Page 7 - Luce 2023

I nterview

With Christmas approaching, Dr Spencer-Regan and Ms Margie Richardson chat in the SCR.

I note you were ‘Reader in Residence’ at a women’s prison You have travelled a long way to take up your role as
from 2010-2011 and that later you were on the University’s Principal of JCH – and we are all very glad you did! What
Wider Student Experience Working Group. Would you share prompted you, though, to uproot yourself and your family to
your thoughts on the importance of students giving back to travel across the planet to come to JCH? In answering that
the community? question, perhaps you could also fill us in on your family
whom I was so pleased to meet recently at JCH…
I worked as a shared reading group facilitator within the
personality disorder unit in a maximum security women’s I’ve been asked this many times! I wasn’t actively looking for
prison as part of a research project jointly funded by the UK a new opportunity, having very recently accepted a senior
government’s Home Office and an excellent national charity, role in Durham University’s Student Enrichment Directorate,
The Reader Organisation (TRO). TRO advocates not only working across all seventeen of the colleges, but when the
functional literacy but also reading great literature for pleasure recruiters contacted me, it seemed like a ‘once in a lifetime’
as cornerstones of a healthy and happy life, and TRO’s opportunity, both professionally and personally. I entered
reading-based interventions in UK criminal justice settings into the interview process knowing that there would be far
have had proven success, resulting in improved wellbeing more experienced candidates in the running, but it just goes
amongst group participants, and lower reoffending rates. to show the importance of valuing your own unique strengths
Facilitating sessions within the prison was initially daunting, and taking every opportunity to learn and to grow beyond
and obviously very different from teaching undergraduates at your comfort zone – something we obviously encourage our
Durham University, but it was a transformative experience for students to do, too.
me, making me a far more sensitive and responsive educator.
I am so lucky to have had the full and enthusiastic support
Being able to study or work at elite universities like Melbourne of my wider family and my husband, Stephen, as we have
and Durham is a privilege, and I believe that when we find made this life-changing move. Stephen retains his position
ourselves in a position of privilege, it’s our responsibility to
use it for the benefit of our communities. I fully expect every With husband, Prof. Stephen Regan, whilst completing her
one of our students to use their unique talents to make a Frank Knox Fellowship at Harvard University in 2011-12.
positive difference, whether that’s through their academic
research, social entrepreneurship, or time spent volunteering
in the local community. I’ve been so impressed by JCH
students’ deep appreciation of their social responsibility
and by their ambitious sense of their own potential to effect
much needed change in the areas of climate action, health
equity, and indigenous awareness and reconciliation. These
are some of the brightest and best students in Australia, and
it is only right that they see themselves as the bold and brave
change-makers of the future. It’s our job as staff to ensure that
our students are supported in identifying those volunteering
and servant leadership opportunities that will best help them
achieve their goals.

J anet Clarke Hall 7