A community vision
Our 20 contributors to our vision and strategy film represent just a small cohort of our wonderfully diverse, skilled and friendly community at Bristol; this community is central to our vision and strategy. Our strategy has been shaped by what's important to our staff and students and will be successful thanks to the extraordinary efforts they go to, to ensure Bristol continues to make a positive impact locally, nationally and globally.
The world changes at pace, and we evolve with it.
Dr Myles-Jay Linton
Striving to keep our minds healthy
Myles' work focuses on how we understand the challenges facing young people and support improvements in their mental health. A core focus of his research is university student mental health and policies developed to enhance support for the most at-risk during times of crisis. Through his Vice Chancellor’s Fellowship his work has influenced local and national policy.
In a world that is rapidly evolving, Myles' work on how technology can have both positive and negative effects on our mental health is crucial in seeing how we can move forward healthily in a world that is advancing with momentum.
Listening intently to start new conversations,
Dr Nilu Ahmed
Understanding what matters
For many, healthcare and the lack of access to it can occur for multiple reasons. Understanding the nuances of those reasons, and its impact, and taking that learning into our curriculum leads to professionals who hold inclusivity and caring as core values in their work.
Nilu's work focuses on coproduction, on taking the time to listen to and work in partnership with marginalised groups to understand what their concerns are. From working to improve access to oral healthcare services for adult survivors of child sex abuse to researching how we can decolonise the dental curriculum, Nilu's work is essential to ensure we have a future where healthcare is accessible to all.
and learning from our experiences and each other.
Dr Jimmy Hay
Showcasing the arts from a different perspective
How can we help people navigate grief using the arts?
Film director, senior lecturer, and director of the MA in Film and Television, Dr Jimmy Hay is committed to finding out. His current research interests involve cinematic representations of grief, and the extent to which film practice can help capture the lived experience of grief on film.
Jimmy has also explored this through his involvement with Good Grief, Bristol: Bristol Grief Festival.
Pushing our curiosity beyond perceived limits,
Ella Lambert
Inspiring solutions
Ella is an undergraduate student and CEO/founder of the Pachamama project, a non-profit organisation which has ended period poverty for thousands of women in refugee camps. Ella’s idea was sparked after constantly suffering from her own debilitating period pains, which prompted her to take action for people who menstruate but who do not have access to sanitary products.
The Pachamama project now has over 1500 volunteers across multiple countries and Ella’s fight against period poverty continues at pace.
we thrive in a culture of innovation and creativity.
Professor Valeska Ting
Finding the inspiration in STEM
Creativity can look like a painting or sound like a song. But for some, creativity is designing a way to turn hydrogen into a highly-efficient, highly-feasible aviation fuel source. Professor of Smart Nanomaterials, Valeska Ting is part of a group of engineers in the Faculty of Engineering who is working to achieve this.
As well as holding a prestigious EPSRC Research fellowship in Energy Materials, Valeska is a BAME Expert Voice for the BBC Academy and uses her platform to communicate STEM research accessibly.
Together in an inclusive community where knowledge is pursued,
Michael Pearson
Striving for a caring environment
The wellbeing of our student community is at the heart of our strategy, and we would not be able to demonstrate this without the work that Michael, our Head of Student Counselling, and his team do.
Michael has also been an integral part of our staff LGBT+ network and EDI Oversight Committee, ensuring that our LGBT+ community are listened to, involved in making inclusive policies across the University and visibly represented in all our work.
nurtured,
Gemma Irwin-Porter
Gemma is the programme director for veterinary nursing programmes, where she leads a team of academic units to deliver bespoke theoretical and practical teaching. Gemma is dedicated to animal care, and her profession and dedication is extended to the student nurses that she supports. Gemma and her team provide Bristol with a combination of incredible skill and compassion for animals.
Charlie the dog isn’t technically a student or staff member, but he’s still a much loved member of our community.
and shared.
Sumayyah Malna
Offering support where needed
If you experience sudden instability or are looking for a sense of belonging, people like Sumayyah are ready to help. Sumayyah’s commitment to supporting people who need it shines through her professional life: from her pro-bono legal work to her current role as a Law lecturer at Bristol to her previous position as Co-chair of the BAME Staff Network.
Sumayyah uses her expertise to better people’s lives, in Bristol and beyond.
Our discoveries reverberate around the world,
Professor Jean Golding OBE
The ripple effect of a remarkable idea
One of the most motivating aspects of health science research is knowing the results have the potential to save lives. Jean Golding, OBE, is an exemplary researcher whose discoveries have benefitted countless people across the world. Her extensive history in epidemiology and birth cohort studies, resulted in her extraordinary Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
The study, also known as Children of the 90s, aims to determine the ways in which different aspects of the environment and genetics influence our health and development. By following the health of thousands of families for 30 years, its findings have led to discoveries about obesity, mental health, COVID-19, liver disease and much more.
positively impacting the lives of those we hold dear,
Professor Adam Finn
Seeking answers
Our academic team works hard to be recognised as a leading research institution. However, the ultimate aim of our research output is always to help build a world that works for more people.
