Making science labs more inclusive with Dr Gina Washbourn

Exploring academic identity with Dr. Catherine Queen

In this episode, Catherine shares reflections on her journey into academia and her recent research on supporting academic identity development for early career colleagues on a Teaching & Scholarship track. Guest: Dr Catherine Queen Catherine is a Senior Lecturer in Planning and a dual Chartered Town Planner and Landscape Architect with 35 years’ professional experience. Her research activity investigates gendered aspects of planning and design with a focus on intersectionality including marginalised, stigmatised and peripheralized communities. She has achieved global impact through her partnership with Arup and the UNDP on the multiple award-winning Cities Alive: Designing cities that work for women report and she has been recognised throughinstitutional and national awards for both her pedagogy and professional practice. Reading List: * Baxter, J. (2023) The role of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in developing practitioner/academic identities, AdvanceHE blog at https://www.advance- he.ac.uk/news-and-views/role-scholarship-teaching-and-learning-developing-practitioneracademic-identities (Accessed 13/08/25) * Bourdieu, P. (1988) Homo Academicus, Cambridge, Polity Press * McCune, V. (2021) Academic identities in contemporary higher education: Sustaining identities that value teaching. Teaching in Higher Education 26, no. 1: 20–35.https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2019.1632826 * Reay, D. (2019) Bourdieu and Education, London, Routledge * Smith, S. & Walker, D. (2024) Scholarship and academic capitals: the boundaried nature of education-focused career tracks, Teaching in Higher Education, 29:1,111-125, DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2021.1965570 * Thomson, P. (2017) Educational Leadership and Pierre Bourdieu, Abingdon, Routledge * Woon, A. (2024) How to Break the Promotion GlassCeiling for Teaching and Scholarship Academics, online HEPI blog at https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2024/07/22/how-to-break-the-promotion-glass-ceiling-for-teaching-and-scholarship-academics/ The Academy’s Developing Practice Podcast is produced by The Academy, University of Liverpool. The role of the Academy is to promote and enable organisational excellence through the strategic development of the University’s people and practices. To find out more about the work of The Academy check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/] Music & FX: This podcast uses sounds from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://freesound.org/s/417560/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://freesound.org/s/417560/] and music from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.purple-planet.com [https://www.purple-planet.com/]

Secrets to Successful Working Relationships with Denise Chilton

Guest: Denise has been supporting researchers and the academic community at the University of Liverpool for over 12 years so knows only too well the challenges faced within HEI. A career coach on the Prosper programme she has been providing group and individual coaching programmes for Post-docs and Early Career Academics since 2015 helping them to feel more confident, better manage their time, be more productive and develop their interpersonal skills. In 2017 she won the Northern Power Woman Mentor of the Year Award for her work supporting women in STEM.  Guest Host: Dr Selina Johnson, AHP Clinical Researcher and physiotherapist at the University of Liverpool. Selina specialises in endometriosis-associated pain and chronic pelvic pain. My research focuses on improving NHS pain care through mixed-methods studies, including evaluation of pain management programmes and co-produced approaches to support people living with pelvic pain. I am currently preparing a postdoctoral fellowship todevelop psychologically informed physiotherapy for endometriosis in secondary care, alongside qualitative research exploring physiotherapy practice and pain flare-ups. I work closely with clinical services, interdisciplinary researchers, and people with lived experience to deliver impactful, applied research. The Academy’s Developing Practice Podcast is produced by The Academy, University of Liverpool. The role of the Academy is to promote and enable organisational excellence through the strategic development of the University’s people and practices. To find out more about the work of The Academy check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/] Music & FX: This podcast uses sounds from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://freesound.org/s/417560/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://freesound.org/s/417560/] and music from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.purple-planet.com [https://www.purple-planet.com/]

Communicating with industry and kick starting knowledge exchange with Dr Jaque Durrant

Guest: Dr Jaque Durrant, Knowledge Exchange & Commercialisation Trainer at Skillfluence. With a PhD in Music Education, he understands both the academic demands placed on those working in Higher Education and the need to communicate ideas and concepts effectively with diverse audiences. Jaque delivers knowledge exchange and commercialisation training to academic partners across the UK.  Guest Host: Dr Ritabrata Dobe, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow at the Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool.   Ritabrata is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow looking at how natural hydrogen could be exploited as a source of sustainable fuel, providing a cost-effective way to accelerate the UK towards net zero emissions. Prior to arriving at Liverpool, Rita was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bologna, Italy and gained his PhD at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. The Academy’s Developing Practice Podcast is produced by The Academy, University of Liverpool. The role of the Academy is to promote and enable organisational excellence through the strategic development of the University’s people and practices. To find out more about the work of The Academy check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/] Music & FX: This podcast uses sounds from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://freesound.org/s/417560/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://freesound.org/s/417560/] and music from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.purple-planet.com [https://www.purple-planet.com/]

Making science labs more inclusive with Dr Gina Washbourn

One of the most enjoyable parts of doing a science degree is getting stuck in doing practical work and seeing science in action in the lab. Yet these can also be the most stressful environments for learning and very challenging for many students. Today, I’m speaking with Gina Washbourn, a senior lecturer in Chemistry here at Liverpool, who is particularly interested in this issue and has done a lot of work on understanding what students find challenging in lab environments and how we can make these spaces more inclusive for all our students. So welcome, Gina, to our podcast.Guest Dr Gina Washbourn is a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Liverpool. With a background in Medicinal Chemistry, her work now focuses on chemical education, particularly student skill development, assessment for learning, and the effective integration of digital tools to enhance learning. She has a strong interest in laboratory education, working to create inclusive and supportive lab environments that reduce student anxiety and build confidence in practical skills. Her teaching also incorporates principles of sustainability and responsible scientific practice within the chemistry lab curriculum. Gina is committed to student partnership in curriculum design and pedagogic research and is actively involved in outreach and science communication to promote engagement with chemistry beyond the university. The Academy’s Developing Practice Podcast is produced by The Academy, University of Liverpool. The role of the Academy is to promote and enable organisational excellence through the strategic development of the University’s people and practices. To find out more about the work of The Academy check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/] Music & FX: This podcast uses sounds from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://freesound.org/s/417560/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://freesound.org/s/417560/] and music from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.purple-planet.com [https://www.purple-planet.com/]

Staff Apprenticeships at Liverpool: The unique pathway that’s shaping the future of professional growth

The Academy’s Developing Practice Podcast is produced by The Academy, University of Liverpool. The role of the Academy is to promote and enable organisational excellence through the strategic development of the University’s people and practices. To find out more about the work of The Academy check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/the-academy/] Music & FX: This podcast uses sounds from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://freesound.org/s/417560/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://freesound.org/s/417560/] and music from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.purple-planet.com [https://www.purple-planet.com/] The Academy’s apprenticeship page - https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/intranet/the-academy/apprenticeships/ [https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/intranet/the-academy/apprenticeships/]