Author: Gordon Short

Nico Henry: Representation and championing inclusivity

Celebrating Disability History Month Nico Henry in front of the Imperial College Union

“People have different disabilities and a lot of them are very hidden. If anyone has any issues, including accessibility issues or anything they want to discuss – I’m here.”

Nico Henry is Deputy President (Welfare) for Imperial College Union, having recently completed his undergraduate degree in theoretical physics.

Championing the students’ union

While he was studying, he didn’t know much about Imperial’s student union or what they did. Now he is on a mission to promote the great work that goes on and speak to as many students as possible.

“Every other Friday I am going to be outside the Senior Common Room at lunchtime. Come along – ask us what we’re up to, leave some feedback or complain. We’re here!”

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Lewis Turner: subject matter expert on all things international mobility

Lewis Turner with helicopter in Himalayas

“Given my background and experiences, I feel like I have mobility in my blood.”

Lewis Turner is our International Mobility Manager, leading the International Mobility Team (IMT). He joined Imperial in spring 2022.

Advisors on all things international

The International Mobility Team (IMT) advises on ‘all things international’ and include members from HR, Compliance, and Payroll & Pensions. (more…)

Comfort Oluwakoya: Upholding Black voices

“I want Black and minority ethnic students to know that they belong at Imperial and that there’s a place here for them.”

Comfort Oluwakoya is a third year Medical student and is Imperial College Union’s current Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Officer.

Upholding Black voices

Comfort was driven to become the union’s BME Officer as she believes it is vital Black students having a seat at the table and she wants to provide a Black role model for new students. (more…)

Alex Stepney, Facility Manager, Central Biomedical Services 

Alex Stepney, Facility Manager, Central Biomedical Services

“I have always been fascinated by the essential role that animal research plays in the mainstream discoveries we see in the media.” 

I have worked in the animal research industry for 32 years, over half of which has been at Imperial College London. I started my career journey in this industry as an Animal Technician in 1992. I believe good connections between the researchers and animal facility staff are critical for the progress of science and the welfare of animals, and my career path has been based on this belief.  

I also believe that continued learning and development help to promote staff engagement. Therefore, I train my staff to meet the highest standards of animal welfare. I encourage staff to talk to the researchers they work with, visit their lab meetings, and attend seminars to understand the research conducted in our facilities. This enables discussions on how improvements can be made to their studies, like housing, habituation, or experimental techniques. It also allows us to offer additional training to improve animal welfare.     (more…)

Steve Nimo, Undergraduate, Electronic and Information Engineering

Steve Nimo

“Being one of the first in my family to go to university, let alone a Russell Group university, I have found it less easy to access the kind of mentorship we need to be successful in today’s world of work.”

I’m currently a second-year undergraduate student studying Electrical and Information Engineering at Imperial College London. Being one of the first in my family to go to university, let alone a Russell Group university, I have found it less easy to access the kind of mentorship we need to be successful in today’s world of work. For example, I didn’t even know that opportunities such as internships and spring weeks existed! In the past this has impacted the way I thought about post-graduation careers and opportunities. My first year consisted of a lot of research into careers, as my main aim is to secure a top job offer when I graduate.

I spent the first part of my childhood in East London, before moving to a small area just outside Birmingham. As a Christian, I believe that God has a plan for each of us and moving from London enabled me to grow as an individual, as I had to learn to adapt quickly to new environments. Moving from London helped me realise the importance of studying and hard work – my academic results quickly improved thanks to my newly found determination. Receiving my offer from Imperial felt remarkable as I was able to return to London as an undergraduate studying in one of the world’s best universities! (more…)

Susie Goss and Jo Dyson, Deputy Director of Student Administration (Graduation Events)

Susie Goss and Jo Dyson, Deputy Director of Student Administration (Graduation Events)

“Being in a job share is really quite special. There’s always someone who understands the challenges you face and who celebrates every success with you.”

We are jointly the Deputy Director of Student Admin (Graduation Events), a role that we undertake as a job share partnership, working with our amazing team to deliver Imperial’s enormous graduation events. We joined Imperial as a ready-made job share, applying, interviewing and being appointed together as a double act.

