I started at the University on a fixed term contract as a Programme Administrator at our beautiful Greenlands campus. I was a recent graduate, not entirely sure what I wanted to do as a career, but knew that I wanted to work in the charity or education sector, supporting others to achieve their goals as well as utilise my organisational skills.
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.
Having graduated with a Master’s in Pharmacy, I was and always have been passionate about educating and teaching others. Having qualified I was placed into a large flagship store. The team needed a strong leader, someone whom they could confide in, support them and steer them towards the desired outcomes. I took on this role and set about achieving the best pharmacy team, placed at the heart of a thriving community, with patient-centred care as its purpose.
It is this same level of energy and excitement that I brought into the classroom when I joined the University of Reading as a Pharmacist Teacher Practitioner in October 2013. In my early months I began leading on pharmacy practice lectures, workshops and seminars; utilising my knowledge, skills and experience from my role as a practising pharmacist. This added dimension meant that the students were forever in touch with the expectations on them as learners as well as future healthcare professionals.
