Faces of Reading

Not long after I joined the University, my personal circumstances changed, and I needed full time work. Fortunately, I was able to increase my hours with an additional role in another School and was later made full time in my main role. Being able to increase my hours when I needed reduced a lot of stress for me at a difficult time in my life. 

I moved over to the Walker Institute in 2016 as a permanent Executive Administration Officer. The work I am currently supporting is helping us to address some of the fundamental challenges society is facing such as migration, food and water security, biodiversity loss, extreme weather, and disasters. 

Coming from a working class, ethnic community, I was unsure how I would fit into the world of higher education and academics, but I have enjoyed all my roles at the University and have found colleagues to be friendly and supportive. I would recommend the University as a place to work because it is like a little town within a town, full of people that you can connect with, people who are similar, and also, people who are different and that makes life interesting! Being able to walk to work through the woods every morning is also a bonus for me. 

I came here with lovely childhood memories of the campus, but now I have great new memories, of achievements, wonderful colleagues, picnics in the Harris gardens and all the interesting work, both local and international, that is carried out. 

In 2019 my colleagues in the Vice-Chancellor’s team nominated me to attend the Royal Garden Party for my voluntary work in the community and I had a lovely, sunny day there with my new husband. In August this year, it will be ten years since I started my part-time, temporary role, and I am happy to say, I am still part of this unique community.

I am the person who takes charge of mooting in the Law School. This is similar to a mock trial where students play the part of a lawyer, and lecturers or practising barristers play the part of judges. It is very popular.

I also share responsibilities for the Erasmus programme in the Law Department. We are looking to expand the reach of the programme to beyond Europe, creating as many high-quality partnerships around the world as we can.

I have always enjoyed teaching law. It's an amazing thing to have fresh minds come at things you have been teaching and studying for decades. You just never know what a student will say or think, and that's very exciting.

In the last few years, I have set aside a couple of hours each week for informal coffee and questions in a University cafe. Students come along and chat about anything they find interesting or do not understand. I find that this can often be more productive time than formal seminars and lectures.

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 LGBTQIA+ 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 LGBTQIA+ allies.

Progression has been a defining part of my journey here, and I’m passionate about helping others experience the same. Whether through mentoring colleagues or supporting my team via PDRs and regular 1-2-1s, I see career development as something we should all actively champion and a core element of my citizenship.

Beyond my main role, I’ve been involved as a volunteer with the Staff Forum since 2020, initially joining during the height of COVID – partly out of curiosity, partly to stay connected. In 2023, I stepped into the role of co-chair, and it’s become a space where I can advocate for colleagues and collaborate with other representatives to make a meaningful difference. I’ve had a genuinely positive experience working at the University, and I’m committed to helping others feel the same. I want to be part of solutions – however ambitious they might sound.

On a personal note, I became a dad for the first time in 2023, and that’s the role I cherish most. One of the things I value deeply about working at the University is the flexibility I’ve been given – particularly by my line manager through the Smart Working Policy – which allows me to be the parent I want to be for my son, while continuing to deliver in both my professional and volunteer roles. That balance is something I’m incredibly grateful for.

The University has given me a lot: opportunities to grow, a supportive network of colleagues, a brilliant team, and a (near-perfect) work-life balance – not to mention the view from my office over Greenlands and the River Thames, and the occasional free lunch! – I even look forward to (most) Mondays, and that’s a feeling I’d love for everyone here to share.