global companies and European universities to win access to £340 million in funding for an EU Innovation programme that aims to change the way we eat, grow and distribute food. The flexibility of my role was essential to the success of this project.

Reading is working hard to ensure they get enough women into positions where they can go for senior jobs if they want to. I certainly received huge support from some of my senior male colleagues as mentors. Reading has an egalitarian environment; if you're the right person for the job and with good timing on your side – you can get right to the top.

One of the things I really enjoy about Reading is the flexibility. For example, over the summer months I take advantage of flexible working hours – called compressed hours – so I work from 8:00 until 6:00, four days a week during the summer, and that’s something I really appreciate.

I’m also supported in continuing my professional development, and recently I received a Science Council CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Award because of my training and development achievements. I think if there’s something you’re interested in doing – and it’s relevant to your role – you should flag it, because there’s no harm in asking.

I like the general atmosphere at the University - it's a very friendly place to work and a very supportive academic environment. I think it's the ethos at Reading: you feel welcomed, like you belong. I also work with a lot of women in my Department, and that's made working at Reading a different experience as well. There's greater attention paid to equality and diversity, and there are some excellent female role models - it's quite inspiring.

It's important, too. People shouldn't feel like they need to shoehorn themselves into other people's expectations. I'm finally reaching a point where I can embrace different values, behaviours and cultural practices, where I'm happy with who I am, and expect others to respect that.

Read more about the Department of Modern Languages and European Studies.