Meet the team - Liberal Arts and Sciences
Our Liberal Arts and Sciences team is drawn from across the University's wide-ranging disciplinary expertise. Our academics are developing innovative solutions to big issues across the arts and sciences.
Professor Diana Spencer
Professor of Classics
Diana’s research explores the nature of individual and collective identity in ancient Rome during the late Republic and 1st century CE. This puts her in regular conversation with intellectual and political luminaries: Cicero, Caesar, Horace, Vergil and Varro.
Dr Lloyd Jenkins
Senior Lecturer in Historical and Cultural Geography
Dr Jenkins is a Historical Geographer, with an interest in landscape change and people’s relationship with the past.
Dr Ilija Rašović
Associate Professor in Engineering and Physical Sciences
Ilija’s research interests lie at the interface of materials science, chemistry and medicine, harnessing supramolecular chemistry, particularly with carbon nanomaterials, for use in medical applications. He also focuses on practical science communication, aiding students, staff and research groups throughout the university.
Dr Simon Scott
Associate Professor in Philosophy
Simon’s research is in interdisciplinary pedagogy, the philosophy of interdisciplinarity, and ancient and continental philosophy. He leads the university’s Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Group.
Dr Betsy Porritt
Teaching Fellow in Interdisciplinary Humanities
Betsy is a poet and literary scholar, with a special interest in post-war American poetry. She recently completed her PhD at the University of Kent on the inter-disciplinary practice of painter, writer, sound artist, and archive diver Susan Howe. Betsy’s own poetry practice uses visual and sound elements to think about the poem as site of potential resistance and reimagination.
Dr Evelyn Svingen
Assistant Professor in Criminology
Evelyn is a criminologist with an interest in biosocial explanations of crime. She currently explores the field of evolutionary criminology and the etiology of crime, combining methods from social science, neuroscience, and behavioural economics. Her role draws together Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Social Sciences (CoSS), where she teaches modules on criminological theory.
Dr Abigail Bellamy-Carter
Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Sciences
Abigail contributes to the delivery of the core Arts and Sciences modules and is a personal tutor. Her background is in surface science, investigating self-assembly and chemical reactions of molecules when confined to surfaces such as high ordered pyrolytic graphite and Ag(111).
Dr Jennifer Marshall
Associate Professor in Biomedical Sciences
Jenny’s research background is in fibroblasts in inflammatory diseases using a variety of imaging and analysis methods to obtain insight into patient disease stage and outcome. She is an enthusiastic and engaged member of the teaching community within the Medical School as a lecturer, personal tutor and developer of new teaching material. Her previous post-doctoral work and PhD studies concentrated on B cell responses; how they respond to different antigens in vitro and in vivo. This encompassed vaccine design, aging and B cell differentiation.
Dr Zoe Bulaitis
Assistant Professor
Zoe is a humanities educator with specific expertise in public humanities, economic humanities, contemporary and nineteenth-century literature, critical theory, and creative industries research. As a result of these interests, she is an advocate for the value of the arts and humanities in many parts of public life.
Ruth Johnson
Education Support Manager
Ruth supports the management and development of educational provisions working closely with senior academics and Professional Services colleagues.
Ruth is responsible for the management and optimisation of administration for all learning, teaching and quality administrative processes. She also manages the Education Support administrators.
Jodie Eagles
Student Experience Officer
Jodie has worked across various departments in the University for many years, and has long been interested in student experience. Her role focuses on student experience and projects, so she looks after our Student Reps and the Staff-Student Forum, as well as organising trips, lectures, craft events, and more.
Nicole Darby
Wellbeing Officer
Nicole (she/her) is experienced in working with mental health, particularly providing welfare and study related advice to students.
Nicole is currently completing an MSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, and works as a counsellor in training as part of her studies.
Sharmaine Afferion
Senior Education Support Administrator
Sharmaine supports students with module choices and registration, communicating on your behalf to other Schools. She also provides support to our Academics in terms of exam boards, assessments and marking. Sharmaine also assists in the management of events, such as conferences and graduation.
Mary Ann Clarke
Senior Education Support Administrator
Mary Ann provides students with an initial point of contact for programme matters, including assessment, feedback and module registration, communicating on your behalf to other Schools. She also assists in the management of events, such as Open Days and Offer-holder Visit Days.