The Developing Practice Podcast - University of Liverpool

In this Making an Impact 2023 special podcast, we chat with Sophie about how to get creative with your evaluation techniques and ways to ensure you can evidence and evaluate the impact that is embedded throughout your research projects.

Dr Sophie Morris has over 10 years of experience in public engagement and is an accredited educator in the higher education sector. After completing a PhD in Cancer Immunotherapies Sophie went on to develop her skills in science communication, public engagement and research impact in various roles. Current work includes public engagement consultancy projects and designing and delivering public engagement training for different organisations across the UK and beyond. Sophie also works as an independent evaluator for Universities and third sector organisations.

In this Making an Impact 2023 special podcast, we chat with Jo Meehan about delivering impactful research with public and third sector organisations, and creating a ‘Golden Thread’ between academic research and its real-world impacts.

Professor Meehan's research centres on modern slavery in supply chains, social value in public procurement, and corporate power. Her work explores the commercial practices that allow social inequalities and environmental harm to persist, and crucially, what might be done to enable systemic change. Her work has won numerous international awards and she has been described in the business press as “one of the UK’s most influential procurement academics”. Jo is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management and she leads on the journal’s ’business-not-as-usual’ research.

In this Making an Impact 2023 special podcast, we chat with Elizabeth and Caroline about becoming confident in talking to non-academic partners about your research to enable business and industry collaborations.

Elizabeth is a coach and consultant with over 15 years' experience in researcher development. Her main focus is on academic leadership / career coaching and research culture. She has also worked as an innovation consultant, brokering partnerships between large engineering companies and SMEs or researchers, and as an analytical chemist in the Pharma industry. Elizabeth brings a strong understanding of how support and interventions at individual, team and organisational level can help to embed a culture of creativity, innovation and collaboration, where people can grow and develop.

Caroline gained her twenty years’ experience facilitating teams and delivering skills training whilst working in academia, bioscience, educational charity and hi-tech sectors. Caroline started her 'entrepreneurial adventure' in 2011 as Broad Associates Ltd delivering interactive workshops that develop communication and collaboration skills. Caroline also works with businesses providing process improvement and knowledge management consultancy.

In this podcast we chat with Tim about his recent start as the Vice Chancellor at the University of Liverpool and his thoughts about leading strategy development.

Professor Tim Jones has recently taken up the post of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool.  He joins Liverpool from the University of Birmingham where he has held the post of Provost and Vice-Principal since September 2016, leading several, strategically important institutional projects, most notably the establishment of the University of Birmingham Dubai including a new state-of-the-art campus which opened in 2022, and the development of the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus. His current portfolio includes a range of other strategic responsibilities including annual planning, capital planning, regional engagement and equality, diversity and inclusion.

In this podcast we chat with Warren about his recent Learning and Teaching Fellowship awarded for his innovative development of stress busting workshops to support student wellbeing.

In this podcast we discuss Raheela, Melody, Eleanor and Wajeeha’s work that explores how we identify the blind spots in EDI efforts to more effectively support academics sitting at the intersection of minority identities.

Dr Wajeeha Aziz is a senior Lecturer in the Department of Medical Education in Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) at the University of Sussex. She is a medical doctor and involved in teaching and leading postgraduate taught courses at BSMS. Having worked previously as research fellow , Wajeeha has vast experience in life science research and has published in several peer reviewed journals in the field of Neuroscience. Her current research and scholarship explore co-designing inclusive curriculum, de-colonising medical education and enhancing student experience through active engagement. Wajeeha is EDI and inclusive curriculum lead for postgraduate taught courses at BSMS.

Dr Raheela Awais is a Lecturer and programme director of the integrated master’s in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool. She is also a deputy chair of the University’s Race Equality Charter -Self Assessment team. Born in Pakistan and obtained her doctorate from Japan, Raheela brings her multicultural experience to embed diversity and inclusivity in students’ learning experience which are reflected in her novel assessment methods, PGR training framework for inclusive laboratory-based teaching, student-staff partnership etc. She has received several University and Faculty awards in recognition of her contributions. Raheela has a professional interest in engaging regional health and industrial partners to develop personalized placement opportunities to enable students to gain work experience who normally struggle to access such placement settings. She has received internal and external funding to work in partnership with students to explore if the principles of EDI are reflected in our curriculum. As a Deputy chair of REC-SAT she advocates the importance of exploring the intersection of minority-racialized identities to promote a truly inclusive culture.

In this podcast we chat with Russell about his work as a resilience coach and the dangers of burnout.

Russell Harvey has had a 20+ year career in Learning, Leadership and Organisational Development and has specialised around Resilience and VUCA for the past 15 years. One of the dimensions of Resilience is “Purpose” and Russell’s is “to positively affect 100 000 people by the year 2025.” Russell has had permanent roles in the Public, Private and Mutual Sectors, across a broad spectrum of industries and describes himself as a Facilitator and Coach. He supports leaders who feel like they are wading through treacle to rediscover their mojo.

In this podcast we chat with Roma about her inspirational engineering career and how this has developed into becoming an author and broadcaster. We ask Roma what she’s learnt about dealing with professional and personal pressures and challenges, and how she is now inspiring future generations.

Roma Agrawal MBE is an award-winning engineer, author and broadcaster. From footbridges and sculptures, to train stations and skyscrapers - including The Shard - she has left an indelible mark on London's landscape during her 15 year career in construction.

Roma is an inspiring promoter of engineering and technical careers to young people, particularly under-represented groups. As an engineering story-teller, Roma presents documentaries, hosts the podcast Building Stories and has written several books. Her first book Built: The Hidden Stories Behind our Structures was published to glowing reviews in 2018 and her children's book ‘How Was That Built?’, the stories behind awesome structures, was published in 2022. Her new book ‘Nuts and Bolts – small inventions that changed the world (in a big way)’, explores seven building-blocks of engineering that have come to underpin the world: the nail, spring, wheel, lens, magnet, string and pump. Roma examines how these inventions have led to more intricate technologies, from dishwashers to spacesuits to breast pumps.

In this podcast we chat with Matt about his role as Chair of the University’s Education for Sustainable Development working group and how the working group is supporting colleagues from across the University of Liverpool to embed sustainability within their curriculum.

Matt Murphy is a Senior Lecturer in Engineering Design, and Director of Education, in the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Liverpool, UK. He is a metallurgist by background, with a PhD and 12-year technical research career in the additive manufacture (3D printing) of metals. For the last 14 years Matt has concentrated primarily on learning & teaching, and has held several leadership positions in the School of Engineering with special responsibility for curricular and pedagogic reform. Matt teaches a range of courses in design, materials science & manufacturing, but most enjoys leading the group design project modules. He establishes and supervises a broad range of student projects in fields such as energy from waste; urban farming; sustainable energy & transport; veterinary healthcare; circular economy; and the hyperlocal recycling of thermoplastics. In recent years Matt has focused on developing authentic learning and assessment experiences, in partnership with industry, that seek to replicate professional practice within undergraduate programmes. Matt is Chair of the University Education for Sustainable Development Working Group; has been a collaborator in the CDIO Initiative (cdio.org) for 16 years, and a member of its International Governing Council for 12 years.

In this podcast we chat with Janet Beer, Vice Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, about leading a UK Higher Education Institution through a time of significant change.

Professor Dame Janet Beer is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, having formerly been Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University. She was awarded a Damehood for services to higher education and equality and diversity in the New Year’s Honours list 2018.

Janet is a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council and chairs its Assurance Board. She is a member of the boards of Universities UK, the Russell Group, N8 Research Partnership and the Government Skills and Curriculum Unit. She took up a three-year term of office as the International Policy Lead for Universities UK in August 2020.

Janet is a member of the Liverpool Knowledge Quarter Board, Sciontec Board and the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Board.

She has an established record of research and scholarship in late nineteenth and early twentieth century American literature and culture.

In this podcast we chat with Jill about her work with Flexible Work Solutions to support colleagues working in Higher Education to understand how to create an inclusive environment by understanding micro-aggressions and by being an active bystander.

