I was born in Reading within the Pakistani community in Cemetery Junction and have lived in Reading for most of my life. I started working here in 2011, initially starting on a fixed-term, part-time contract in the Meteorology Department. My role was as a departmental secretary, joining what was then a small team of administrators. The work was varied and interesting and brought me into contact with a wide range of people from all over the world.
I had some fantastic programme administrators when I was studying at the University; I graduated in Archaeology and History in 2013. It's nice to be able to give back to the students now.
I currently work in executive support as part of University Corporate Services team.
In 2009, after completing my master's degree in Italy, I secured a scholarship for international students and joined the University of Reading as a Meteorology PhD student. My research focuses on understanding tropical climate and its variability through the study of convection simulation and interactions with large-scale circulation.
The arrival of my daughter at the end of the second year of my PhD was a challenge. As a single mum, solely responsible for childcare, and with no family nearby, I needed to find a way to balance both motherhood and my studies. Professionally, it was quite disruptive, but the University was incredibly supportive.
I’m the Head of the School of the Built Environment My remit is to provide academic leadership and management within the School. I am also the Programme Director for our MSc Design and Management of Sustainable Built Environments course.
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 pursue my PhD in 2004. I came back in 2009 as an Academic Fellow, and then in 2011 I became a lecturer.
We are in the process of finalising our postgraduate taught courses for 2027/28 entry. In the meantime, you can view our 2026/27 courses.
