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Biography

I joined the University of Bristol as Head of the Centre for Public Engagement in January 2008. The Centre supports and promotes engagement between the public and University staff, and is involved with activities such as helping academics develop and obtain funding for public engagement, and sharing and celebrating best practice. The Centre works closely with the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, which is run as a partnership between the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England. Previously, as Head of Public Engagement at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), I led projects including a national public dialogue about stem cell research and the development of large, interactive exhibitions on subjects including biodiversity and the use of animals in research.

What motivated you to engage with the public?

I’ve been involved with public engagement for about 10 years. Initially, I became interested in the way in which the public perceived scientists who used animals as part of their research, and became involved in engagement projects around those issues. I am still most interested in public engagement around controversial areas of research, and believe there is real value, to researchers and society, in dialogue throughout the research process in all areas of research. My goal is for all academics to see public engagement as an enjoyable and necessary part of their lives, and for the public to be able to engage in discussion about the way knowledge is developed and used to benefit society.

Describe the public engagement work you have done

My role at the University of Bristol was established to help the University achieve its mission of being an engaged university. To that end, I am working to develop a culture that supports and promotes engagement within my institution. I want to become an ambassador as I want to share successes and challenges with colleagues in other institutions. I feel I have something to offer – at Bristol I have instigated changes (e.g. with promotion criteria, by establishing an internal annual engagement conference and by establishing a mechanism for getting external input to our public engagement strategy), and I would be more than happy to share these experiences. I also have much to gain; at a recent meeting organised by the NCCPE talking to a colleague from another University about the effect of changes to promotion criteria was really helpful. I am most interested in the networking and sharing best practice opportunities the scheme offers