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| Maddy Bell. Or possibly Carrie Bradshaw |
Maddy Bell joined the
University of Kent in December 2015 in the new role of Impact & Engagement
Officer in Research Services, after 6 years supporting academic clinicians at
the Royal College of Anaesthetists in London.
In this debut blog post,
she reflects on the past 7 months in her role and considers the important role
of empathy in achieving impact in research, and in her own role at Kent.
When I first considered the idea of blogging, it took me
back to the ponderings of Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw and her infamous
column philosophising over relationships. Head balanced on my fist, gazing out
of my window onto some cosmopolitan hustle and bustle, swish laptop open and
contemplative pout at the ready.
As it goes in reality, if I turn my head to an
uncomfortable 90 degrees, my glance is met with the breeze block mass that is
Cornwallis, and on the grass in-between, the remains of a furry animal
apparently having met a dramatic end. My keyboard is scattered with mystery
crumbs and the odd green tea splash.
That aside, the University of Kent in summer is the perfect
place for pondering and contemplation. In the relative quiet and calm on campus
following the end of term, I find myself reflecting on the last 7 months since
my appointment as Impact & Engagement Officer in Research Services.
Reflection, I believe, is how we learn and get better at being our best. My
overarching aim at Kent is to add value; to have my own impact here and to engage
colleagues in these agendas.