Jill is CEO/Managing Director of Flexible Work Solutions Limited, a small business that offers a range of training, consultancy and practical tools to address EDI issues. The company offers expert advice and guidance on a range of topics, including promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, inclusive leadership and addressing workplace bullying and harassment. At present, Jill is focusing largely on issues relating to race and gender, particularly addressing bias and micro-aggressions, as well as promoting allyship and being an active bystander.

Jill has over twenty-five years’ experience working in this area of work, including more than 10 years running her own business. She has delivered training and consultancy at more than 100 organisations, mainly within higher education, and is currently developing online versions of her courses and creating additional publications to reach an even wider audience via her new business, Inclusion Solutions Ltd.

In this podcast we chat with Karishma about her role as Race Equality Officer at the University of Liverpool and we hear about some of her recent work to coordinate the University’s Race Equality Charter application.

As Race Equality Officer, Karishma works to embed race equality in the University’s policies, practices and communications; building a community in which all staff and students feel able to contribute and develop their knowledge and skills to the full. Her primary focuses include coordinating the development of the University’s Race Equality Charter (REC) application and Action Plan, and supporting its implementation at an institutional and local level. In addition, she identifies and promotes best practice in race equality through knowledge sharing, developing and delivering training and online resources, and supporting staff development activity.

Prior to joining the University, Karishma’s professional background is rooted in the student movement; covering student democracy and campaigning, training and development, and liberation. She is a member of the Diversity Drivers at the North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT), and External Trustee at the University of York Students’ Union (YUSU).

In this podcast we chat with Sue about leading academic development in dynamic higher education international settings.

Dr Susan Bolt (PFHEA) is Head of Academic Development at the University of Liverpool in the UK, where she leads a team that was recognised as finalists in the 2021 Global Academic Development Good Practice Awards for their integrated approach to developing teaching and scholarship. Dr Bolt is the Director of Studies for the Liverpool Online Postgraduate Certificate Academic Practice which is accredited by Advance HE and delivered globally. Dr Bolt’s passion for leading academic development in HE is underpinned by her prior work experiences and doctoral study in which she investigated professional development in dynamic environments. Prior to moving to the UK at the end of 2016, Dr Bolt worked at Edith Cowan University and Curtin University in Western Australia. Prior to working in HE, Dr Bolt held a senior role in the Western Australian Department of Education and had extensive experience as a curriculum consultant, and educator.

In this podcast we chat with Jan and Chris about their work with our technicians at the University of Liverpool.

Jan Brett has been in technical services for over twenty-five years. She was a technical team leader at Liverpool University for nearly fourteen years and has been in post as Technical Development and Planning officer here for just over two years. Jan also chairs the Liverpool University Technical Network and loves all things technician related! Jan was recently made a Fellow of the Institute of Science and Technology. She is a registered Chartered Scientist with the Science Council and has been recently trained as a registration application assessor. She also takes an active role in peer reviewing Technician Commitment Action plans from other organisations across the UK.

Jan is married and has two children; her son is now a technician at Liverpool University as well! She has a sprollie dog called Fizz, loves dog walks and being at the beach. She also loves swimming and dancing and is part of an adult dance troupe at Phoenix Dance and Drama in Upton Wirral; where her daughter also dances.

In this podcast we discuss Catherine and Anna’s work developing academic practices to widen participation and reflect on how the principles of their practice can be transferred to other disciplines.

Dr Catherine Queen is a Lecturer in Planning in the Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences. Having worked in private practice for 30 years as a Town Planner and Environmental Planner, Catherine has a particular focus on practice led teaching through engaging her students with real world projects and working with external partners. Her previous research has focussed on marginality, stigma and the representation of seldom-heard voices in Planning and Catherine is keen to train future Planning professionals who can work with, and for, the public by expanding her student’s knowledge beyond their own lived experience to create inclusive and accessible places.

Dr Anna Smielewska has joined the Virology team as a consultant in 2021 and has been the Clinical Director for Infection and Immunity since 2022. Anna’s main interest is in infections in the Immunosuppressed and Paediatrics and she provides Virology cover for both Clatterbridge and Alder Hey. She has an appointment as an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Liverpool, furthering research in Virology in general, as well as these specific areas. Anna is keen to expand the I&I diagnostic range, meeting new challenges and emerging infections through collaborations with other centres, academia and industry, delivering the best service to our patients. Anna’s other interest is teaching, and she is currently completing her PGCAP course with the University of Liverpool, with a view of bringing these transferrable skills into her role as Clinical Director. Outside of work, Anna has two daughters, two cats, a partner who is also a Virologist, and practises yoga and Body Combat. She is looking forward to finding out more about her local community, having moved to the area during the pandemic.

In this podcast we discuss Amal’s work to decolonise the curriculum in international politics and reflect on how the principles of her practice can be transferred to other disciplines.

Dr Amal Abu-Bakare is a lecturer in the politics of race and decolonial studies at the University of Liverpool and a Visiting Fellow at the University of South Wales’ International Centre for Policing & Security. She is a former doctoral student at Aberystwyth University’s Department of International Politics who successfully defended her thesis on 6 November 2020. As a Saudi-born Nigerian dual citizen of Canada and the United Kingdom, Abu-Bakare is interested in all things international, particularly food and politics. Her current research profile remains centred on using anti-colonial IR theory to explore how North American and European political/security institutions continue to empower racially configured exclusions and terror.

In this podcast we chat with Jen, Gemma and Jason about their recent Sir Alistair Pilkington Award for Teaching Excellence awarded for their development of Life Sciences students’ digital fluency and employability at scale through the design and implementation of authentic assessment.

Jen Delaney is a Lead Career Consultant in the careers and employability team. She works with academics to embed employability onto the curriculum across the faculty of Health and Life Sciences and develops extra-curricular opportunities for students to enhance their employability. Jen is also involved in the Unlock your Potential (UP) inclusion offer within Careers & Employability, which aims to develop career management skills to specific student groups to level the playing field as they plan for their future employment.

Gemma Wattret is a lecturer in Microbiology and Programme Director for the BSc Microbiology at the School of Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool. Gemma is on a Teaching and Scholarship pathway and has experience of teaching across all years of study. Gemma’s research interests are in Skills Development, Inclusivity and Widening Participation.

Jason Steers is a Communications and Engagement Project Officer within the careers and employability team. Part of Jason’s role is working with the range of digital employability tools that the University of Liverpool has access to in order to ensure that all students have sufficient access to these during their time at university and beyond. These include Handshake and Shortlist.Me, both of which were utilised within this assessment.

In this podcast we chat with Vikki about her recent Learning and Teaching Fellowship awarded for her innovative development of blended practice-based learning placements.

Vikki Barnes-Brown is a lecturer and lead practice placement tutor within the Occupational Therapy Programme at the School pf Health Sciences.

She started her career working for the NHS, as an occupational therapist within adult services before moving to community paediatrics, as an occupational therapist, service manager and clinical lead. Working predominantly with children aged 0-19 years with a range of conditions and providing operational management to the therapy service.

Vikki moved to the University 9 years ago. Practice placements has been a large part of her role and she is currently the national chair of the Practice Placement Tutors Forum for the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

In this podcast we chat with Terry, John,  Ahmed, Severina and Dane about their team’s recent Sir Alistair Pilkington Award for Teaching Excellence awarded for their development of online student exchange opportunities through Collaborative Online International Learning, or COIL, projects.

Terry McNulty is Professor of Management and Corporate Governance at the University of Liverpool Management School and Associate Dean (International). He has a track record of research excellence and institutional leadership developed over three decades in Russell Group Universities and Schools of Business and Management Studies (Liverpool, Leeds and Warwick). 

John Green is the ULMS Study Abroad & Internationalisation Officer and has been working in the field of International Education since 2013; starting out as an International Strategy intern and latterly an International Projects Coordinator for Manchester Metropolitan University before joining the Management School in 2017 and completing his Masters in Public Administration and obtaining a qualification Project Management. 

Dr Dane Anderton is the Director of ULMS MBA Programmes and Director of Studies for the Liverpool MBA. Dane manages the strategic and operational aspects of the MBA to ensure that students have the best possible student journey whilst studying at ULMS. Dane works with a number of researchers and teaching faculty who input and deliver on our MBA. He is also responsible for the MBA's role in maintaining triple accreditation for the Management School (AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS).

