School of Politics and International Studies

Lecturer in British Politics

What does your working day at POLIS involve?
My academic life is split into two parts. On the days I am teaching, my day consists of lectures, seminars, office hours and an ever increasing amount of meetings! My research days are filled with … research! Sometimes that involves travelling to libraries and archives or it could be reading at home.

What brought you to POLIS and the University of Leeds?
I did my MA in the History department at Leeds and was so happy that it never occurred to me to go to another institution. During the course of my MA I had become really interested in post-war British politics so when it came time to apply for my PhD it made more sense for me to apply to the POLIS department than the History department.  I was accepted and have been here ever since.

How did you get into your particular area of research?
I did an MA module on Post-War British politics and was totally smitten with the period. Over the last eight years my interests have developed further so my current love is British foreign policy. Luckily I was invited by a research group at Hull University to write on the current foreign policy aims of the Labour Party and the Conservative Party, so I have been lucky enough to research what I enjoy with a very specific goal in mind.

What are some of the other jobs you do?
I am Admissions tutor, Joint Honours Tutor, Personal Tutor and the Academic Co-ordinator for the Open Days, so people tend to see me either before they arrive in POLIS or as a Personal Tutor when they arrive here.

How long have you been working at POLIS?
I started my PhD in September 2001, but started teaching in January 2003.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
I really love my subject area and enjoy nothing more than finding a couple of hours with a really interesting book on the subject. That said, teaching is really fun and the students are great. You can learn an awful lot from students!

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I only got married last October so I love spending time with my husband and our beautiful little puppy dog Willow. However, I am also a professional standard shopper and enjoy nothing better than wandering around Leeds with my mum on a shopping trip.

What is the funniest /most memorable thing that has ever happened to you at POLIS/as a lecturer?
A Chemistry lecturer was extremely rude to me once when I was giving a British Politics Lecturer and the whole auditorium of nearly 300 people made hissing noises at him to drive him out. I felt like part of a gang!

What are your plans for the future?
To develop as a lecturer. I am hoping to start work on my next book very shortly and continue on with my teaching, hopefully developing some interesting new modules.

If your life had gone in a different direction, what might you be doing instead?
I want to be a pathologist for about 10 minutes while at school, so I could have done that. However, I think I would have tried to get into creative writing and written fiction books. I still tell myself that one day I will write a book with a funky cover, rather than a book which has a picture of a politician on the front of it.

What's your most frequently asked question by students?
When are your office hours? Have you written my reference?

If you could get students to understand one thing what would it be?
That lecturers want you to do well! I love nothing better than being at graduation and seeing all the smiling faces. We want to help you to develop, but that means you have to help yourselves as well. We're not trying to trip you up!

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