Faces of Reading

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 LGBTQIA+ 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.

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.

I speak several languages, so I know exactly what the main problems are with learning a new language and what students find most difficult. I try to encourage them to speak the language and overcome any difficulties on the way.

Everyone here has given me the opportunity to show my potential and challenge myself as a language teacher, but most of all to do what I love.

I'm an audiovisual translator and I study BSL. I believe that deaf and visually impaired people should have access to language learning too. My aim is to work as an interpreter in the future, and I am proud that BSL will be taught here at the University.

I'm a School Champion for Diversity and a member of the LGBTQIA+ staff scheme. I think it's important to promote diversity and inclusion.

At the University of Reading, our students come from all around the world and this makes their learning experience really interesting. I really like to build a relationship with my students, watching them grow as independent learners, helping them with their learning process, and making them feel part of a community.

I give a lot and receive a lot; it's beautiful. This is why I'm still teaching after 12 years.

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

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. We do our work but we also do have time to catch-up as well. Because I’m the Programmes Director, I also get involved with the Reading University Construction Society (RUCS), 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.