Dr Severina Cartwright is a Lecturer in Marketing, the Global Opportunities Academic Lead for the University of Liverpool Management School and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is also Freeman of the City of London and Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors. 

Dr. Ahmed Al-Abdin is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Programme Director for BA Marketing at The University of Liverpool Management School. He specialises in branding, services research, health marketing and internationalisation aimed to enhancing the student experience and school/University strategic outcomes.

In this podcast we chat with Gemma about her recent Learning and Teaching Fellowship awarded for her innovative micro-learning approach to teaching.

Gemma Ahearne is a Lecturer in Criminology at the School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool. She joined the university in 2019 on a University Teacher contract before being retained as a lecturer. Gemma has also held a lectureship at LJMU and was a part time lecturer at Leeds Beckett university. Gemma lives on the Wirral with her husband and 4 dogs.

In this podcast we chat with Rachel and Natalie about strategic change and, even though change is often difficult, how it can be managed using the right methodology.

Rachel Parkes has worked in project management for over 15 years with experience in local government working on education and regeneration projects and programmes and then more recently spending the last 9 years at the University of Liverpool. Rachel joined the University to project manage the student experience set up of the London campus before getting involved in business improvement projects within Student Administration and Support and leading the first Wellbeing Strategy and Wellbeing Week project. Rachel’s current role is Head of Project and Programme Management which involves developing the methodology for project and programmes, acting as a change manager for projects and supporting the team of project professionals in managing change. Rachel loves all things project and still gets chance to get stuck in when needed like the recent CAMPUS Shield COVID response and recovery project which received national recognition and was shortlisted for an APM award.

Natalie Carpenter has worked at the University of Liverpool for three years after completing her undergraduate degree at the institution. Natalie’s first role was as a Graduate Trainee which gave her the opportunity to work in four different areas across the organisation and gain an understanding of the wide range of support professional services colleagues offer. During this time Natalie contributed to projects around recruitment, outreach and sustainability, and enjoyed the opportunity to work with colleagues to deliver improvements for staff and students. This influenced Natalie’s decision to join the Strategic Change department as a Project Support Officer, where she is currently working on the PS Futures Programme.

In this Making an Impact special podcast we chat with Andrew Borland and Prof Daniel Arribas-Bel about how University led research and innovation is transforming Cities.

Anthony is the Senior Partnerships and Innovation Manager and professional services lead for the institutional digital research and knowledge exchange theme. He supports the institutional digital theme academic leads to deliver the themes ambition across UoL.

Andrew Borland is the Commercialisation Manager at the Virtual Engineering Centre and Industrial Engagement Manager in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, UoL).

Prof Dani Arribas-Bel is the Deputy Programme Director in Urban Analytics and ESRC Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute.

This podcast is a compilation of some of our previous guests who share their practice, learning and ideas regarding networking in a hybrid environment.

This podcast is a compilation of some of our previous guests who share their practice, learning and ideas regarding networking in a hybrid environment.

In this podcast we chat with Ellie about the shift to teaching online through lockdown and the lasting impact this will have on teaching and learning in higher education.

Ellie Dommett is a Reader in Neuroscience at King’s College London and the deputy director of their highly successful BSc Psychology degree. After completing a PhD at Sheffield University and a post-doctoral role at Oxford University, she started her academic career at the Open University where she developed a passion for high quality online and distance education as well as evidence-based teaching.

She joined King’s in 2015 as a Senior Lecturer where she actively researches both within neuroscience and education. Her education research interests focus on student and staff experiences of digital education, with a focus on digital skills and neurodiversity. In her spare time she enjoys running long distances, her camper van and looking after a retired greyhound called Pearl.

In this podcast we chat with Craig about the challenges facing anatomy education and the attempts being made to increase its inclusivity.

Craig Humphreys is a lecturer in anatomy at the University of Liverpool based in the Human Anatomy Resource Centre (HARC). He began his career as a teaching assistant in anatomy at the University of Glasgow before moving to the University of Liverpool in 2015 as an anatomy demonstrator and part-time PhD student.

Craig is currently the module organizer for the introduction to anatomy module for the Anatomy and Human Biology degree as well as the HARC lead for Health Sciences. The main aspect of his role as a lecturer is introducing students to anatomical concepts and how they will benefit their future practice and education.

Craig is a keen chef, plant dad and amateur yoga enthusiast. Having grown up in Glasgow and a passionate football fan, he feels right at home in Liverpool where he lives with his fiancée.

In this podcast we chat with Dom and Charlotte about working with academics to integrate employability and sustainable development into the curriculum.

Charlotte Ford is Lead Career Consultant in Careers & Employability. Her responsibilities include leading a team of careers professionals with the aim of embedding employability across the Faculty of Science & Engineering. She believes that taking employability directly to the students through embedded activity and assessment in curricula solves the accessibility challenge that many students face. Charlotte is also involved in the Unlock your Potential (UP) inclusion offer within Careers & Employability, which aims to develop career management skills to specific student groups to level the playing field as they plan for their future employment.

Dominique Mansley is an Employability Officer for the Faculty of Science and Engineering. She supports the development and implementation of employability activities across the faculty. She is committed to promoting equal opportunities and encouraging all students to realise their potential. Dominique is enthusiastic about using tech to create gamified learning opportunities and shaping curriculum design to promote Education for Sustainable Development initiatives.

In this podcast we chat with Zena Everett, Coach and Author of The Crazy Busy Cure, about how leaders need to manage time, focus and attention – their own and their teams.

This podcast is a compilation of some of our previous guests who share their practice, learning and ideas regarding networking in a hybrid environment.

In this podcast we chat with Jan about her successful Sir Alistair Pilkington Award for her Digital Inquiry Project that sought to impact the student experience through the development of student’s digital skills and knowledge.

Jan Jobling has held a lectureship in Philosophy at The University of Liverpool since 2018. Her academic interests are interdisciplinary and based on the interface between philosophy, religion and ethics. She has developed a strong interest in the scholarship of learning and teaching and pedagogical development, spurred on during the pandemic by the online pivot and ‘turn to the digital’. This built upon former innovative work seeking to integrate further digital fluency into the Philosophy curriculum, for which she was awarded the Faculty’s Sir Alastair Pilkington Award in Learning and Teaching in 2021.

In this podcast we chat with Richard Benjamin about his role as Head of the International Slavery Museum, his Visiting Professorship with the School of History, Languages and Cultures at the University of Liverpool and his plans for the next two years.

Richard is Visiting Professor in Slavery and Public Engagement in the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures at the University of Liverpool. He is on secondment from his role as Head of the International Slavery Museum at National Museums Liverpool, and Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of International Slavery.

Richard gained a degree in Community and Race Relations at Edge Hill College and completed an MA and PhD in Archaeology at the University of Liverpool. In 2002 he was a Visiting Research Scholar at the W.E.B. DuBois Institute of African and African American Research, Harvard University.

He is a Trustee of the Anthony Walker Foundation and a member of Everton Football Club External Equality Advisory Group. Richard is a Board member of the European Museum Forum and on the Editorial Board for MONITOR: Global Intelligence on Racism magazine.

In this podcast we chat with Irene about about how organisations can set, design and deliver their equality objectives.

Irene Afful has had a hugely successful career to date including becoming the first ever black female Inspector in the history of Merseyside Police. Her career incorporated critical incident management, professional standards, child protection, community engagement and serious crime investigations as a Detective Inspector with the Force. In addition to her core role, Irene successfully led positive action initiatives to address under-representation of minority groups within the service which were recognised nationally. She worked as a consultant for the College of Policing advancing equality and diversity on the national stage. During this time Irene received many accolades and commendations and was featured in a local history book, ‘Liverpool Black Pioneers’.

Irene holds a Master’s degree in Police Leadership and is a published author of academic research concerning equality, diversity & inclusion, a subject she has had a lifelong passion for and lived experience.

Irene is now an award-winning businesswoman and specialist in the field of diversity, equality & inclusion. She is the Founder & Director of Ametrine Coaching & Consultancy where she pursues her passion for diversity and inclusion, supporting businesses and individuals to be more effective by offering a variety of tools, bespoke workshops, personal and group coaching and consultancy services.

Her clients include an array of public and private sector businesses nationally and globally as well as educational institutions. Irene is also a highly sought-after keynote speaker, performing at a vast array of business and educational events, including being a TEDx speaker.

