We hope you are all settling in to life at the University and have enjoyed your first term with us. We thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to now introduce you to your EMP Head of School, Dr Silvia Ramos Perez. Take a look at the interview below to find out more about Silvia and their role at Kent.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey to becoming Head of School?
I arrived at the University of Kent as a lecturer in 2013. I love teaching and research, so it was the perfect job! Since very early in my career at Kent, I have also held administrative roles alongside my other duties: Research group leader, Director of Postgraduate Studies for Physics and Chemistry, Director of Studies for Physics and Astronomy, Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy and, since last year, Head of the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (EMP). Now that I oversee work across all areas of EMP, I am grateful for the insight I gained in my previous roles!
What are your top priorities for the school this academic year and why?
The core priorities do not really change from year to year. I want to make sure we provide excellent teaching for our students—teaching that opens doors and opportunities for them in their future careers—and that their time studying at Kent is enjoyable and transformative. It is very important to me that the School is a “good home” for all members of our community, students and staff alike, a place where everyone feels respected and valued. I am also very conscious of our responsibility to deliver excellent scholarship, research and professional practice across all our subjects. Finally, we have a responsibility to make a positive contribution to our local communities, so impactful outreach features highly too on my list of priorities. The specific measures to deliver these goals may change in order to adapt to particular needs or demands, but the ultimate aims remain consistent.
What are you most proud of in your school, and are there any specific achievements?
Without a doubt, our community. We have fantastic students who make us constantly proud with their creativity, resilience, and willingness to learn new ideas, new skills and to push the boundaries of what we know and can do. And we have amazing academics—an example of commitment, hard work, high professional standards and a great source of knowledge! I have tremendous respect for all of them and feel privileged to work with them.
What is one thing that students might be surprised to learn about you?
For my research, I study the properties of materials using synchrotron light and other microscopic probes (if curious, check this). Time to work at these facilities is allocated competitively, and experiments are scheduled to run continuously for several days, 24 hours a day. Despite the fact that we work in teams and many of the measurements can be pre-programmed to run unsupervised for a while, work hours can still get very long… I completely blame my caffeine addiction on this.
What’s your favourite spot on campus and why?
Gulbenkian. I love the fact that we have a café, a cinema, a theatre and a concert hall all in one place. And it is always buzzing with activity.
Is there a student success story that has inspired you in your career as Head of School?
Many! But they are not my stories to tell… Every time I witness the challenges and difficulties some of our students face and overcome to complete their studies, it makes it all worth it. To be honest, every time I am in a classroom and I see a few faces light up because they have understood something new and fascinating, that makes it worth it too.
What one piece of advice would you give students during their time at university to maximise their academic success this year?
Remember that if you have a question, it is worth finding an answer. If it is an academic question, great! Feeding your curiosity is what higher education is about and an essential part of what you need to do to succeed in your studies. If it is about any other aspect of your life at university, that is also critical to ensuring your time here is fulfilling. And there is a network of support ready to help you. Just ask