Background I gained a PhD in English Literature from the University of Durham and after lecturing in English for several years spent two years working on the Philip Larkin archive at the University of Hull http://www.hull.ac.uk/arc/collection/philiplarkin/colls.html). Following this role I moved into learning and teaching development, project managing a consortium of four English departments to develop educational materials for undergraduates http://www.english.heacademy.ac.uk/explore/resources/assess/expandtxt/index.php I also worked as an administrator (at Durham Business School) before moving to Southampton to become deputy director for Aimhigher Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Aimhigher partnership of schools, colleges and universities was a government funded HEFCE initiative focused on encouraging children from schools with no tradition of sending young people to university to think about doing so. One of the projects I oversaw was the development of a student friendly website http://www.aimhigherhants.ac.uk/folders/young_peoples_website/ In my current role I support social policy and social work academics working in universities across the UK – helping staff to develop and implement new curricula (e.g. teaching of substance use); conducting surveys across the student communities (e.g. postgraduates teaching social policy). I have also continued to work with Aimhigher providing evaluative reports of activities and impact on schools. I work part time (4 days a week) and am currently studying for the MSc Gerontology (PT), taught from the Centre for Aging, University of Southampton. I had become very interested in understanding ageing through my work with social workers. Additionally my current work whetted my appetite to become accomplished in more varied and exciting qualitative and quantitative research methods.