Irene also sits on the Board of Directors at Professional Liverpool.

In this podcast we chat with Christian Owens, Founder of GenderSpace, about transgender awareness and inclusion.

Christian’s own personal, lived experiences as a trans man help audiences to understand, empathise and gain a greater understanding of the journey of transition. Tailored towards the needs of the audience, he provides an insight into what it’s like to be transgender, sharing the highs, lows and even some funny stories. He talks openly and candidly about the social, legal and medical aspects of the journey, educating and raising awareness about the medical care pathway, support that’s required from employers and family members and protection that is provided by certain legislation.

This podcast is a compilation of some of our previous guests who share their practice, learning and ideas regarding networking in a hybrid environment.

This podcast is a compilation of some of our previous guests who share their practice, learning and ideas regarding teaching in a hybrid environment.

This podcast is a compilation of some of our previous guests who share their practice, learning and ideas regarding the development of the online aspect of a hybrid environment.

In this podcast we chat with James and Eli about the development of the Student Success Framework and how it is being embedded at the University of Liverpool. We also talk about the Pedagogic Research Conference in January 2022 which will focus on the same theme.

James Coe is Senior Policy Advisor at the University of Liverpool.  He is responsible for providing advice on higher education, civic engagement, and wider policy developments, to the Vice Chancellor and her senior leadership team.

Dr Eli Saetnan is a senior academic developer with a remit to support the development of scholarship informed practice across the institution. I have a personal interest in developing the scholarly evidence base for Academic Development practice as well as supporting academic colleagues to underpin their own teaching practice with scholarship and pedagogic research. As someone who has made the transition from biological sciences to pedagogic research, I am also interested in developing scholarship across disciplinary boundaries and supporting the development of trans-disciplinary authorship.

This podcast is a compilation of some of our previous guests who share their practice, learning and ideas regarding working in a hybrid environment.

This podcast is a compilation of some of our previous guests who share their practice, learning and ideas regarding leading in a hybrid environment.

In this podcast we chat with Paul Redmond, Gita Sedghi, Rachael Collins, Kate Murray and Joel Stanley about the University wide implementation of Peer Assisted Learning and what this will look like in the next academic year.

Guest: Paul Redmond, Director of Student Experience, Gita Sedghi, Senior Lecturer Chemistry, Rachael Collins, Student Success Manager, Kate Murray Project Lead, Student Success, and Joel Stanley, PAL Leader

Background: In short, peer assisted learning (PAL) is a scheme that fosters higher-year students supporting lower-year students on the same course. The idea behind this is that it enhances learning and is time effective for all involved. This year we will pilot the scheme online and will trial with two departments/Schools per Faculty. We will focus on one module per course and the chosen module will be dependent on its success rate.  Supporting student wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do but it is now more important than ever that we embed this into all of our Faculty led activity. We are here to train and support you with all aspects of implementation and have been working closely with Gita Sedghi, Senior Lecturer, Chemistry to ensure that the training provided encompasses all of the essential elements required for a scheme of this nature. Kate Murray, Project Lead, Student Success Team, who is leading on the facilitation of the scheme will also be obtaining training from the European Centre for SI-PASS prior to initiation.

In this podcast we chat with Nisha Katona, CEO of Mowgli Street Food, about her experiences of setting up her restaurant chain and her motivation behind her actions.

Nisha Katona is the CEO, executive chef and development chef of Mowgli Street Food restaurants and founder of the Mowgli Trust charity.

Founded in 2014, Nisha used all her savings to open the first Mowgli Street Food restaurant in the city of Liverpool. Since giving up the security of a 20 year career as a full time Barrister, Nisha has grown Mowgli Street Food to eleven restaurants across the nation with an aim to continue growing restaurants and jobs in order to fulfil the mission of Mowgli: to enrich lives in the cites she goes to.

Mowgli Street Food is recognised as one of the nation’s fastest growing companies according to The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 and was awarded by them, Best Management Team.

Nisha received an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours List for services in the Food Industry.

Nisha is also the author of 4 cookbooks: The Spice Tree, The Mowgli Cookbook, Pimp My Rice and The 30 Minute Mowgli. She has also worked extensively as a business and food expert, on several projects across the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 and Radio 4

As founder and chair of The Mowgli Trust, the charitable limb of the restaurant, Nisha selects and supports local and world charities by donating over £500k each year and that figure grows by an additional £40k on average per site built

In this National PostDoc Conference special podcast we chat with Dr Kate Baker, Dr Shirin Ghodke, Dr Siobhan O'Brien and Dr Katy Roscoe on successful futures, a key theme of the National Postdoc Conference hosted by the University of Liverpool taking place in Sept 2021.

Dr Siobhan O’Brien - Siobhan is a Tenure-Track fellow in the Dept of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour at the University of Liverpool. She is an evolutionary microbiologist, asking how microbes evolve and adapt to environmental stress.

Dr Kate Baker - Kate is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool who works on the genomic epidemiology of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Shirin Ghodke - Shirin is a scientific publication writer with focus on dissemination of data from pharmaceutical clinical trials in diabetes.

Dr Katy Roscoe - Katy is a historical criminologist, with a focus on intersections between punishment, imperialism and maritime geographies.

In this National PostDoc Conference special podcast we chat with Dr Sadaf Ashraf, Dr Gael Morrow, Dr Clara Barker and Dr Anjali Shah on the New Realities Researchers face, a key theme of the National Postdoc Conference hosted by the University of Liverpool taking place in Sept 2021.

Dr Michael Robinson (co-host) is a Leverhulme Trust funded Early Career Researcher at the University of Liverpool working on the project: Disability, Welfare and Ageing: First World War Veterans of the British Empire.

In this National PostDoc Conference special podcast we chat with Annette Bramley, Claire Wilson and Joan Chang on how to build stronger connections, a key theme of the National Postdoc Conference hosted by the University of Liverpool taking place in Sept 2021.

Dr Annette Bramley has been a Director of the N8 Research Partnership since January 2018 and worked previously for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) where her roles have included Head of Mathematical Sciences, Complexity Science and Engineering.

Dr Claire Wilson obtained her MRes and PhD in cardiovascular sciences as part of a 4-year PhD programme funded by the British Heart Foundation at the University of Manchester.

Dr Joan Chang studied Biochemistry at Imperial College London, and received her PhD from the Institute of Cancer Research, University of London, in 2013. She has travelled and lived around the world in the name of science (Denmark, Sweden, USA, Hong Kong), and arrived back in the UK to study the nitty-gritty of matrix (read: collagen) control by cells. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Manchester, and is a Mass Spectrometry aficionado.

Alex James completed a MChem in chemistry at the university of Hull, graduating in 2016. He then started a PhD at the university of Sheffield in October 2016 working in the area of microporous polymers for applications in CO2 capture and storage. Upon completion of his PhD in October of 2019 he gained a 3 year postdoctoral research position at the University of Liverpool with prof. Andrew Cooper FRS working with industry in designing novel porous materials for challenging gas separations.

In this podcast we chat with members of the editorial team from Developing Academic Practice  about the newly established open access journal published by Liverpool University Press.

Charles Buckley works as a Senior Academic Developer within the Academy at Liverpool University on a range of developments such as the MA in Academic Practice, the Degree Standards Project for external examiners; the Professional Services Ethics Committee and he is Institutional Representative for the NTF and CATE awards.

Gita Sedghi is a Senior Lecturer, the MSc Programme Director and the Internationalisation Lead in the Department of Chemistry and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead in the School of Physical Sciences at the University of Liverpool.

Tünde Varga-Atkins, PhD, is a Senior Educational Developer at the Centre for Innovation in Education, University of Liverpool and Senior Fellow (HEA).

Luke Simpson is currently working as an Administrator within the Academy at the University of Liverpool, Luke’s main areas of administration responsibility are within Academic Development programmes such as University of Liverpool Teaching Recognition and Accreditation (ULTRA) Framework & Foundations in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (FLTHE).

In this podcast we chat with Becky about her work with students to prepare them for the future in regard to developing programming and quantitative analysis skills.

