Skip to main content
  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
  • Local Community
Show/Hide navigation
University of Reading University of Reading
Mobile search categories
  • Study and life
  • Research
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • View courses
  • Home
  • Study and life
    • Study
    • Student life
    • Accommodation
    • Open Days and visiting
    • International students
  • Research
    • Research themes
    • Impact
    • Innovation and partnerships
    • Research environment
    • Get involved
  • About us
    • Business
    • Our global community
    • Local community
    • Visit us
    • Strategy
    • Governance
  • Contact us
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
  • Local Community
  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • View courses

Faces of Reading

Jessica Del Rio in the microbiology laboratory

Jessica Del Rio, Change and Continuous Improvement Officer

In my current role of Technical Manager, I have a small team and together we run all the undergraduate classes for food microbiology and support research in the Food Biosciences building.

I've been at Reading since I graduated in 2001. I worked in heart disease research for four years and then I moved to microbiology in 2005.

For me, work is always about those you're alongside. A difficult task is made more do-able if the people around you are kind and supportive; a sense of humour helps too.

I am part of Technical Services. It's been great being linked up with technicians from all across campus through meetings, training and social events such as technicians' get-togethers with tea and cake.

Currently, I'm working as a job share. My managers have been really supportive; if I've needed to change my hours around or reduce my hours, it's always been fine. The University is very flexible in this way and I think an employer giving you that kind of freedom means you invest more in your work.

I've kept growing in my skill sets and was promoted last year, while working part time. There's a lot of investment in training, both centrally and through Technical Services. I've had some great management training and feel that I am pushed and supported to fulfil my potential.

I have a three-year-old daughter. I don't feel working part time and being a mum means I'm any less valued. No opportunities are held back from me. Everyone has been really supportive of parenting alongside working.

Read more
Eleanor Dickey, Professor of Classics

Eleanor Dickey, Professor of Classics

I really enjoy working at Reading. I like that we are all friends with each other in the Department of Classics; there is a lot of positive interaction. We help each other out and really work together to make our programme something that is as good as possible for students.

I teach a module on ancient education, which is my research speciality. Reading students are fun to teach and that’s something I really enjoy.

I also run the ancient schoolroom. Over a period of two weeks, we have up to 60 children a day coming in, and I’m responsible for providing all kinds of different activities, all related to ancient education.

I’ve written several books on how Greek speakers learned Latin and how Latin speakers learned Greek. I discovered some ancient Latin textbooks, edited them, and published Learning Latin The Ancient Way a year ago and now the whole world has got them.

I came to Reading in 2013. I had been the only linguist in a classics department for a really long time, but here there are three of us. That’s much better for my research.

I live in Oxford and work part time. It works well, as I don’t have to commute in five days a week.

I’m involved in the LGBTQIA+ group at Reading, but it’s not a place where, as a lesbian, you feel isolated. British universities are good places to be a lesbian; everybody is very welcoming. And it’s nice to have colleagues as LGBTQIA+ allies.

Read more
George Randall

George Randall, Head of Timetabling and Room Bookings

I started at the University on a fixed term contract as a Programme Administrator at our beautiful Greenlands campus. I was a recent graduate, not entirely sure what I wanted to do as a career, but knew that I wanted to work in the charity or education sector, supporting others to achieve their goals as well as utilise my organisational skills.

I was encouraged by my first manager to use my initiative, to have the courage to develop new processes, to learn about different roles within the wider team and to volunteer for new opportunities – and this is a philosophy I have carried throughout my career. Early on I was also encouraged by a colleague to apply for a secondment, something I would not have independently considered. When I secured my first secondment, I was able to expand my knowledge, my experience and my network further.

Over the past 13 years I have held five different roles, ranging from school-based administration to centralised quality assurance and exams, and now as Head of Timetabling and Booking. I have always enjoyed the huge variety of the roles I have held. No one day is the same and I work with a range of colleagues from both academic and professional services.

Read more
Stuart Lakin outside the University's School of Law

Stuart Lakin, Associate Professor

I joined the University in 2006 as a Teaching Fellow, before becoming a lecturer. I have always liked the green environment at the University. Few people can boast that their law school looks out on a lake!

I teach the public law courses, a constitutional law module, administrative law and human rights. I also teach legal philosophy and a University-wide module called "Liberty" with input from classics, history and philosophy.

I am the person who takes charge of mooting in the Law School. This is similar to a mock trial where students play the part of a lawyer, and lecturers or practising barristers play the part of judges. It is very popular.

I also share responsibilities for the Erasmus programme in the Law Department. We are looking to expand the reach of the programme to beyond Europe, creating as many high-quality partnerships around the world as we can.

I have always enjoyed teaching law. It's an amazing thing to have fresh minds come at things you have been teaching and studying for decades. You just never know what a student will say or think, and that's very exciting.

In the last few years, I have set aside a couple of hours each week for informal coffee and questions in a University cafe. Students come along and chat about anything they find interesting or do not understand. I find that this can often be more productive time than formal seminars and lectures.

Read more
Loading additional items please wait....
There is no more content to show at this time
mask
Choose a subject
2025/26
2026/27
Undergraduates
Postgraduates
Undergraduates
Postgraduates

Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Archaeology
  • Building and Surveying

Subjects C-E

  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Economics

Subjects F-G

  • Finance
  • Food

Subjects H-M

  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Politics and International Relations
  • Surveying and Construction Management

Subjects A-C

  • Construction Management and Engineering

Subjects D-G

  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Pharmacy
  • Physician Associate
  • Project Management

Subjects A-B

  • Accounting
  • Acting and Drama
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biochemistry
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Pathways (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Sociology
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction Management
  • Teaching
  • Theatre & Performance

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Classics
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Dietetics
  • Digital Business
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Ready for more?

See job vacancies
Press
Procurement
View courses
  • Charitable Status
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of use
  • Sitemap

© University of Reading