The women of the Life Sciences programmes in School of Science are all phenomenal and have been doing so much that deserves praise. They are involved, amongst other things, in the management and running of the school’s biggest programme (Biomedical Science): so much is being done including socials, using student feedback to improve the programme, and providing support to students returning back to in-person learning.
I started at Greenwich just before the pandemic began and this is my first “proper” teaching position, so it’s been quite the intro to the job and even when they’ve been up to their eyeballs in their own work, they’ve all taken the time to look after me too.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I love food, dogs and learning. I came to London in 2000 for a 3-month internship supported by an ERASMUS bursary. I stayed because I fell in love with a culture which saw diversity as a strength and embraced changes.
What challenges have you faced in the last 12 months?
Like the rest of the world, the main challenges have been living though a pandemic and the start of a war. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to keep a positive attitude through the uncertainty of the present and the future. It has been hard to adapt to living and working in isolation and even harder not being able to see my family in Italy and New Zealand. Despite it all, sharing these challenges with so many has somehow made me feel closer to people, not just to friends, but to colleagues, students, neighbours....
What are you looking forward to?
I look forward to movie night with my husband and kids, to walking the dogs in the countryside every weekend, to pizza night on Fridays and reading a book before bedtime.
Who or what inspires you?
So many people are a continuous source of inspiration. My mum, my husband, my friends my colleagues and last, but not least my students. They study, work, look after their families and kids. Some have come back to education after years away, some have just moved from their home countries, some had to overcome mental and physical illnesses to be at University, some are pursuing their degree while working full time in the NHS in the middle of a pandemic. All have shown great strength, enthusiasm and desire to learn, and I feel very privileged to be part of their journey.
