What was your first role after graduating from university?

Following University, I enjoyed travelling and meeting many different people working in the Financial Software industry. My roles included project management, technical writing, systems implementation and user training. Working with both small and large organisation to analyse their business needs and manage the implementation of new hardware and software systems appealed to my love of problem solving and working with a range of people in different environments. 

In 1996, I joined the UK’s National Computing Centre to work as a Manager for higher education courses. In this role, I was responsible for working with universities in course development and marketing. I also travelled around the world for validation and quality assurance of partner colleges in East Asia. 

Tell us about your current role at Manchester Met

Currently, I am a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science in the Department of Computing and Mathematics at Manchester Met where I enjoy mentoring and inspiring students. I thrive on watching them grow in confidence to achieve their goals.

I also conduct research under the Computational Intelligence Laboratory and my specialisms include conversational agents, intelligent tutoring systems, big data, text mining, agent intelligence and knowledge engineering. My main area of research focuses on applying Computational Intelligence (CI) techniques to automated tutoring systems in order to improve access to, and support success in, personalised learning.

I am passionate about promoting the power of CI to improve our lives and I enjoy discussing the benefits and ethical risks in my role as a STEM ambassador working at outreach events like guest talks, panel discussions, science festivals, school visits and bootcamps. I’m also Chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Women in Engineering for the UK an Ireland. As Chair, my aim is to change the face of Computer Science by challenging stereotypes and promoting careers in Computing and Engineering to young girls and women. In 2019, the IEEE Women in Engineering for UK and Ireland won the IEE Region 8 (Europe, Africa and the Middle East) Women in Engineering Group of the Year Award, bringing publicity and recognition to our work.

How did your degree prepare you for your current role? 

After becoming a mother, I decided to change jobs to reduce my overseas travel and joined Manchester Met as an Admissions Tutor and Associate Lecturer. 

Four years later, with two young children at home, I returned to study at Manchester Met to gain an MSc in Computing, followed by a PhD in Computational Intelligence. This change in career was partly driven by a desire to show my daughter that will a little hard work, it’s possible to follow your dreams. 

What are your greatest achievements so far?

Achieving my PhD with two pre-school children will doubtless remain the biggest and most stressful work achievement in my life. Another would be attracting funding for a two-month research visit to Berlin to work with researchers at the German Institute for AI.

What advice would you give to students who aspire to a career in Computing and Mathematics?  

Choose a final year degree project that can showcase your ability in the area of your interest – this is the chance to show what you can do. Don’t worry if you don’t know what area of Computing you want to work in, or if you change your mind. I am proof that you can change careers, so don’t feel trapped in what you are doing.

What does diversity in Computing mean to you?  

My focus has been on improving the under-representation of women in Computer Science. I am passionate about challenging stereotypes and promoting female Computer Science role models to girls and women and to those who influence young people in wider society like teachers, employers, parents and family members. 

Computing is central to all of our lives and will only become more so in the future, so it’s critical to have a diverse workforce designing and creating computer systems. Otherwise, our futures are being designed by a small subset of the population. 

In Computing, we always work in teams and diverse teams mean better innovation and solutions that consider wider aspects of societal impact. 

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