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Rebecca/Richard Harris, Associate Professor

I remember when I was about 10 I discovered there were places called universities and I automatically assumed that was where the ‘clever kids’ went, so that wasn’t an option for me! Having been the first member of my family to get any academic qualifications I am still pleasantly surprised that I now able to work at a university.

I joined the Institute of Education (based on the original and beautiful university campus on London Road) at Reading in 2011, having previously worked at the University of Southampton for 10 years, and prior to that I spent 16 years teaching history in secondary schools.

Whilst at Reading I have developed in so many different ways. At a professional level when I arrived I was in charge of the secondary history teacher training course, but was soon asked to take responsibility for the MA in Teaching and Learning, and shortly after that I became programme director for the MA in Education programme. More recently I have become School Director of Teaching and Learning (SDTL) – this is a very varied role, but the main focus is on ensuring all of our students have a really positive academic experience with us. I am involved in leading initiatives within the Institute of Education to enhance the quality of our teaching and learning provision, monitoring the quality of our programmes, as well as supporting the implementation of university wide projects. As SDTL I also sit on the senior management group for the Institute of Education and line manage a number of staff. My role therefore involves working with lots of colleagues within Education and across the university. I have been able to pursue my research interests and have been involved with many interesting national and international projects, most notably the Council of Europe’s ‘Pestalozzi’ teacher training programme.

On a personal level I joined Reading at a point where I was coming out as transgendered. My colleagues have been tremendously supportive and I work in an environment where I am accepted and respected for who I am. My colleagues are very used to me presenting whichever way I feel comfortable.

Working at Reading is very much about people – the staff are truly committed to their students and the university is committed to developing and supporting both staff and students.

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Calvin Smith, Lecturer

I joined the University in 2008 in a teaching intensive role in mathematics. Since this time I have held a number of roles in teaching and learning including Admissions Tutor, School Senior Tutor, Internal Examiner and Programme Director.These days I am most frequently found sharing my love of mathematics with students in lecture theatres and seminar rooms across the campus.

When not up to my elbows in sums I am involved in various projects to make the experience of studying and working at Reading as inclusive as it can be. As a visible “out” gay man I endeavour to provide an authentic voice for inclusion and diversity for my colleagues and our students.

Reading prides itself on being a research intensive university and rightly so but this certainly does not mean it does not value teaching or its teaching intensive staff. I have been able to benefit from extensive development opportunities at Reading, led by our wonderful CQSD team, which has enabled me to contribute to enhancing teaching and learning in my School, as well as more broadly across the University and externally.

One of the things I value most about Reading is the ability to work with and learn from a diverse range of individuals (both staff and students)! I’m regularly able to escape my School bubble to collaborate with colleagues in Study Advice, Counselling & Wellbeing and the Disability Advisory Service. I value this enormously and have learned so much as a result.

I am proud to be involved in various diversity and inclusion initiatives at Reading including participating in University and School level Athena SWAN submissions. I’ve also been involved in supporting the University’s continued commitment to LGBT+ inclusion having previously co-chaired the LGBT Plus staff network and contributed to the University’s ongoing submissions to the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. It’s fantastic to be able to work at an institution which values inclusion for all and to be able to actively contribute to this! I’m extremely proud to have been part of taking the University to Pride for the first time, starting the annual Wolfenden lecture series (named for the former Reading VC who authored the report which paved the way for partial decriminalisation of homosexuality) and generally queering the campus through the production of rainbow lanyards and postcards.

In 2014 I became a father to two amazing little scamps through adoption. The University has been fantastically supportive throughout this. When I first told my Head of Department that we were planning an adoption the response was overwhelmingly supportive – and included lots of conversations about leave, and how my workload could be adjusted to enable me to retain some responsibilities while lightening my load in other areas. Our adoption was also celebrated in the same way as other new family arrivals in the Department.

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Mohd Faris Khamidi, Academic Director and Head of Built Environment

I joined the University of Reading Malaysia in 2015. We are a new start-up and the best part of it, when you are the pioneer, is that you have the opportunity to create your "dream team".

One of the most important tasks is to get the right academics. I was the first to join to School and there are now 11 staff members. It's interesting, but at the same time challenging. In doing so, I'm in regular contact with the Head of School and the counterparts in the UK, and the Provost of the University of Reading Malaysia.

What I like most about the Built Environment team is our diversity. For me, diversity is our biggest strength so far. We have Malaysians from various ethnicities and backgrounds, as well as international staff from Iran and Nigeria.

For my research, I am exploring emerging digital technology. The construction industry is now embracing digitalisation. I've always been attracted to new technology and how it will revolutionise and change the future.