Adam’s research into vaccines and microbiology has added to industry knowledge about infections (most recently COVID-19) and improved the healthcare our family, friends and selves receive.
and those we may never meet.
Judith Kibuye
Nurturing our community
MSc in social science research methods alumni and current PhD Sociology student, Judith has used her pivotal research to provide custom support for communities in Bristol throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using evidence-based interventions, she was part of a team who identified the difficult situations faced by residents in East Bristol throughout lockdown, including financial hardship and psychological challenges. From this, co-created the Wellspring Settlement – a community project that offers support for local people.
Helping us collaborate with the very best.
Professor Judith Squires
Looking to the future
As the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Judith Squires is the chief academic officer at the University, responsible for leading academic strategy, delivering on the University's academic aims and supporting the University's community of scholars.
Her time at the University, both as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience and in her current role, has shown her desire to diversify the university community - introducing the Bristol Scholars scheme, and to ensure Bristol students get a holistic, well-rounded experience. An example of this is her work starting the Bristol Futures programme, an initiative that enables students to build key professional skills for their career development.
By 2030, our global civic ambitions will be shaped and shared in a way that is uniquely Bristol
Professor Agnes Nairn
Putting Bristol on the map
Our location is a huge part of who we are; just as the city of Bristol is known for its welcoming of other cultures and nationalities, we want our University to mirror these values internationally.
Agnes is one of the people in charge of making this happen. Her research examines the relationship between the commercial world and children’s wellbeing and she has worked with international bodies such as the EU and UN to improve child safety. Since joining Bristol in 2017, Agnes’ focus has been to strengthen the University’s global civic standing and while in her role of Faculty International Director, she has represented the University during major delegations to China, India, Malaysia and Singapore.
Our buildings will be carbon net zero by then too,
Martin Wiles
Building a sustainable future
Sustainability is one of the University’s key priorities.
Head of Sustainability Martin and his team are helping to achieve our goal of reaching carbon neutrality within our buildings by 2030 through initiatives that conserve energy and water, make finite resources last longer, and reduce our contribution to pollution and climate change.
helping to look after a place we all care about,
Andrew Winfield
Keeping our gardens flourishing
We’re proud to be a city campus, but we also take pride in our green spaces and understand the benefits that they have for our mental health. Our beautiful Botanic Garden is an example of this, and Senior Botanic Horticulturalist, Andrew Winfield is one of those responsible for caring for them.
to be ourselves.
Hassan Al-Nabulsi
The University of Bristol Students Union is one of our closest partners and we work closely with them to ensure students remain at the heart of everything the University does. As their International Students Officer, Hassan leads on international students’ engagement, representing them and supporting them in developing policies.
As a university, we work hard to ensure that our international students feel they are getting the most out of their time in Bristol, and people like Hassan make that happen.
Where we can be bold.
Joe Crosbie
Bristol is home to dynamic students who are both academically skilled and proudly ambitious. Theatre and Performance studies students like Joe are the current generation in a long history of alumni who have gone on to thrive in the Arts sector, including Simon Pegg, Derren Brown, James Blunt, Matt Lucas, Pearl Mackie, and Will Poulter.
and celebrate our differences.
Ola Drummond
A home away from home
We are an international university that celebrates all cultures, and our Global Lounge, a multi-cultural hub for students and staff to socialise, learn about each other and relax is one of our strongest examples of this.
Lead by Ola Drummond, our Head of Global Lounge, the activity in the space is focused on bringing home and international students and staff together through a vast programme of events, as well as on supporting international students to settle into Bristol and university life.
It's who we are.
Antonette Clarke-Akalanne
Delighting in life-long learning
As a passionate advocate of education, Antonette was never going to let something as simple as age get in the way of her life-long ambition to learn. She's been a valued member of our community since she joined in 1994 through her social work and she went on to do her Foundation Year in Arts and Humanities in 2013. Followed by an undergraduate degree in Anthropology, she's now recently completed her Masters in Black Humanities.
But with over 80 years of life experience and with learning being a core part of her make-up, we're sure Antonette's desire for seeking knowledge won't end with this degree. We can't wait to see what she achieves next.
It's what makes us the University of Bristol.
Professor Evelyn Welch
The University's chief storyteller
The Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Evelyn Welch, is the academic leader and accountable officer of the University. She brings colleagues together to set our direction and deliver on our values, promises and ambitions.
She is responsible for ensuring that our University community is truly inclusive as well as being our principal representative for all our external relations and partnerships.
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