Dr Em Harrison

Dr Em Harrison, Assistant Professor in Digital Practice in the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities, is hosting a workshop on Neurodiversity Affirming Pedagogies on 4 April for staff as part of Inclusivity Week at Sussex. Em tells us about the workshop, their research and practice on neurodiversity, and how they are helping to bring systemic change for staff and students in their Disability Equity Director role. 

My upcoming workshop is about making higher education teaching more neurodiversity affirming. It’s based on a research project I’ve been working on over the past year with students and staff at Sussex who identify with neurodivergence in some way. We explored the kinds of accommodations they’ve received, what’s worked well (and what hasn’t), the challenges they’ve faced, and their ideas for creating a more inclusive university environment. In the workshop I will share the issues raised and give staff practical tools to make their own teaching and facilitation practices more neurodiversity friendly. 

I’m really enjoying bringing my scholarship on neurodiversity into my teaching and exploring creative ways to make different teaching methods work for a variety of cognitive styles. I’m also enjoying my Disability Equity Director role in the School of Media, Arts and Humanities—it’s giving me the opportunity to think beyond my own teaching and consider how we can make broader, more systemic changes to support student and staff needs.

I love the proximity of campus to Stanmer Park and the Downs. I’m usually based in Silverstone building and if I need a quiet break, I’m a five-minute walk away from the woods. As Sussex is dog-friendly, I also appreciate being able to bring my dog with me to the woods at lunchtime, as well as being able to have a small office companion! Finally, my other (human) office companion and my colleagues are some of the main reasons that I enjoy my job. I've always felt well supported by those I'm working alongside, and I'm really grateful for the sense of community that I feel within our department. 

Outside of work I’m a DJ and co-run ‘BBG’, a DJing community for the gender-expansive and women-led DJing community in Brighton. We run open decks events, DJing courses and radio shows to help people at various stages of their musical careers gain confidence behind the decks. You can take a look at our website and Instagram to find out more. I’m also a (very!) amateur dancer which brings me a lot of joy, and I'm currently trying to get to grips with learning how to produce electronic music in Ableton software. 

You can book your place on the Neurodiversity-Affirming Pedagogies workshop, 4 April from 10.30am-12 noon.

Find out more about the wide range of events available to staff during Inclusivity Week at Sussex.