Meet the new Director of Research - Jo Duberley

I am Professor of Organisation Studies, having joined Birmingham Business School as a Lecturer in September 2002 from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. Prior to that, I had worked for some years in Sheffield - at both Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam Universities. Having been born and brought up in the Black Country, coming to Birmingham was in many ways a return home. Since arriving, I have done a number of administrative roles including Director of the Doctoral Pro-gramme for both the Business School and the College of Social Sciences and most recently Director of the UG Business and Management suite of programmes. I have also taught on the Under-graduate Business and Management programme and a variety of MSc programmes.

My own research has focussed largely on the concept of career. Initially I developed a stream of research funded by ESRC which examined the changes in the funding of public sector science and the impact that this had on scientific careers. I still undertake research looking at the career pipe-line for women in STEM subjects and I am currently working on a British Academy funded project exploring the career progression of female engineers. More recently I have been involved in re-search projects examining management careers in the NHS (funded by NIHR), the careers of women entrepreneurs (funded by British Academy and the Regional Studies Association), and women’s experiences of retirement (a bid has been submitted to Nuffield foundation). In my own research I have gained a great deal through collaborations across the University with colleagues within CoSS and also in MDS, EPS and LES and this is something I am really keen to encourage and facilitate where possible.

I am delighted to take over from Helen as Research Director for BBS. This is an exciting time for the Business School. The School is in a process of transformation; it is growing and we are seeing significant investment in our research activity. I am committed to working with staff to make sure that we make the most out of this opportunity. My objectives are to develop a vibrant and inclusive research culture that respects the value of Research Clusters and individual researchers and to ensure that members of staff are supported academically and administratively to achieve their research potential. I am really looking forward to working with you in this new role.