What’s your job title and how long have you been at Loughborough?

I am the Director of the Policy Unit and have been at Loughborough for 5 and a half years.

Tell us what a typical day in your job looks like?

Wake up listening to the Today programme on Radio 4. Emails. Travel to London or East Midlands campus (term-time I tend to work 1-2 days per week at both). I try to read my book (rather than emails) when I’m on the tube (just finished the quite extraordinary ‘Question 7’ by Richard Flanagan). WhatsApp exchanges relating to my Creative Industries research project. R&I leadership meeting. Staff 1-1. Emails. Policy Unit meeting. Emails and other actions in response to meetings. Catch up on the news. 1-1 meeting. WhatsApp exchanges to sort out my game of football on Thursday. Train home. Emails etc.

What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on?

Setting up the CRAIC Creative Research and Innovation website.

What is your proudest moment at Loughborough?

Apart from being invited to do ‘Five minutes with…’, my proudest moments have been watching, sometimes timid, researchers gain the skills and confidence that result in their research being used to influence government policy.

Which University value do you most resonate with and why?

I’d like to think I’m Adventurous but more than anything, I’m very Collaborative, since I cannot do anything exciting or impactful without my colleagues 🙂

Tell us something you do outside of work that we might not know about?

I play football every Thursday evening and have done so for the last 20 years. My family knows that it’s sacrosanct in the diary and nothing gets in the way of it. The oldest player is 67, the youngest 30. It’s very competitive but lots of fun. Oh, and Keir Starmer sometimes turns up to play.

What is your favourite quote?

What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding? – Elvis Costello
Check out the song.

If you would like to feature in ‘5 Minutes With’, or you work with someone who you think would be great to include, please email Lilia Boukikova at L.Boukikova@lboro.ac.uk