Becky Jones has been working as a lecturer in the School of Life Sciences since 2018. Prior to this Becky spent a year as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Sussex, following on from her undergraduate in Zoology, PhD in Behavioural Ecology and a year lectureship at the University of Liverpool.

Becky is an outdoor enthusiast, nature lover and keen baker. Having recently rescued a lurcher, named Bolt, she enjoys nothing more than long hikes in neighboring North Wales, easily reached from her home on the Wirral. Becky is additionally currently learning to ring birds, both as a hobby and to embed in her teaching and outreach.

In this podcast we chat with Gemma her module development and her use of micro-learning to support inclusion.

In this podcast we chat with Rachel about her recent Sir Alistair Pilkington Award and how she has developed her laboratory teaching to ensure it’s active, authentic and supportive.

Dr Rachel Smedley has been a Lecturer in Geography at the University of Liverpool since 2018. She is interested in how the Earth’s climate and environment has changed in the past so we can better understand the future, working on processes in a range of environments from glaciers to coasts to rivers to landslides. She is both a field and laboratory scientist and brings these expertise into her teaching. She is a specialist in a laboratory technique called luminescence dating where we can take a sample of silt, sand or rock and determine how long it has been buried in the ground. Rachel loves being in the laboratory for her experimental research and really enjoys teaching students in the Central Teaching Laboratories at Liverpool where learning is all hands on.

In this podcast we chat with Matt Murphy about how he has developed enhanced employability opportunities for students through authentic, industry-led projects.

Matt Murphy is a Senior Lecturer in Engineering Design, and Director of Education, in the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Liverpool, UK. He is a metallurgist by background, with a PhD and 12-year technical research career in the additive manufacture (3D printing) of metals. For the last 14 years Matt has concentrated primarily on learning & teaching, and has held several leadership positions in the School of Engineering with special responsibility for curricular and pedagogic reform. Matt teaches a range of courses in design, materials science & manufacturing, but most enjoys leading the group design project modules. He establishes and supervises a broad range of student projects in fields such as energy from waste; urban farming; sustainable energy & transport; veterinary healthcare; circular economy; and the hyperlocal recycling of thermoplastics. In recent years Matt has focused on developing authentic learning and assessment experiences, in partnership with industry, that seek to replicate professional practice within undergraduate programmes. Matt is Chair of the University Education for Sustainable Development Working Group; has been a collaborator in the CDIO Initiative (cdio.org) for 16 years, and a member of its International Governing Council for 12 years.

In this podcast we chat with Heather White about how we can continue to network effectively in our new hybrid working environment.

Heather White is a leading international expert on all things Networking, Personal Brand and LinkedIn, and just loves connecting people! Heather believes the hard truth about networking is that if your contacts don’t ‘get’ you they can’t help you.  Networking is about building a strong network of contacts who understand you and are willing to recommend you when the moment arises.  It is also about caring for, and being of service to those in your network.

For the last 18 years, using a very down-to-earth and practical approach, Heather has helped countless people - to communicate their roles, strengths and value more confidently and to engage more both internally and externally to promote better communications, encourage business relationships and improve career progression.  Over the years Heather has delivered services to numerous high profile organisations such as: American Express, BAE Systems, BDO, Cambridge University Judge Business School, CGI, Christies, Commerzbank, Hult International Business School, Imperial College London, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, IOSH, Just Group plc, KPMG, London Business School, London Chamber of Commerce, Metlife, Motorola Solutions, Nationwide Building Society, PGIM, Royal Bank of Scotland, Siemens, The Law Society, UBM (UK) Ltd, University of St. Gallen and WHU Business School to name but a few.

In this Making an Impact Special we chat with Sabina, James and Tom about how, as colleagues working in HE, we can engage with policy makers.

Tom Arnold is a post-doctoral research associate at the Heseltine Institute of Public Policy, Practice & Place. He joined the institute in March 2020 after completing his PhD at the University of Manchester’s planning school, which focused on the rescaling of transport planning powers in Northern England. His research centres primarily on local and regional governance and institutions in England, and particularly their relationship with UK government.

James Coe is Senior Policy Advisor at the University of Liverpool.  He is responsible for providing advice on higher education, civic engagement, and wider policy developments, to the Vice Chancellor and her senior leadership team.

Sabina Frediani is the University of Liverpool’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, directing a team focused on staff and student communications, media relations, engagement with research and corporate events. Prior to joining the University in 2018, Sabina spent 20 years as a communications professional in the campaigning and charity sector. This included working as Director of Campaigns at the human rights organisation, Liberty from 2007 to 2014, where she lobbied policymakers on human rights issues and directed award winning public campaigns. She has worked for the disability rights charity, Mencap and managed public affairs at the Foundation for Peace, a charity working nationally and internationally to promote non-violent conflict resolution.

In this Making an Impact Special we chat with Sarah and Alys about how blogging can be a powerful communication tool.

Sarah Arrowsmith has been a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Liverpool since 2010.  Before Covid Sarah could be found in the laboratory carrying out wet-lab experiments focused on understanding uterine contractions to find novel treatments for preterm birth or slow to progress labours.  Since the closure of laboratories due to COVID however, Sarah has been working from home on a very different project investigating the impact of COVID-19 on different research groups within the university, with a focus on equality, diversity, and inclusivity.

Sarah is a keen baker and cake decorator. She enjoys spending weekends with her 3-year-old daughter in the kitchen who, along with her husband, enjoys eating all the sweet treats.  During lockdown, Sarah took up running (to help burn off those cake calories!) and completed a 10K last October. Covid-permitting she hopes to run another this year and gain a new personal best.

Alys Kay has worked with Postgraduate Researchers in UK Universities for 11 years, as a facilitator and coach, specializing in personal and professional development. Alys is also a creative practitioner of socially engaged art, and has worked on many community projects facilitating storytelling and photography. During the pandemic Alys was part of a project that supported 1st, 2nd and 3rd Generation African Caribbean individuals to write and share their stories about the legacy of the Windrush Migration. Alys believes in the power of stories, as a tool of self-discovery, a way to make sense of the world and to engage the hearts and minds of others. She is currently developing a number of written pitches for personal essays/podcasts of her own which she is planning to turn into a side hustle in the near future.

Alys enjoys seeking out experiences that push her out of her comfort zone, and has taken up online laughter yoga during the pandemic. She is also a podcast addict, and documentary–aholic, avid reader of creative non-fiction and has been indulging this as much as possible, whilst cuddling a cat or two. Alys spends lots of time on weekends rough and tumbling with her kids, getting trampoline lessons off her youngest and facilitating (and scoffing!) the baking of chocolate stuff.

In this Making an Impact Special we chat with Billy, Helen and Claire about how to keep global connections in a world with less travel and how virtual and hybrid techniques can support international collaboration.

Dr Billy Mitchell joined the University of Liverpool in 2016 and leads on support for global challenges research and international partnerships. He has presented at INORMS 2018, ARMA 2017, and Auril (Association for University Research and Industry Links) 2017.

Helen Carlin is International Partnerships Manager at the University of Liverpool, leading on partnerships in India and the Americas. She leads on UoL’s institutional partnerships with the University of Georgia in the US.

Prof Claire Taylor is Gilmour Chair of Spanish and Professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of Liverpool. She is a specialist in Latin American culture, with a particular interest in two main areas: literary and cultural genres being developed online by Latin(o) Americans; and memory studies, memory practices and transitional justice contexts in Latin America, especially Colombia.

In this podcast we chat with Tony about the pressures of leading a local authority through a pandemic together with ever decreasing funding.

Tony Oakman is Chief Executive at Bolton Council. Primarily his role is to create the conditions for inclusive prosperity, growth and connectivity.  Born in London he currently lives 20 minutes away from Bolton.  Tony describes his career as follows: “Over time I hope I have made a difference, been authentic, inspired people and had fun and whatever it takes.”  Tony is happily married with three adult children and spends most of his time walking his two dogs, Cherry and Frankie.

In this podcast we chat with Emma Moore about how she navigated through a challenging year of the pandemic and continued to develop the peer led careers service.

