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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, Associate Professor

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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Emmanuel Essah standing in the University grounds

EMMANUEL A ESSAH, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

I’m the Undergraduate Programmes Director for Construction Management and Engineering – which is part of the School of the Built Environment – so my remit is to oversee the strategy and day-to-day running of the four pathways we offer.

I actually came to Reading in two spells. The first time was in 2001 as a master’s student, and a year later I was hired as a Research Assistant before I left to do my PhD in 2004. I came back in 2009 as an Academic Fellow, and then in 2011 I became a lecturer.

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.

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Eleanor Dickey, Professor of Classics

I really enjoy working at Reading. I like that we are all friends with each other in the Department of Classics; there is a lot of positive interaction. We help each other out and really work together to make our programme something that is as good as possible for students.

I teach a module on ancient education, which is my research speciality. Reading students are fun to teach and that’s something I really enjoy.

I also run the ancient schoolroom. Over a period of two weeks, we have up to 60 children a day coming in, and I’m responsible for providing all kinds of different activities, all related to ancient education.

I’ve written several books on how Greek speakers learned Latin and how Latin speakers learned Greek. I discovered some ancient Latin textbooks, edited them, and published Learning Latin The Ancient Way a year ago and now the whole world has got them.

I came to Reading in 2013. I had been the only linguist in a classics department for a really long time, but here there are three of us. That’s much better for my research.

I live in Oxford and work part time. It works well, as I don’t have to commute in five days a week.

I’m involved in the LGBT Plus group at Reading, but it’s not a place where, as a lesbian, you feel isolated. British universities are good places to be a lesbian; everybody is very welcoming. And it’s nice to have colleagues as LGBT Plus allies.

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Ellie Sowten, HR Adviser

I started working for the University in 2015 as an HR Administrator, then I became a Senior HR Administrator, then HR Coordinator and, as of 2017, I'm now an HR Adviser for Life Science Schools and Estates. Progression opportunities at the University are fantastic!

I look after the advisory side of HR, so anything to do with the employee life cycle once recruitment has taken place. This includes; induction and probation, resolving problems at work, flexible working, health and wellbeing, retirement, restructuring and more.

I predominantly look after the advisory side of HR, so that could be absence and leave, resolving problems at work, retirement, terms and conditions, reviews, settlements and secondments.

I've always been a real people person, and I love working with a diverse range of people. You don't know what's going to happen on a day-to-day basis; no two days are the same.

The work I do with this team is really interesting; there's a lot of scope for my role and what I do. I'm also a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and I'm studying for a master's in HR Management.

I've suffered with anxiety since I was about five years old, so I ensure that I manage my workload when I'm going through a period of feeling anxious.

My line managers are really supportive and I've managed to use my anxiety to my advantage, being able to support other people experiencing similar things. If you understand, you can support others a bit better. As an HR professional, it's stood me in good stead.

I am also a member of the Staff Disability Network - sharing my experiences has boosted my confidence greatly and listening to those of others is inspiring.

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Pil and Galia Kollectiv, Lecturers

We began working together as artists, writers and curators when we met in high school in Jerusalem, before being drawn to the UK for its vibrant art, music and culture.

Today, we are joint lecturers in Fine Art and co-directors of postgraduate research in Art at the University of Reading, and have worked in the Department for over seven years across a range of roles.

Collaboration was never something we planned, it was more of a way of doing things that seemed practical to us. But, when it came to finding institutional support for our work, particularly in academia, we found that it was quite difficult to square this way of working with existing frameworks.

Few universities were willing to take us on as joint lecturers, so we were delighted to find the University of Reading more open-minded. Here, our collaborative approach is not only supported, but reflected in the teaching in the Department.

The Art Department offers many opportunities for students to work collaboratively and really fosters an engagement with practices that challenge the idea of individual authorship.

As well as working students in the studio, we have had several opportunities to run projects offsite as mini-residencies with students in collaboration with various venues both nationally and abroad, from the Merzbarn in Cumbria to Nova Perla on the outskirts of Prague. In these less formal environments, we have found group work to be particularly useful as a way of instilling the mutual support that we hope will serve our students as well when they graduate as our collaboration has done for us.

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Rebecca/Richard Harris, Associate Professor

Calvin Smith, Associate Professor

EMMANUEL A ESSAH, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Eleanor Dickey, Professor of Classics

Ellie Sowten, HR Adviser

Pil and Galia Kollectiv, Lecturers

Rebecca/Richard Harris, Associate Professor

Calvin Smith, Associate Professor

EMMANUEL A ESSAH, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Eleanor Dickey, Professor of Classics

Ellie Sowten, HR Adviser

Pil and Galia Kollectiv, Lecturers

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