University of Reading Malaysia is leading the way in terms of ensuring our students are well equipped to face the job market in the twenty-first century when they graduate.

Recently, the University of Reading's Vice-Chancellor came over for the inaugural graduation ceremony, as a global university, and that was something I really admired.

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Jonathan Bainbridge outside the University Careers Centre

Jonathan Bainbridge, Business Development and Employer Engagement Manager

I work in Careers and manage a small team that targets specific employers to get them involved with on-campus activities and help students secure professional, graduate-level jobs. Along with a number of careers fairs, we hold a big recruitment event in May and invite 60 graduate recruiters; it's a huge networking opportunity.

I really enjoy building the relationships and seeing where they go, the different companies we talk to and how that affects students' careers.

The reputation of the University is great and really helps open doors. That is important for the work we do: trying to build new partnerships and reconnecting with employers to take on students for part-time summer internships, placements and graduate roles.

I was a postgraduate student at the University and did a careers guidance course 10 years ago. I came back to Reading in 2012 as Job Shop and Internship Manager; I was Acting Head of Service while we appointed a new Director of Careers, and I've now gone back to my previous role of Business Development and Employer Engagement Manager.

I have two children; my wife is Venezuelan and we're bringing them up bi-lingual. I do the school run in the morning and if I'm in half an hour after my normal start time, it's fine to add half an hour on at the end of the day. It's very family-friendly and paternity leave is good here as well.

It's been great for me, personally, to have had a chance to do three quite different roles and the training has been very good too.

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Shelen Ho, Associate Professor

Business is my passion and my career has always centred on it. I'm now privileged to share my experiences and impart knowledge to the next generation of leaders, while preparing them for the workforce.

I joined the University of Reading Malaysia in August 2015 as an Associate Professor in International Business and Strategy with Henley Business School Malaysia (HBS).

My role includes teaching undergraduate students marketing and business strategy, and leading the prestigious Henley MBA programme.

I have adopted the flipped instructional model and team-based learning as my teaching approach, where individual content is delivered outside the classroom and class time is dedicated to active learning to encourage higher-order thinking skills in students.

HBS Malaysia continues to expand and I have the honour of working alongside a wonderful team of dedicated professionals.

After working and living abroad for many years, I was head-hunted to return to Asia; and in 2002 I launched my own consultancy firm, which I'm still running to this day.

I am proud to hail from the East Malaysian tribe known as Kadazan. Though getting an education was very rare, especially for girls, state support enabled me to be schooled.

This has inspired my research specialisation, which focuses on small business strategies and socio-economic development projects for less fortunate people in Malaysia.

I am also pleased to be involved in various community support groups that inspire and mentor others, as I was fortunate to have the opportunity to develop my career from a humble indigenous background.

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Mark McClemont, Senior Technician

I have been at Reading since 1987; I started out as a Lab Technician and in the early '90s I got the opportunity to become a glassblower.

I'm the only glassblower on campus. I design, make, modify and repair scientific laboratory glassware for both teaching and research for the School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy and other University departments, as well as outside companies.

It's particularly satisfying to make a custom piece of glassware for researchers and get involved in the design process, which can involve multiple iterations to achieve a successful result.

I've got a very friendly working environment. Diversity and inclusion is something the University wholeheartedly embraces, which is great.

I'm asexual and have been involved in visibility work for AVEN (the Asexual Visibility and Education Network), of which I'm a member. This has involved TV and radio appearances, and contributing to newspaper and magazine articles.

When the University was applying to become a Stonewall Diversity Champion, I went to meetings to raise awareness of the asexual community. This resulted in the Staff and RUSU LGBT Plus organisations holding an Asexual Awareness Week, to which I was happy to contribute.

Asexual people are thought to make up about 1% of the population, which means there could be somewhere between 30 and 40 asexual people working at the University, even more in the student population.

I think it's important there's visibility for asexual people, and those who think they may be asexual, in particular, to have someone to talk to who is asexual.

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Subjects A-B

Subjects C-E

Subjects F-G

Subjects H-M

Subjects N-T

Subjects U-Z

Subjects A-C

Subjects D-G

Subjects H-P

Subjects Q-Z

Rebecca/Richard Harris, Associate Professor

Calvin Smith, Lecturer

Mohd Faris Khamidi, Academic Director and Head of Built Environment

Jonathan Bainbridge, Business Development and Employer Engagement Manager

Shelen Ho, Associate Professor

Mark McClemont, Senior Technician

Rebecca/Richard Harris, Associate Professor

Calvin Smith, Lecturer

Mohd Faris Khamidi, Academic Director and Head of Built Environment

Jonathan Bainbridge, Business Development and Employer Engagement Manager

Shelen Ho, Associate Professor

Mark McClemont, Senior Technician

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