We’d previously been a job share for three years at the Prince’s Trust, where Susie covered Jo’s maternity leave before Jo returned part-time and we became a duo. Applying together for a role was new for us, and it was an especially strange experience as we did it during the pandemic, writing our application and doing the interviews remotely on Teams. Having known each other for so long, we read each other very well in a room but it felt strange to formally invite each other to take each question in interview because it was online! It can’t have been that odd for the panel since we managed to get the job though, initially as Head of Institutional Events before a structure change took the team into different divisions and we moved with the Graduation Events team into Registry. (more…)

Artificial Intelligence Futurists

AI Futurists

The Artificial Intelligence Futurists from left to right: Rhodri Nelson, Caroline Clewley, Konstantinos Beis, Emma Blyth, Jay DesLauriers and Coco Nijhoff

“Our curiosity in exploring AI is shaped by our individual experiences of Imperial as a community that is open to innovation and positive change.” 

As Imperial’s newly appointed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Futurists, we hope to be at the forefront of how our community shapes its response to new technologies, particularly within the education field.

Individually, we are a diverse group and bring our own experiences to these new planning, engagement, and ‘blue-sky-thinking’ positions which will sit within different parts of the university. We are all longstanding members of the community with day jobs across all four faculties; Natural Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and the Business School. We have been in our new roles for several weeks now.

We consider AI to be emblematic of a deeper level of change within our professional and personal lives. When several of us first began our careers, the internet was a tool embedded across daily life in a way that few thought could be substantially ‘bettered’. Then came along social media and smart devices which provide us with significant access to information but can whittle away our time management skills and attention spans. Fast forward a decade, and we now find how we run our offices, our teaching activity, and our homes to be changed beyond recognition in positive and challenging ways. As AI Futurists, we want to support colleagues and students navigate another wave of change, and perhaps apply their approach toward other changes in education, employment, and wider society. Our curiosity in exploring AI very much feels shaped by our individual experiences of Imperial as a community that is open to innovation and positive change. (more…)

Able@Imperial, Staff Network

Able Network. Able is open to all staff and PhD students with disabilities, and allies.

“Through our community we are changing the narrative of what it means to be disabled.”

Able is Imperial’s staff network which exists to provide community for disabled staff, PhD student and allies. They welcome all staff and PhD students who live with a disability and/or long-term condition, regardless of whether they identify as disabled or not.

Able is committed to raising the profile of disability awareness that focuses on the person’s ability and on addressing and removing the barriers that are disabling them – known as the social model of disability.

They act as a space for members to connect and support one another – through networking, events and an informal coffee session every Friday on Teams. (more…)

Giuseppe Masi, Security Officer, Community Safety and Support

Giuseppe Masi, Security Officer, Community Safety and Support

“Learning opens your mind, challenging your own thoughts and opinions and leading to better outcomes.”

I work at Imperial’s Hammersmith Campus as a Community Safety and Support Officer and I will be celebrating 25 years at Imperial on 2 August 2024. My role is very varied and I have a wide range of duties overseeing the safety and security of people of both our people and our buildings. I work both day and night shifts, and there is much more to my role than simply monitoring CCTV in the Control Room – no two days are the same. I patrol the Hammersmith Campus, addressing security issues as unauthorised people or unattended bags.  

In addition to security duties, I offer front line customer service to not only Imperial staff and students, but also to our visitors; this can be anything from helping with access issues, lost property, replacing lost ID cards or covering on reception. Health and safety is another key part of my role – not only do I look for building defects on the campus but I monitor a range of alarms for things like refuge points and changes in lab gases.   (more…)

Emma Bowman, Process Outcome Designer, Strategic Programmes and Change

Emma Bowman, Process Outcome Designer, Strategic Programmes and Change

“I feel really proud to work at Imperial, it is amazing to turn on the TV and see my colleagues on the news.”

I started working at Imperial in 2013 on a Faculty of Medicine graduate scheme. Since then I have undertaken a whole variety of roles across the university; I was the Cardiovascular Division Manager in the National Heart & Lung Institute, then the Institute Manager for the Data Science Institute, then the Director of Operations for the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment. I feel really proud to work at Imperial, it is amazing to turn on the TV and see my colleagues on the news. It is a privilege to work with such talented, motivated, and interesting people. 

Currently I am a Process Outcome Designer (POD) working on the Great Service Programme, implementing a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) IT system, to replace our very old system, ICIS. The project will have a really positive impact, as it will streamline processes, create efficiencies and reduce manual workarounds. Hopefully, it will make every-day processes like recruitment, purchasing and submitting expenses less cumbersome for everyone!  (more…)