Emma Moore is the University’s Director of Careers and Employability. In 2018 Emma re-imagined careers and employability delivery on campus, opening the UK’s first Career Studio – a peer to peer, experiential delivery space run by students, for students empowered by careers professionals. Emma has worked at the University for over 20 years in a variety of different roles. Emma is passionate about students as partners, positive action employability initiatives to improve social mobility and using new tech to enhance employability interactions. In her spare time Emma enjoys food, wine and good company and is very much looking forward to the end of lockdown as she has realised what a large role bars, restaurants and friends play in making her life fun!

In this podcast we discuss how Claire has used hybrid working practices during the various stages of her career and how we can apply them to today’s situation.

Claire is Organisational Development Manager at Plus Dane Housing, a Housing Association based in Cheshire and Merseyside.

Claire started her working life back in the late 80's as a Research Technician at Sheffield University before relocating to the north-west and joining United Utilities. Whilst there, she moved from the laboratory into HR and OD after becoming involved in a large change project and, ended up being responsible for senior management succession and development across the group. Claire became self-employed after she left and set up a small consultancy with a friend and fellow OD practitioner. Over the next ten years she worked with a range of organisations including in the NHS, education, regional development, environmental charities and housing. In 2014 she moved back into employment at the National Union of Students, running their HR Support Unit for nearly five years. Next she worked in the Academy at Liverpool University implementing two new senior leadership development programmes before joining Plus Dane Housing in summer 2020. Throughout all of this, she has always aimed to take a practical approach to OD - something which helps people to grow and supports organisations in their specific context.

Claire lives on the Wirral with her husband, John. Outside of work she loves cooking, yoga, plants and travel – plus a bit of shopping.

In this podcast we discuss some of the research related to endometriosis and our colleagues’ experiences of supporting women with the condition.

Professor Dharani Hapangama is a gynaecologist working at the Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Liverpool. Professor Dharani leads a translational research group working on Peri-conceptional research, endometrial proliferative disease such as 'endometriosis' and 'endometrial cancer', normal regeneration of the human endometrium, endometrial epithelial stem cells and telomerase/telomere biology.

Dr Nicola Tempest is currently working as an Academic Clinical Lecturer at the University of Liverpool/ Liverpool Women`s Hospital. She is interested in the endometrial epithelium, stem cells, the histoarchitecture of the endometrium and the endometrium in implantation. Ongoing research projects include alternative treatments for chronic pelvic pain, exercise and reproduction, proteins involved in implantation, 3D reconstruction, repurposing of drugs for endometriosis and the progression of endometriosis.

Dr Manou Kaur is a consultant Gynaecological Surgeon, Robotic lead benign gynae, Co-lead Endometriosis Services at Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. Manou is Gynaecologist specialised in Complex Pelvic Surgeries - Open abdominal, Robotic, Laparoscopic and hysteroscopic and is passionate in elevating Women’s Health and focused on individualised, patient centred care.

Dr Alison Maclean is an Academic Clinical Fellow and Specialty Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at the Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Alison Maclean’s research interest is in the endometrium, and associated diseases, specifically adenomyosis, which will be the focus of her upcoming 3-year research fellowship, funded by the Medical Research Council.

In the podcast we discuss the impact that Endometriosis has had on Gemma and Ula’s lives and some of the ways we, as colleagues working in HE, could support those suffering from the condition.

In this podcast we introduce and discuss the condition Endometriosis which affects the lives of women, both in their personal life and in the workplace. We will be discussing what endometriosis is and the facts around the condition, tips for getting a diagnosis, tips for managing the condition, and busting the myths around Endometriosis.

Faye Fathering is the Campaigns & Communications Manager for Endometriosis UK and manages the organization's media and campaigning work – which has included working with the BBC to interview over 10,000 people with the disease and working with MPs to launch an Inquiry in Parliament. She’s passionate about ensuring those with endometriosis have a voice and that care is improved.

In this podcast we hear about the model for building communities of practice that Monica has developed and how this model took off to support colleagues to work with Microsoft Teams during the pandemic.

In this podcast we hear about how over the last year Steven successfully moved his highly engaging classroom development into a solely online experience while maintaining his excellent feedback form participants.

The owner of a consultancy company that bears his name Steven Talbot prides himself on delivering development activities that lead to sustained behaviour change. His career has found him working with the most vulnerable people in society and therefore his approach is always people focussed.

Steven worked in various settings in and around the public sector which always enabled him to be on the front line. He uses this experience to now delivery relevant and challenging development activities. In 2018 Steven started his own consultancy company which has won contracts with local governments, emergency services and Universities in the midlands and north west.  In this podcast we discuss some of the challenges and opportunities of pivoting to online learning and development facilitation.

In this podcast we chat with David about the challenges of leading Claire House through a pandemic and what he has learnt about leadership as a result.

David Pastor has been the CEO of Claire House since 2010.  He started his career working for British Airways but followed his heart into the charity sector at the start of the millennium with a move to Whizz-Kidz, working on events like the London and New York Marathons.

David moved into the children’s hospice movement when he joined Oxford-based Helen & Douglas House, primarily leading the charity’s income generation strategy before moving into general management and completing an MBA.  David is an outdoor pursuits enthusiast with particular interests in marathon running, climbing mountains and cycling (but not all at the same time!) In the summer he cycles his daily commute into Claire House from his home in West Kirby, where he lives with his wife and three children.

In this podcast we hear about the work of People Alchemy and the Paul’s latest thinking about the three invisible elephants of learning & development.

People Alchemy’s founder and CEO is Paul Matthews. Paul’s key skill is in making the ideas come alive with stories and making sure his listeners receive practical tools and tips to take away and implement. He excels at reducing complex theory down to simple concepts and then articulating these in a way that everyone can understand, and more importantly, use to get better results for themselves and their organisations.

Paul is a regular speaker at HR and L&D events and exhibitions covering a wide variety of topics; especially informal learning, learning transfer, performance consultancy, and how Learning & Development can help businesses achieve their targets. He is also invited to speak on management and leadership, and how they impact on capability and performance at work.

In this podcast, we discuss how to make sense of a hybrid work environment and some of the challenges we’ll face as we embed new ways of working.

As the Director of The Academy at the University of Liverpool, Dr James Howard supports the University’s strategic objectives for research, education and professional services, through the development of the University’s people and practices. He leads the work of The Academy’s teams and, as a member of the University’s leadership, ensures that staff in all roles, at all levels, can access sector-leading development opportunities.

James was also a key member of the team which was awarded £3.6m by Research England, towards the £4.2m Prosper Project, based in the Academy, for which he now acts as Project Director. Prosper is a new approach to researcher career development, with the ultimate goal of opening up the huge talent pool that exists within the postdoctoral research community across the UK, to the benefit of postdocs themselves, Principal Investigators, employers and the wider UK economy.

James notes that the aims of Prosper are now more important than ever, as unlocking the expertise and experience of postdocs will be vital as the UK aims to succeed in a post COVID-19 world.

Outside of his work in HE, James is a successful entrepreneur with a growing restaurant business. In this podcast James discusses the challenges of adapting practice in a post covid world.

This is a special episode recorded for Black History Month.

Music

This is a special episode recorded for Black History Month.

Music

This is a special episode recorded for Black History Month.

This is a special episode recorded for Black History Month.

Music

This is a special episode recorded for Black History Month.

Music

We are back!

In this trailer, we announce that season 3 will be launched in December 2020 and that for the month of October we have 5 specials for Black History Month. (hence the temporary re-brand)

Fancy attending our podcast club? Click here for details: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/developing-practice-podcast-journal-club-race-science-tickets-113089126622

In this podcast we discuss the changing landscape of doctoral education, and the implications of this for PhD supervisors.

Professor Stan Taylor was educated at the universities of Oxford and Warwick, and has held posts at the universities of Warwick, Newcastle and Durham. He is a specialist in doctoral education and has worked with doctoral supervisors to enhance their practice in universities in the UK, Eastern and Western Europe, and the Far East. He is an active researcher in the field and has a number of publications including (with Margaret Kiley and Robin Humphrey) A Handbook for Doctoral Supervisors (Routledge, 2018).  He is a former member of the Executive of the UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) and Chair of its Research Supervisor Network. He is an Honorary Professor of the School of Education at Durham University, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

In this podcast, we discuss Angela’s most recent book, Superior, which explores the existence of racism in science and how science is often used to support a certain position.  We reflect on the impact of the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement on public awareness, as well as some of the reasons why people from Black and Asian backgrounds have been disproportionately affected by the COVID pandemic.

