When Deborah Johnston first embarked on an academic career, she was initially unsure whether the vocation was right for her.
“I certainly came to academia later because I…didn’t know if there was a role for someone like me,” she said. “Because of the fact that I stammer…when I did my PhD I’d never imagined that I could be a lecturer.”
But that mindset didn’t last, the new vice-chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire said. “I realised that actually being a lecturer didn’t mean I had to be word-perfect every time. What it really meant was that I came to those lectures with really good materials, really clear intent, and I could engage well with students.
“I think that forced me to really think what it meant to be good at this particular role.”
Since then, Johnston has gone on to hold a series of university leadership positions, including at SOAS University of London and London South Bank University (LSBU), alongside her academic work on development economics, where she focuses on inequality and poverty. In June, she took over at Bedfordshire.
