Karen Nugent
Having trained as a project manager and worked in multiple industries in the private sector outside Higher Education, Karen brings a cool head and wealth of experience in planning, management and customer service to her role managing the Engagement T
Tell us about your academic journey before you began working at The Graduate School?
I completed an undergraduate degree in Computer Science at Coventry University at a time when the internet didn’t even exist, so I’ve witnessed the rapid developments in technology since then and have embraced new platforms for effective planning and delivering.
What was your career journey before you started working at The Graduate School?
My career started in Bolton in the IT department of a UK-wide pub company, where I qualified as a PRINCE2 Practitioner and managed large-scale data rollouts, before moving to manage UK Retail for a global sports brand. On my return to Northern Ireland, I worked in several private firms before taking up a post as an Executive Assistant to one of the Directors of Queen’s.
How has your previous professional experience prepared you for your current role at The Graduate School?
My career spans multiple industries but the skills gained are all transferrable – it doesn’t matter where you work, people, planning, discipline and attention to detail all come into play.
When is your role and what do you enjoy most about it?
I manage the Student Engagement Team in the Graduate School, planning delivery of events to support the Training and Development and Employability and Enterprise teams and delivering community and social events to bring postgraduate students together. My team manages the web pages, social media channels, podcasts, weekly update emails, MyFuture, purchasing, administration and teaching room bookings. We also maintain the building itself, inside and out, keeping it tidy, safe and well stocked.
What's the most challening thing about your job?
Keeping the building tidy and safe! It's Grade B listed so there's always something to fix, and our students move the furniture around to suit their needs so we try to keep it tidy but useful.
Can you share some examples of the types of challenges or concerns that students often approach you with, and how you assist them?
Some postgraduate students, particularly international students, find it quite isolating to move to Belfast. We are always on hand for a cuppa and a chat, and we organise social and community events to try to bring postgraduate students together, give them a safe space to chat with their peers, who are often experiencing similar challenges.
If you could give one piece of advice to incoming students, what would it be?
Don't assume everyone else has it all under control! You’re not alone. We’re here to help. Come and see us for an informal chat.
Are there any unique resources or opportunities available through your department that students might not be aware of?
The Graduate School is exclusively for postgraduate students – there are several group study rooms that you can book through the Room Booking platform and a silent study area with 65 workstations where you can study in peace and quiet. We have a tea/coffee station on the ground floor with a microwave, so you can stay all day if you wish!
Name one thing you can’t survive a working day without. Why’s it so important?
Coffee and my Outlook calendar. One makes me a nicer person, the other makes me an organised person.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest developments in your field to better serve students' needs?
I subscribe to higher education specialist centres such as HEPI (Higher Education Policy Institute) whose webinars and papers cover subjects such as student cost of living, student attitudes to campus, university funding models, etc.
Do you have any favourite inspirational quotes or mantras that keep you motivated in your work?
“This, too, will pass away.” The saying is believed to be based on a Persian adage passed down throughout time and made famous in 1852 with Edward Fitzgerald's “Solomon's Seal”. In it, King Solomon aims to create a sentence that will always be true – whether times are good or bad. In it, he responds “This, too, will pass away”.
Whatever you’re going through, it will pass.
Do you think there are any unique challenges that students face today which are different to the challenges students faced in previous generations? What are they?
Covid changed a lot of things for a lot of students. As staff, we are still adjusting our processes and routines in a world where students don’t necessarily want to come to campus. Students have so many ways to communicate yet feel isolated, but if they don’t come to campus, how can they make friends? It's a challenge for all of us.
What's your favourite thing about Belfast that students should definitely check out?
A walk up Cavehill to view Belfast at your feet, then tea and a scone in neighbouring Belfast Castle as a reward for the walk. Also, the Christmas markets at City Hall from late November are a foodie feast.
If you could switch roles with any student for a day, which program or course would you choose, and why?
Law seems like a dark art to me, I'd love to know more about it.
What's your favourite book?
‘How to win friends and influence people’ by Dale Carnegie. It’s a 1936 self-help book which is startlingly relevant even in today’s modern world, whether in your personal life or career.
Share a fun fact about yourself that might surprise your colleagues and students.
I have stood at the top of both of the Harland and Wolff yellow gantry cranes, Samson and Goliath, setting up time-lapse photography for their heavy engineering projects. They're closed to the public so I was very lucky.
If you could travel back in time, which historical era would you visit and why?
I love the idea of the petticoats and voluminous frocks of the 1700s but I doubt they would be very practical!
Do you have a favourite travel destination or a memorable trip?
I spend a lot of time in northwest Donegal - on a nice day it's a little piece of heaven. I spent a very enjoyable week on a motor cruiseboat on Upper Lough Erne in Fermanagh for my honeymoon. Ireland is a beautiful country full of contrasting landscapes and it's a delight to tour around it when the weather is nice (and it's always dry in the pub).