Angela Saini is an award-winning science journalist, author and broadcaster.  She presents radio and television programmes on the BBC and her writing has appeared in The Sunday Times, Nature, New Scientist, National Geographic and Wired.  She has won a number of national and international journalism awards.

In this podcast we hear about Paul’s latest thinking around how Nudge Theory can be used in learning & development.

People Alchemy’s founder and CEO is Paul Matthews. Paul’s key skill is in making the ideas come alive with stories and making sure his listeners receive practical tools and tips to take away and implement. He excels at reducing complex theory down to simple concepts and then articulating these in a way that everyone can understand, and more importantly, use to get better results for themselves and their organisations.

Paul is a regular speaker at HR and L&D events and exhibitions covering a wide variety of topics; especially informal learning, learning transfer, performance consultancy, and how Learning & Development can help businesses achieve their targets. He is also invited to speak on management and leadership, and how they impact on capability and performance at work.

In this podcast, we discuss the importance of engaging students in their learning.  We explore the means to do this by encouraging student voice and fostering partnership.  We hope this podcast will support you to reflect upon your personal practice in regard to the mechanisms you use to engage your students in their own learning.

Dr Camille Kandiko Howson is Associate Professor of Education in the Centre for Higher Education Research & Scholarship (CHERS) at Imperial College London.  She is an international expert in higher education research with a focus on student engagement; student outcomes and learning gain; and quality, performance and accountability. She recently evaluated the Office for Students’ £4million Learning Gain Pilot Projects. She is a Principle Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.  Camille’s current research focuses on international and comparative higher education, the curriculum; using Big Data and learning analytics to support the student experience; high quality and high impact pedagogical research; academic motivation, prestige and gender; and developing the use of concept mapping in higher education and intersectionality in research design.

In this podcast, we hear about a number of innovations that have been applied in the Department of Eye and Vision Science to enhance the PGR experience.  We explore the changes that have been made to support student learning and the impact of these changes for the students and staff located in the department.  We hope this podcast will support you to reflect upon your personal practice and any developments that could be made to your teaching to support the student experience.

Dr Kevin Hamill completed his doctoral studies as a Wellcome Trust Prize student in the lab of Professor Irwin McLean at the University of Dundee where he focused on identifying the genetic and the molecular mechanisms underlying human genetic disorders with particular emphasis on the wound healing disorder Laryngo-onycho-cutaneous syndrome (McLean et al, HMG 2006). These studies identified not only the mutations responsible for the disease but also uncovered a novel role for the laminin alpha3a subunit in regulating the formation of granulation tissue.

Dr Hamill now works as a Senior Lecturer and is actively involved in the teaching and administration of the MRes in Clinical Sciences as module coordinator of Lab skills module. He also leads the postgraduate student journal club and thesis writing training sessions for the Department of Eye and Vision Science.

In this Making an Impact Special we discuss the role of the Research staff association in creating a positive change in culture for research staff within the University.

Dr Nicola Beesley, graduated the University of Liverpool with a BVSc in Veterinary Science and a Masters in Veterinary Parasitology. Based in the Institute for Infection and Global Health (IGH), Nicola’s research focuses on parasites that infect animals, particularly liver fluke. 

Dr Sarah Arrowsmith gained her PhD from the University of Liverpool and has a long-standing interest in the role of the uterus during pregnancy and labour. Her current project is evaluating treatments received by women experiencing preterm labour contractions and how they affect the uterus to stop these contractions. 

Miss Mary Jane Monaghan spent 15 years working with children as an early years practitioner. Mary Jane currently works at the University of Liverpool as a Research Assistant on the FIT4RRI project investigating perceptions of ethics and science education and the training tools required to enhance and expand knowledge in these areas.

Dr Alison Savage is a Postdoctoral Research Associate working in the research group of Professor Steve Rannard based in the Department of Chemistry. Her work involves developing solid drug nanoparticles of poorly water soluble drugs in order to improve bioavailability in oral and long acting injectable dosage forms. 

Dr Blanca Perez Sepulveda works as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Institute of Integrative Biology investigating the molecular mechanisms of Salmonella virulence and their environmental reservoirs. Blanca moved to the UK after completing an MSc(Res) in Biochemistry at the University of Chile. She obtained a PhD in Molecular Microbiology at the University of Warwick and joined the University of Liverpool in 2016.

Dr Kris Subramaniam received her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York in 2009. Her work focused on understanding the immunological parameters that dictate protection in HIV-associated cryptococcal disease. Kris joined the University of Liverpool in 2012 as a post-doctoral research assistant and currently works on vaccines for flaviviruses (dengue and Zika) and more recently working with COVID-19 immunology.

In this Making an Impact Special we discuss the findings of Wellcome’s survey of what researchers think about the culture they work in, and how we can learn from each other’s good practice to improve research culture.

Dr Beth Thompson is Head of UK & EU Policy at the Wellcome Trust. Wellcome is a global foundation dedicated to improving health and spends £1 billion a year to support research, education and public engagement. Beth joined Wellcome in 2009 and now leads Wellcome’s UK & EU policy and advocacy activities. In 2017 Beth was awarded an MBE for services to science for her work on the EU General Data Protection Regulation. Beth has a PhD from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge and a degree in Natural Sciences (Biochemistry) from the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Diego Baptista works between the Policy and Advocacy team and the Diversity and Inclusion team at Wellcome. He is making sure our efforts to Reimagine Research are inclusive in how they are developed and implemented. He has previously held a role at Wellcome in the Open Research team and holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Harvard University.

Dr Ben Bleasdale is a Senior Policy and Advocacy Adviser at Wellcome. His role involves monitoring and influencing the factors which support good science – from Government investment, to research culture. As part of the cross-Wellcome team behind the Reimagine Research initiative, he supports organisations and individuals to work together to improve the working culture of research. He held roles at the Academy of Medical Sciences and the MRC, having previously completed a PhD in structural virology at Imperial College London.

In this Making an Impact Special we discuss the University of Liverpool’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and how these relate to some of the activities of the University.

Professor Dame Janet Beer is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, having formerly been Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University. She was awarded a Damehood for services to higher education and equality and diversity in the New Year’s Honours list 2018. Dame Janet is a Trustee of the British Council, a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Universities UK Board and the National Leadership Advisory Board.

Professor Dinah Birch is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Cultural Engagement and Professor of English Literature at the University of Liverpool. She chaired REF2014 Sub-panel 29 (English Literature and Language) and was Deputy Chair of Main Panel D (Arts and Humanities) and is Chair of Main Panel D in REF 2021.

Professor Fiona Beveridge is Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Prior to assuming this role, Fiona was Head of the School of Law and Social Justice and Research Lead for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Fiona is a Professor of Law, specialising in international and EU law, in particular foreign investment law and gender equality law and policy.

Nicola Davis was appointed as Director of Finance at the University of Liverpool in October 2017 and is responsible for all finance and procurement activity at the University, along with Strategic Planning and the Strategic Change team. Prior to her role at Liverpool, she held a number of roles at the University of Manchester, most recently Deputy Director of Finance. Over the last five years, her roles have been focussed on the delivery of change projects, including two finance, restructures, and the design and implementation of new planning and reporting processes.

In this Making an Impact Special we discuss how coaching can support researchers to maximise their potential and what we mean when we talk about researcher wellbeing.

Denise Chilton is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach & Qualified Coach Supervisor, specialising in leadership coaching and coaching training. Before setting up her coaching business, Denise had a successful 20-year management career working for large corporate organisations such as Royal Sun Alliance and Bank of America. She then trained with the Coaches Training Institute in 2010 and went on to qualify as a Certified Professional Co-active Coach (CPCC) the following year. She also holds Professional Certified Coach (PCC) status with the International Coach Federation. Over the last decade, Denise has worked with hundreds of people across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors: empowering them to live life to the full both personally and professionally.

