Spotlight on... Tom McMahon

What is your role and what does it involve? 

I’m the Student Partnership Manager in the Office of the Vice-Provost (Education & Student Affairs). I lead efforts to promote the various student feedback initiatives across UCL, including student surveys and the Union’s Student Academic Representatives. I also run the You Shaped UCL campaign to spread awareness of the improvements inspired by student feedback. 

How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?

I’ve been at UCL just over a year, and I previous worked at Middlesex University. Before that, I had a number of roles in marketing and event management within the telecoms industry. 

What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?

Probably the growth of the You Shaped UCL campaign, which has been incorporated by over 20 different departments across UCL, to demonstrate how they’ve acted upon feedback from their students. Hopefully this helped contribute to a rise in UCL’s ‘Student Voice’ scores in last year’s National Student Survey. 

Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list

At work, I’m working with colleagues across UCL to run the promotional campaign for NSS 2020, which opened for final-year undergraduates this Monday. You can find out more on UCL’s landing page. 

Personally, I’m working towards my band’s first album release, which should come out in the summer of this year. 

What is your favourite album, film and novel? 

Album: The Doors by The Doors, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon or Spiderland by Slint
Film: A Prophet 
Novel: Underworld by Don DeLillo. 

What is your favourite joke (pre-watershed)?

"She's great my Nan. She used to say things like: 'here's five pounds – don't tell your mother,' I'd say 'why not?' She'd say 'it's hers'."

Who would be your dream dinner guests? 

Natalie Portman, Simon Ferry, Werner Herzog, Edie Falco. 

What advice would you give your younger self?

Stop trying to bowl fast. Don’t go through the stage of blow-drying your hair. Try harder at foreign languages and maths. 

What would it surprise people to know about you?

My writing has been published in the Daily Mirror, The Sunday Times and The Yorkshire Post. 

What is your favourite place? 

The most incredible place I’ve visited is Mount Aso in southern Japan, but my favourite place is probably Bushy Park in Kingston, home of the world-famous Hampton Wick Cricket Club and dozens of beautiful sunsets.