Interview with Dr Lloyd Jenkins, Deputy Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Q: What is your role in the department?

I'm Deputy Dean. This role has a broad remit to ensure the smooth running of the programme: to help enhance the learning environment; to support the Dean in achieving strategic targets; to lead the operational side of the LANS Team; to maintain academic quality and standards; and to oversee the tutorial and wellbeing systems.

Q: What is working in LANS like and how does it compare to your previous department?

It allows me to develop my wider interests in interdisciplinary learning, as well as supporting a team of academics from a broad range of disciplines. My time is split with my other department, Geography. LANS is very different in the scope and range of interests that the students hold, the opportunities that LANS students have to expand and explore their interests through the Cultural Programme, and the sense of a close community that the staff and students have.

Q: What are your research interests?

I am a historical and cultural geographer by training, and I am interested in landscape change, working most recently on an interdisciplinary project with ecologists, biogeographers and geneticists. I am also interested in maps and mapping, and I am the academic lead for the GEES map collection, working with other collections across the country. I also have a research interest in how we teach and learn, exploring students learning mindsets and how failure can be seen productive learning experience.

Q: What advice do you have for new LANS students?

University is more than the academic subjects you study, so make the most of all the opportunities that the university offers.