Faces of Reading

When the TAEDS courses closed down in 2018, I started lecturing initially for BA Education Studies and more recently became the SEND Pathway Lead for the PGCE students specialising in SEN education.

Since 2017, I have been working for the Institution-Wide Language Programme, within the Department of Languages and Culture, where I have taught BSL at all three stages with its linguistics and history, and had very positive feedback.

I'm originally from London and my parents were from the Middle East; my father was born in Egypt and my mother in Syria. I remember seeing Arabic, French and Hebrew being spoken. I knew a little, however I fully absorbed the Middle Eastern culture, particularly cooking.

I'm the only deaf person in my family. My family never learned any sign language, so I relied on lip reading. I've had some fantastic students; most aren't deaf, but they have a passion for teaching and learning sign language.

A lot of my students have become teachers, usually in special needs education. Others have become interpreters, actors and drama therapists. I'd like to think I've played a small part in their career choices.

In February 2020, I became co-Chair of the LGBTQIA+ staff network. I identify as Gay and Jewish. I feel very fortunate to work in a welcoming space where my sexual orientation is something I can celebrate as opposed to something which is just tolerated: where I can be ‘out and proud’. The rainbow flag flies high on IDAHOBIT, and the university quite rightly celebrates each year the contribution of its then Chancellor, Lord Wolfenden, to the acceptance of gay people through his authorship of the famous Wolfenden Report. 

Shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown, I was fortunate to marry my husband (and now law school colleague), Professor David Bilchitz, in a progressive Jewish egalitarian Vegan gay wedding in South Africa. David and I wrote about our experiences in the Jewish Report.

I am passionate about advancing LGBTQIA+ rights in the UK and globally, especially in respect of ensuring asylum-seekers' access to protection for persecution and in working with Parliamentarians, civil society organisations, practitioners, and recognised refugees.   

When it comes to my Jewish identity, given its distressing prevalence, I feel blessed to have never experienced antisemitism on campus. Unlike other institutions, Reading does not hold lectures, seminars, or examinations on the Jewish Sabbath, and when I flagged up the challenge posed for prospective Jewish students with holding open and visit days only on Saturdays, additional dates were added. Hence, it strikes me that the question at – and for Reading – is not about willingness to accommodate, but about awareness and visibility: the public calendar which the University follows is centred around Christian holidays (notably Christmas and Easter) whereas festivals of minority faiths like Divali, Eid, or Yom Kippur are not publicly recognised. I know that this can and will change. 

I work full time, but I work from home 4 days a week. Managers are very good at giving us that flexibility.

I have Becker Muscular Dystrophy, and people have been very supportive without being patronising. Part of the reason for working from home is to help manage my fatigue. I live in Reading, I came here when I was 18 as a student and have more or less stayed here ever since. I had been commuting to Oxford – I was at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust before – which was getting a bit too tiring. It's better now I'm working a lot closer to home.

The team from Estates and Facilities also came in and created a kind of frame by my desk so I can get up easily, which has been really helpful. Everyone in the office will help out if I need anything too; it's been a positive experience.

I grew up in the rural countryside of Taiwan. Though Taiwan is known for its democracy and LGBTQ rights, Taiwan was more traditional 25 years ago. Since I was little, I was unfairly mistreated by my elementary school teachers due to my family background and personality traits. Seeing my teachers conduct themselves in this way made me want to become a teacher so that I could bring a better and positive energy towards my students. As a kid, I even told myself, one day, when I become a good teacher, I would replace a bad teacher, so this world can become a better place. 

In 2013, I embarked on my PhD journey in Finance at the Australian National University (ANU). Following this, I was appointed as a Lecturer in Real Estate Finance at Henley Business School. I am committed to continual improvement as a passionate educator and researcher at Henley Business School. One of my teaching philosophies is to ensure that we create a safe, happy, and inclusive environment for our students to study. I believe that each of our students has their potential and I aim to help them reach their potential.  has helped me reach my current role as Deputy Director of Studies for Real Estate and Planning. 

As an early career researcher, I have so many new things to learn. In additional to the academic support from my mentor, many of my colleagues provide me with helpful guidance and support to develop my research and teaching profiles.  

The University of Reading values diversity and inclusion. In my department, the members of staff are from around the globe including Argentina, China, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, US and more. I enjoy working in this diverse environment and being part of this community and network indeed gives me a chance to develop international collaboration. I highly recommend Reading for either study or work!