Emily Cooper (UCLan: Human Geography Lecturer)

Name: Emily Cooper

Subject: Geography BSc (Hons); PhD Human Geography

Year Graduated: 2009; 2014

College: Cartmel

Where are you now and what are you doing?
I am currently a Lecturer in Human Geography at UCLan (Preston).

What would you like to do next?
I am very happy in my current role and have no aspirations to move on just yet.  A promotion in a couple of years might be nice though!

Why did you choose to study at Lancaster?
For me it had everything I wanted: a quiet – but still engaging – campus environment, a diverse course with lots of module options, and the open day experience was fantastic.  I spoke to two senior colleagues at the time (Colin and Marilyn Pooley) who made it very clear how friendly the department was, and the different fieldwork options presented were also a draw at the time.

What was your favourite part of your degree and why?
It is difficult to choose as I thoroughly enjoyed the 3 years, but the 2 highlights for me were the second-year Communicating Geography module and completing my dissertation.  The former really improved my confidence (nothing does that more than being put in front of a year 9 class and asked to teach a lesson!) and subject communication, and the latter cemented my decision to continue on an academic career path.

How do you think your time at Lancaster prepared you for what you’re currently doing?
The level of support available for my dissertation was fantastic – I received excellent 1-1 guidance from my supervisor who also supported me with my PhD application – and was subsequently my main supervisor for this.  There were also plenty of job opportunities for me to gain relevant work experience during the Undergraduate degree, both on campus and off, and the careers network that the University provides was also excellent.  I certainly do not think I would be in the position I am now without the guidance and opportunities provided to me from the department.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Lancaster?
I’d have to say the course!  I’m not much of a party animal and didn’t engage too much with societies and extra-curricular activities, but was quite happy to dedicate my time to the course as much as possible.  The city is also awesome – Williamson Park is always worth a visit and a picnic!

Emily can be found on LinkedIn here