Equality Envoys

Equality Steering Groups have identified one of their chairs to serve as their Equality Envoy to the EDI Committee

The Equality Envoys will:

• Lead/co-lead the work and chair/co-chair the meetings of the Steering Group of their equality area, with support from an EDI team manager;
• Represent their Steering Group at the EDI Committee;
• Lead potential task and finish groups arising, as required, from the EDI Committee’s work in their area.

The tenure of the Envoy matches the term of the chairing of the Steering Group, which is 3 years. 

Envoy for Gender Equality

I am Head of the Inborn Errors of Metabolic Section at UCL GOS Institute of Child Health where I lead research on inherited neurodegenerative disorders that affect children, and especially Batten disease. Recognising the potential of the Athena Swan charter to address gender inequalities, I led my department to the first silver (2009) and gold (2016) awards at UCL, and UCL to its first institutional silver (2021). As Envoy for Gender Equality, I am a critical friend to the organisation, champion progressing gender equality throughout UCL, and represent UCL in this area in the UK and internationally. As Envoy I am Chair of the Gender Equality Steering group and the Equality Charters Group (with the Envoy for Race Equality). To realise my ambition for UCL to be recognised as an international leader in intersectional gender equality I hope to inspire and support others to engage with our established and new gender equality initiatives.

Envoy for Disability Equality

I am a Senior Student Success Officer in the Student Success Office, we lead the development and implementation of UCL’s strategies to support academic success and close awarding and retention gaps across the university. Previously I worked in academia with a focus on centring communities who are traditionally excluded from research. My intersecting identity and the nuances that come with this are what drives my dedication to equity work, my aims are to raise the profile of disability and disability equity work at UCL, move away from the deficit model and work with other equity groups to create a more equitable, accessible, and inclusive environment for staff and students. As Envoy I am Co-chair of the Disability Equity Steering Group and the Disability Implementation group. I am keen to see UCL become a leader when it comes to disability equity and focus on making UCL a place where all belong. 

Envoy for Race Equality

Dr Mike Sulu
Lecturer
Dept of Biochemical Engineering

I am a lecturer in Biochemical engineering, where my teaching interests intersect with my EDI role through a passion for creating truly inclusive education within the engineering discipline. My research interests are all bioprocess related, specifically in the fermentation space, using fermentation and cell culture to produce a variety of products, including vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, fuels, and food.  I am involved in EDI at all levels of the institution, sitting on departmental, faculty, and institutional EDI committees. As Envoy for Race Equality, I am a critical friend to the organisation, championing progress, designing and consulting on initiatives to put race equality on agendas throughout UCL, and representing UCL in this area in the UK and internationally. As Envoy, I am Chair of the Race Equality Steering Group and the Equality Charters Group (with the Envoy for Gender Equality). To realise my ambition for UCL to be recognised as an international leader in inclusion within Higher education, I hope to create a sense of space and safety where difficult discussions can be had with sensitivity that lead us forward in the process to true equity. 

Envoy for LGBTQ+ Equality

Chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Steering Group since 2019 and co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Implementation Group, a task & finish group set up to develop a strong programme of change to ensure an inclusive and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ staff, students, alumni and visitors at UCL. My EDI roles are multifaceted however I am relied to lead on various initiatives to improve visibility while also holding UCL’s University Management Committee (UMC) to account by ensuring that the LGBTQ+ community’s needs and priorities are considered as part of key institutional decisions.

It is important to me that with the level of visibility that the role of an Envoy allows me, that I use it to help support those around me and contribute positively to the UCL community.  Visibility, representation, and the consciousness of intersectionality is important, and I hope that while I am doing what I can it will inspire others that they feel they can also make their own difference.

A disrupter of the status quo.