Behind the game

Who are we…?

Dr Lydia Bach - COSE Diversity and Inclusion Officer (EDI)

Dr Lydia Bach (she/her) wears two hats; an academic and EDI hat. As an academic, Lydia is interested in the links between biodiversity and ecosystem processes centring around anthropogenic change.

In the EDI space, Lydia's vision is to create a more inclusive and equitable research environment where diversity is celebrated, and all voices are heard.

Her work includes co-creating the COSE EDI action plan, supporting Athena SWAN across College and running COSE initiatives such as the disability history month initiative in 2023. Lydia envisions a future where proactive inclusion is standard practice, fostering genuine diversity, equity, and inclusion within academic and research communities.

Dr Emily May Armstrong - Postdoctoral Research Associate – EDI in Life Sciences

Dr Emily May Armstrong (they/them) works to bridge the gap between researcher's lived experiences and actionable EDI practices within life sciences. Emily holds a PhD in Molecular Epigenetics from the University of Glasgow, and integrates their lived experiences as a disabled researcher into their research practice.

Emily's research and resource creation process prioritises a collaborative co-creation centred on intersectionality, inclusion, and experience. Current research projects include 'Fostering an Proactive-Inclusive Research Environment for Disabled Life Scientists' and 'Understanding Inclusive Leadership: A Horizontal Approach to Inclusion in Life Sciences'.

Where are we at with Let’s Talk About…?

We are continuing to have conversations with PGR students and supervisors to make sure that the questions are inclusive and relevant to our diverse student body. If you’d like to share your thoughts or insights, you can get in touch with us: Lydia.bach@gla.ac.uk or EmilyMay.Armstrong@glasgow.ac.uk

We are also recruiting supervisor and PGR student pairs to help us evaluate what it feels like playing Let’s talk about... We are looking for feedback on the questions, instructions and general feel. If you’d be interested to test it out, please get in touch with us!