Lockdown eased further in May. We are now allowed to meet indoors (with some restrictions), indoor gym classes are back on, and I sat in a café for the first time in ages. And while there were many obvious signs that we are still living in a Covid world (masks, limited seating, distanced tables…), it felt great to claim back this little bit of “normal” life.
On the writing front, I finished and submitted a paper about smart retail. It’s for a special issue, which is always risky because they tend to attract a lot of submissions about the same topic at around the same time… I really should know better than aim for special issues, but the deadlines help me get work done, and this one has been lingering in my “almost done” list for too long. Now, fingers crossed. Also, the report from our project on representations of Women and Money in media images is out. It was supported by Starling Bank and led to the creation of a set of images to challenge stereotypes.
On the research front, I did the onboarding for the Research Assistant (RA) for a research project. But, unfortunately, the RA had to withdraw from the project, so we had to start the recruitment process all over again. We now have another RA in place, so hopefully, we will start the interviews soon. If you are a hospitality manager in Oxfordshire, and could spare an hour to help us understand how guest behaviour, needs and expectations changed as a result of Covid-19, please get in touch:
We are also collecting data for a project looking at use of digital technology by residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. If you live in the area, please consider joining one of our focus groups:
No teaching this month. Marking of coursework and dissertations, instead. I also read the final manuscript of one of my PhD students, who is now getting very close to submission. And I interviewed and made an offer to someone who wants to start a PhD.
On the admin front, we interviewed for the lecturer positions. We had a really good field, and I am really confident that the person selected is a great fit for the team. Hooray. We are also looking at timetabling requirements for next year, given the uncertainty about what we will be required vs allowed to do. Hopefully, there will be more clarity about this in June.
Well, that’s all for now. As I am writing this blog post, it’s a bank holiday Monday in England, and the sun is shining. So, you will have to excuse me, but I am heading out to garden with my book.
How was your May?
Ana Canhoto 