Angela Midgley gained her PhD at the University of Nottingham and her postdoc career involved research into autoimmune diseases in adults and subsequently children. In 2015 Angela took on the role as a Knowledge Exchange scientist at the UK’s first and only Experimental Arthritis centre for children based at Alder Hey Children’s hospital and more recently at the end of 2019 became a Research Staff developer at the Academy, University of Liverpool. Angela believes strongly in the importance of proactively engaging with people from all different backgrounds with a key objective being to raise the knowledge base and scientific conversation in the community. Angela has and continues to design and run numerous hands on science stalls at museums, schools and festivals.

In this podcast, we meet Nadia Soliman, former Army Officer and current PhD student at Imperial College London.  We discuss Nadia’s belief that the Army and academic institutions are very similar in terms of their work globally engaging people to do remarkable things to tackle challenges.  We also discuss Nadia’s understanding of the differences between the two in relation to development and leadership.  We hope this podcast will support you to reflect upon your personal practice as you reflect upon Nadia’s thoughts concerning leadership in Higher Education.

With a BSc (Hons) Pharmacology from the University of Liverpool, Nadia Soliman has returned to academia having served in both the regular and reserve of the British Army for over ten years. Specialising in explosive threat mitigation her service has taken her around the world, and she continues to deliver strategy, risk and performance management services. Since returning to academia she has gained an MSc in Drug Discovery Skills and MRes in Cellular and Molecular Biosciences and is in her second year of a PhD at Imperial College London. Her PhD is focused on developing automation technologies to improve the feasibility, efficiency and accuracy of preclinical systematic reviews while addressing neurobiological questions of interest. She is currently conducting a systematic review of cannabis-based medicines for analgesia using crowd science. This review will provide empirical evidence to improve the field of pain and cannabis-based medicine animal research, the use of machine-assisted technology and how to employ a crowd of scientists from around the world to ensure that research conduct is rigorous, interpretable, open and transparent. She has an interest in sharing her military experiences and knowledge of leadership development to engender a more positive research culture.

In this Making an Impact Special we discuss The Prosper Project, a model being developed by colleagues based in The Academy to enhance first-time postdoctoral career development and success.

Dr Fiona McBride is a Research Staff Developer on the Prosper Project in the Academy at the University of Liverpool. interventions based on experience.

Lucy Williams is the Senior Project Manager on the Prosper Project in the Academy at the University of Liverpool. 

Katie McAllister is the Stakeholder Engagement Manager on the Prosper Project.

In this podcast, we hear about the work of Paul Gilbert and the impact the Technician Commitment has had thus far on the University of Liverpool.  We hope this podcast will support you to reflect upon your personal practice and any developments that could be made to your teaching to support the student experience.

After graduating from the University of Leeds in 2001 with a degree in Human Genetics, Paul worked for a few years at Medscreen, a drug and alcohol testing company based in London. He then secured a Research Technician post in the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research at the University of Manchester in 2005, where he became the lab manager for a small team of technicians supporting the investigation of genetic and epidemiological aspects of musculoskeletal conditions. In June 2017, he joined IIB as the Technical Manager.

In this podcast, we discuss the value of transnational education for students and staff. Transnational education is education delivered in a country other than the country in which the awarding institution is located and in this podcast we explore how students have engaged with this opportunity and the impact it has on the student experience. We hope this podcast regarding transnational education will support you to reflect upon how you work with and support students in your own context.

Jenny Howard is Head of the Education Development Division in ILEAD, the Institute of Leadership and Education Advanced Development, at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). She is responsible for the provision of educational and professional development for XJTLU staff and postgraduate students. Her areas of interest include universal design for learning and strategies for supporting the implementation of CLIL teaching pedagogies at the disciplinary level.

Charlie Reis is Director of the PGCert for the EDD of ILEAD, a School in Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. His role is to support staff to improve the student learning experience through all HEA/AdvanceHE related initiatives, mainly directing and delivering the PGCert as well as ensuring that it is a model of pedagogy for staff. He also contributes to the realisation of the University’s strategic objectives in terms of learning and teaching and does much work with communities of practice and peer observation.

In this podcast, we discuss academic scholarship; what it is, how we can develop our own engagement with scholarship and how scholarship can support our academic practice.

Dr Eli Saetnan is a senior academic developer with a remit to support the development of scholarship informed practice across the institution. I have a personal interest in developing the scholarly evidence base for Academic Development practice as well as supporting academic colleagues to underpin their own teaching practice with scholarship and pedagogic research. As someone who has made the transition from biological sciences to pedagogic research, I am also interested in developing scholarship across disciplinary boundaries and supporting the development of trans-disciplinary authorship.

In this podcast we hear about how colleagues in the School of Environmental Sciences are supporting students on programmes in Ecology and Marine Biology to develop as global citizens. We explore the development of Independent Overseas Study Visits for students where they engage in a project that supports their understanding of the discipline in a global context. We hope this podcast will support you to reflect upon the impact that supporting students to engage with international partners can have upon their personal development as well as their discipline understanding with a view to developing your own personal practice.

Dr Jonathan Green is a Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology the School of Environmental Sciences. He is currently programme director for BSc Environmental Science and has previously been programme director for BSc Marine Biology.

In this podcast, Jess talks about her passion for raising awareness of the work and contribution of scientists who can be overlooked. Jess explains the importance of raising the profile of these scientists.  We hope this podcast will support you to reflect upon your personal practice and provide you with some insights into how we can all help with the endeavour of raising the profile of those who might be overlooked.

Dr Jess Wade MBE is a postdoctoral research associate in plastic electronics in the solid-state physics group at Imperial College London, focusing on developing and characterising light-emitting polymer thin films.

Jess has contributed to public engagement to increase gender equality in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. She represented the UK on the United States Department of State-funded International Visitor Leadership Program Hidden No More and served on the WISE Campaign Young Women's Board and Women's Engineering Society (WES) Council, working with teachers across the country through the Stimulating Physics Network (including keynote talks at education fairs and teacher conferences).

In this trailer, we reflect on our first season of The Academy’s Developing Practice Podcast.  We then preview some of the coming episodes in Season 2 which officially launches on the 14th April.

The hosts.

Dr. Alex Owen is a Senior Academic Developer working in collaboration with colleagues from across the Academy, the wider institution and beyond to enhance the development of excellence in learning and teaching in line with the University's strategic objectives. At her previous institution, she was a Faculty of Education based Head of Department and now, at the University of Liverpool, she leads on the design and delivery of a range of opportunities for colleagues to continually develop their professional practice with a view to learning and teaching enhancement.

Alex’s work involves providing 'Peer Learning' leadership across the broad range of Academy activities designed in response to the strategic educational objectives of the University.  She works to cascade and share good learning and teaching practice and to build supportive networks for educational leaders to share and promote excellence in learning and teaching practice at the University.  Her interest lies with the development of opportunities for innovation in educational practices to be acknowledged, celebrated and shared with the wider University community. Twitter @alexandra_owen

Matt Davis is an Organisational Developer (eLearning Lead) and his role is to create blended and online learning design, to commission learning interventions, to consult with managers and leaders on how to enhance performance through learning, to help facilitate strategic change through learning and to perform learning needs analysis. He also conducts evaluation and analysis of all such activities. He has worked in Learning and Development for 11 years in various roles.

Matt is a keen advocate of providing organisational development initiatives to facilitate powerful and positive change in people and thus the organisation they work for. Being very technology-focused and previously running a not for profit eLearning company he sees the huge benefits that online/mobile learning can bring to an organisations ability to learn and adapt for the future, as well as the personal benefits that each staff member can gain. Twitter: @ElearnerMatt

In this podcast, we discuss how policy informs our operations at the University but also, importantly, how operations should inform our policy.  We talk about the importance of encouraging communication between colleagues who set the strategy and colleagues who operationalise the strategy.  One way this has been achieved in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences is through the Professional Services Student Experience Network.  We hope this podcast will support you to reflect on the importance of communication across teams and the value of respecting everyone’s contribution with a view to ensuring the student experience.

Cath McNamara is the Student Experience Manager in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.  Her role is to support the education strand of Strategy 2026 by ensuring the highest possible quality of student experience for students across the Faculty.  The scope of this role is wide-ranging and touches upon anything that can have an impact upon student experience, but to summarise, it is about supporting teams within Schools and Institutes to deliver a consistent approach to student experience and working with colleagues across the University to ensure that decision-making is informed by the needs of our students and local knowledge of our staff.