Who We Are
Interim Director for Postgraduate Researchers
Rachel Stenner, Reader in Literature and Print Culture
Email: Rachel.Stenner@sussex.ac.uk
Office Location: Arts B, B331
Rachel’s research is about the literature and culture of the late medieval and early modern periods, with a particular emphasis on Tudor writers, print culture, book and printing history. Rachel has published widely in these areas.
As the Interim Director for Postgraduate Researchers, Rachel oversees strategic and operational plans for postgraduate researchers in the Faculty. She works closely with the Associate Dean for Research, PGR Convenors, the Senior Research Manager and the Professional Services Team. She chairs the Faculty’s PGR Committee and represents the faculty at the university’s PGR Board.
Director for PGR Professional Development and CHASE Academic Lead (Sussex)
Dr Emile Devereaux, Senior Lecturer in Digital Media
Email: E.Devereaux@sussex.ac.uk
Emile Devereaux, Senior Lecturer in Digital Media at the University of Sussex, interrogates digital histories, technologies, and practices through writing and production. His interdisciplinary research engages with Visual, Media, and Gender Studies and methods of participatory and socially-engaged practices of Interaction Design.
As Director for Professional Development and CHASE Academic Lead, Emile is a member of the CHASE Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) Management Board, representing the University within the DTP. As part of this, Emile has oversight of the CHASE Studentship competition. In this newly created role, Emile will be the lead for funding opportunities and will oversee professional development opportunities for postgraduate researchers within the School.
PGR Convenors
The Director for Postgraduate Researchers oversees a team of people whose roles are designed to provide support and guidance for you throughout your time at Sussex. The Faculty has ten PGR Convenors, who have oversight of Media, Arts and Humanities PhD courses. Convenors of the different PhD courses are on hand if you need advice about your PhD and you think it would be helpful to talk to someone outside your supervisory team. They have oversight of PhD courses, PhD supervision and the development and well-being of our PGR community. The PGR Convenors will also need to sign off most request forms throughout your PhD.
If you would like to contact them, please contact the relevant Convenor for your PhD course (see below):
- Dr Natalia Cecire (American Literature, Creative and Critical Writing, English), N.Cecire@sussex.ac.uk
- Dr Gemma Cobb (Cultural Studies, Digital Media, Gender Studies, Journalism, Media and Communications, Media and Cultural Studies, PhD by Published Works), G.R.Cobb@sussex.ac.uk
- Dr Benjamin Fowler (Drama, Theatre and Performance), B.Fowler@sussex.ac.uk
- Dr Adrian Goycoolea (Creative and Critical Practice), A.Goycoolea@sussex.ac.uk
- Dr Chris Kiefer (Music, Music Technologies, Music Theatre and Musical Composition), C.Kiefer@sussex.ac.uk
- Professor Lynne Murphy (Linguistics), M.L.Murphy@sussex.ac.uk
- Dr Luke Robinson (Film Studies), Luke.Robinson@sussex.ac.uk
- Dr Francesco Ventrella (Art History), F.Ventrella@sussex.ac.uk
- Professor Clive Webb (Philosophy, Social and Political Thought), C.J.Webb@sussex.ac.uk
- Dr Gerhard Wolf (American History, Contemporary History, History, Intellectual History), G.Wolf@sussex.ac.uk
Senior CHASE EDI Coordinator
Tendai Lewis – tl389@sussex.ac.uk
Tendai is currently a postgraduate researcher in the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities. As the Senior CHASE EDI Coordinator, Tendai’s role focuses on ensuring that postgraduate researchers from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and other underrepresented backgrounds are supported and advocated for as well as signposting resources and opportunities with EDI being a central priority.
Tendai’s research explores the relationship between theory and material reality, investigating how identity, society, and culture shape embodied experiences, with a particular focus on how race influences these experiences.
Tendai works both remotely and on campus. For more information or inquiries, you can reach her at tl389@sussex.ac.uk. You can also find relevant information about EDI within MAH on the dedicated Canvas site.
MAH Senior PGR Events Officer
Charlotte Fraser, PhD in Cultural Studies – Charlotte.Fraser@sussex.ac.uk
Now in its fourth year, the post was introduced in the Faculty to facilitate the conceptualisation, planning and organisation of events by and for PGRs as part of an overall events programme contributing to our research culture. The Officer works closely with PGRs and the Director for Postgraduate Researchers, PGR Convenors, and the Research Support team in relation to queries and requests relating to a PGR events programme. The post is recruited annually from our current postgraduate researchers. If you have an idea for an event, you can contact the PGR Events Officer directly for support. The Officer for 2024-25 is Charlotte Fraser.
Research Support Team
There is a small team of support staff in Media, Arts and Humanities who provide administrative support and advice for postgraduate researchers in the School. They will be your first port-of-call for any queries about your studies and will be happy to help or point you in the right direction.
Alison Burrell, Research Support Coordinator
Claudia George, Research Support Coordinator
Paige Thompson, Assistant Research Manager (PGR)
Alison, Claudia and Paige can be contacted by email at MAH-PGR@sussex.ac.uk
They are located in the Silverstone building in the Research Office SB220.
Medeni Fordham, Senior Research Manager
Silverstone SB226
Medeni works with the Associate Dean for Research, the Director for Postgraduate Researchers and the Directors of Research and Knowledge Exchange to develop and support the research environment for all researchers in the Faculty.
PGR Rep
Becky Hunt, Linguistics PhD – rrh23@sussex.ac.uk
The Student Rep scheme is run jointly by the University of Sussex and the University of Sussex Students’ Union
Student Reps are Undergraduate and Postgraduate students elected by Sussex students to represent the views and interests of students in their subject, department or school cohort. They are elected to post and to membership of committees and meetings by their peers through fair and transparent elections processes.
Reps find out about issues affecting students' studies and experience and represent these issues to the University and to the Students’ Union both informally, and formally at committees and meetings.