We have three candidates for the position of BAMS Postgraduate Representative: Stephanie Boland (University of Exeter), Crispian Neill (University of Leeds), and Helen Saunders (King’s College London). Members can vote for two candidates by clicking here be 29 February.
Stephanie Boland
Biography
I am an AHRC-funded PhD student at the University of Exeter with a thesis on modernism and non-fictional, instructional texts. I have published work in the James Joyce Quarterly, TLS, Cambridge Quarterly and various mainstream, non-academic venues.
Alongside my doctoral study, I have worked at the New Statesman as a digital assistant, working on back-end web production, writing and editing. I am particularly interested in how academics can publicise their research to the wider world, and the possibility online venues offer for sharing information and skills. I have experience organising events, managing mailing lists and am generally happy to undertake those less glamorous (but essential!) tasks crucial to the running of any organisation.
I have been nominated by Suzanne Hobson.
Statement
If elected as a postgraduate rep, I intend to use the role to build on two particular strengths of BAMS: its potential for fostering rich interdisciplinary work and the training it offers to postgraduates in modernist studies.
As an online hub for CFPs, announcements and other academic activities, BAMS is invaluable. Yet despite recent talks like Simon Shaw Miller’s musical keynote at New Work in Modernist Studies showing there’s an appetite for interdisciplinary exchange, there are still whole fields by and large not involved in the organisation.
As a postgraduate rep, I would reach out to music and art schools specifically, tapping into existing networks to reach postgraduates who might not otherwise have come across BAMS.
Similarly, while postgraduate training days provide the perfect opportunity to develop skills and network, there is scope to do more, particularly online. If elected, I would look to make career advice more accessible, in the form of web pages with dedicated guides to e.g. running a conference, or by setting up a blog or forum.
Having worked on the web desk of the New Statesman, I’m skilled at managing online spaces and working with contributors. A BAMS blog would provide an ideal space to exchange new ideas and share information about those less-discussed aspects of being a postgraduate student.
The forums provided by BAMS have been integral to my development as a PGR, and I would be honoured to contribute to the running of the organisation and help foster further growth.
Cripian Neill
Nominating BAMS Member
Dr Richard Brown, University of Leeds
Biography
I am a final year PhD candidate at the University of Leeds. The title of my thesis is ‘The Smell of Modernism: Metaphor and the Olfactory, 1900 – 1945’. My full academic profile, including peer-reviewed publications, conference activities and prizes can be viewed here.
Supporting Statement
In support of my application, I have prior experience of serving on academic committees. I am currently a postgraduate research representative for the Student/Staff Forum at the School of English, University of Leeds. I am also a contributing editor to the Open Modernisms Project, a role which supports my passion for modernist studies, and the importance of digital channels to support scholarly activity.
I am a co-founder of the Sensory Modernism(s): Cultures of Perception research group, and led the group’s successful grant capture from the Leeds Humanities Research Institute. Our award funded keynotes speakers and travel bursaries for attendees at the second Secondary Modernism(s) conference held at the University of Leeds in December 2015. Outputs from the conference included publicly-available videos of keynote presentations, and ongoing plans to publish a collection of conference papers. I am also the creator of the Sensory Modernism(s) website (http://www.sensorymodernisms.com), and fund my PhD through my work as a web developer. My strong administrative skills are further demonstrated by my contribution to a successful AHRC Collaborative Skills Development Bid in 2014, working with the Leeds Centre for Medical Humanities.
I will increase the uptake of BAMS membership among PGR students by more effectively marketing the benefits of joining. To assist this, I plan to review the current BAMS web presence and communications strategy to ensure that it represents not only the best available resource for modernist research, networking and events, but actively encourages a sense of participation and community among our members.
Helen Saunders
Biography
Helen Saunders is a third year PhD candidate at King’s College London, looking at the role and representation of fashion in the work of James Joyce. She has been awarded scholarships to study in Dublin and Trieste and teaches on the BA module ‘Writing London’ at King’s.
Statement
I would like to apply for one of the two Postgraduate Representative roles at BAMS, having been a member since the start of my PhD. I have accrued administrative experience within my own department having run KCL’s internal postgraduate research group and organized a series of ‘Skills Lunches’ for the PhD cohort, and would now like to transfer this to BAMS.
A strong feature of BAMS is its relationship to the Modernist Cultures journal. If elected, I would hope to develop BAMS’ publishing position by proposing an annual Open Access publication. While Modernist Cultures is accessible to BAMS members, having an OA element to BAMS would position it as an organisation that recognises accessibility of high-level scholarship to be a priority and demonstrates itself to be aware of issues currently facing researchers. This would also potentially encourage new members and journal subscribers via the traditional subscription model.
In addition to the ‘New Work in Modernist Studies’ series I would hope to expand the range of postgraduate activities. This would take the form of postgraduate symposia with, for example, interdisciplinary or theoretical angles; the former in particular would increase the range of BAMS’ work and acknowledge the rich research that takes place in modernist studies yet outside of literary studies.
At BAMS, I would also be placed to contribute to the society’s online and social media presence, building on the work I do for the IES Ulysses and Finnegans Wake blogs.
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