SSEES Staff Spotlight: Alicia Barnes

*Alicia's picture is from her recent trip to the SSEES region: Julian Alps, Slovenia.

What brought to you work at SSEES?

I had been working in research management at QMUL for about a year after I finished my PhD. I was interested in progressing to a role that would enable me to work closely with researchers on the development of their projects, as well as support research culture and researcher development more broadly. When I saw this role advertised, it had everything I wanted, with the added bonus of being in an interdisciplinary department covering a wide range of Arts, Humanities and Social Science disciplines.

If you weren’t working in Higher Education, what would be your dream job?

I think something physical and outdoors – maybe a farmer, national park ranger, or a tree surgeon. I find manual labour incredibly rewarding, and would love to spend my days working to preserve and protect our natural landscapes.

Can you tell us a bit about your current role and what you were doing before you arrived here?

As Senior Research Coordinator, I support the whole research environment at SSEES, from funding applications, project management, research culture, and of course, preparations for REF2029. After finishing my PhD, I knew I wanted to continue working in and around the Arts & Humanities, championing and supporting innovative and impactful research. My first post was a Research Officer at QMUL, working across the Schools of History, English and Drama, and Languages, Linguistics and Film, where I could use so many of the skills I gained during my PhD – project management, consolidation and translation of high-level concepts/information, independent research, to name a few – to start building a career in Research Management.

Outside of work, how do you unwind?

Getting outside is a big one. I regularly run, and am currently training for the 2025 Paris marathon (I’m fundraising for Shelter, and would appreciate any and all donations!). When I have a free weekend, I try to get out of London, usually back to the Surrey Hills where I grew up, to visit family, friends, and walk Sully the dog.

If you could recommend only one book, what would it be?

This is far too difficult – with a PhD in literature I cannot in good conscience only recommend one book. So here’s a few. The book I’ve been recently recommending to people is Still Life by Sarah Winman, a really beautiful story about… life. The first book I remember reading that had a profound impact on me was A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. And the book I could read over and over again, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

What is your biggest professional achievement to date?

I still feel relatively early on in my career, so I’d have to say getting my PhD. While I knew I wanted to attend university, I never planned on pursuing a masters, let alone a doctorate. But, love for the subject and curiosity took me there, and I’m so grateful I got to spend three years finding answers to my questions.