11th Making Diversity Interventions Count Annual Conference 2022

Uduak Archibong is Professor of Diversity at the University of Bradford, UK, where she directs the Centre for Inclusion and Diversity and provides strategic oversight for equality and diversity across the institution. Uduak is a thought leader in inclusion and diversity and currently leading in setting agenda to drive research, learning and knowledge exchange activities internationally. She has a sustained, distinguished presence in this field and much of her work has focused on workforce diversity, diversity-competent leadership in public, private and third sector organisations. Uduak’s academic and professional work has major impacts locally, nationally and globally. Key among these impacts is that the body of her research work has provided a robust understanding of challenges of applying diversity interventions in enhancing workforce diversity and inclusive service delivery. Her research provides a clear international definition of positive action and application for representational and participative diversity. She has recently led a major multi-million European Commission funded action research project, GENOVATE, across 7 European Universities and is currently involved in a multi-million Horizon 2020 project, RRING, along with 22 international partners. Uduak has published extensively and is on the editorial board of a number of academic journals, including Guest Editor of a recently published Special Issue of the Journal of Psychological Issues in Organisational Culture entitled 'Reframing Diversity Interventions in Austere Times'. Uduak was listed in the New Year Honours list 2015 and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to higher education and equality.

I obtained my first degree in Genetics at Queen Mary College, London in 1986. After a travel break, I became a research assistant at East Birmingham Hospital and undertook my PhD research with Prof. Maj Hultén in the Regional Cytogenetics and DNA Diagnostic Laboratory.

Following 4 years as a postdoc, I took up a lectureship in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at The University of Sheffield. There I taught clinical and molecular genetics and my research continued with an emphasis on genetic influences on repair of broken DNA during meiosis. An essential feature of dividing cells making gametes is that they deliberately break their own DNA and use the repair mechanisms both to shuffle DNA (so each gamete is genetically unique) and to share out the chromosomes properly.

In 2012 I became head of my department in Sheffield and was fortunate to oversee an exciting period of growth. I developed the model of mixing teaching and research positions, with roles designed to play to the strengths of academics who had had a quality research experience and developed a great passion for innovative, supportive and exciting teaching.

That brings us up to where I am now – working as a member of Team Bradford. I was really excited to be offered the Dean’s role in a faculty with a vibrant mix of research, basic science and health professional degrees.

"Shirley’s priority is to engender a vibrant culture for staff and students reinforcing the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching & learning, research, knowledge exchange and equality, diversity and inclusion. Having lived and worked in the Bradford City Region for ten years she is committed to positioning the University at the centre of the region’s social and economic regeneration." Shirley is responsible for the leadership and management of the University of Bradford, leading the development of its values and strategy. She is the eighth Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford and is the first woman to hold the role.  Shirley has significant experience of working in higher education championing the quality of the student experience, widening participation, engagement with business and communities and advancing the quality of research and innovation. Originally qualifying as a Registered Nurse, Shirley’s professional and academic expertise lies within the area of health and social care, service modernisation and cultural change, research methods and evidence-based practice.  She has a strong track record in all aspects of university leadership, having worked within the field of higher education for 25 years and held senior roles in three different universities. She is committed to value led leadership, equality, diversity and inclusion, increasing social inclusion and mobility through widening participation in higher education; opening up opportunities and unlocking potential for people of all backgrounds. A tireless ambassador for students, she is committed to ensuring that they get the best possible education and support that leads to a rewarding career after they graduate.  Her number one priority is to place the student experience at the heart of all aspects of University activities.

Dr Gurnam Singh is an activist academic. He has a background in professional social work, though he has spent a large part of his career in academia. At present, he holds a part-time post as Associate Professor of Education at Coventry University. He also holds posts as an Honorary Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, Visiting Professor of Social Work at the University of Chester and Visiting Fellow in Race and Education at the University of Arts, London. Before entering academia in 1993, Dr Singh worked as a professional social worker and community activist in his home City of Bradford, UK. In 2009, in recognition of his unique contribution to Higher Education, he was awarded a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) from the UK HEA. In 2018 Dr Singh was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts (FRSA).  Dr Singh has published 4 books and 40 book chapters and peer-review journal articles and numerous monographs, research reports, conference papers, blogs and newspaper articles.

Yunis Alam is Head of Department, Sociology and Criminology at the University of Bradford. He is also co-chair of the University's Race Equality Staff forum. His research interests span ethnic relations, popular culture, ethnography, and postcolonial literatures. He has previously published his research relating to social cohesion, counter-terrorism, banal and everyday multicultures. His most recent research explores race and racism through the prism of automobility. He has also published a number of novels and short stories.

Christine is a Chartered Librarian who has led the delivery of public library services for more than 20 years in a career spanning services in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and most recently Bradford. 

She has also served on the Executive of the Society of Chief Librarians and led the East of England regional consortium of library services, delivered library peer reviews with the LGA, spoken at conferences and participated in ministerial round tables on libraries. 

She is passionate about the role of libraries in promoting - and educating people about - equality, diversity and inclusion. 

Past Research Interests Development of metastatic models for prostate cancer In vitro and in vivo analysis of sigma receptor compounds on primary and metastatic prostate cancer Health inequalities in the NHS Equitable Access to biosimilar medicines Current Research Interest Education Innovation Research and Development (EIRD) Innovative outreach programs Widening participation GlaxoSmithKline, UK Pasteur Institute, France Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Greece Department of Biology, University of Miami, US Department of Pharmacy, University of Huddersfield, UK

Mark Ayres began his career working as a professional musician with artists such as Robbie Williams, Gloria Estefan, Simply Red, Shirley Bassey, Jack Jones, Sting and The Glenn Miller Orchestra whilst also teaching at Giggleswick school. As a leader of the arts in education, he believes he is uniquely placed to raise aspirations of youngsters. He is fuelled by his own life experiences as a youngster having grown up in several deprived communities.

Mark is also a TED-ED innovative educator and recently spoke at the TED SUMMIT conference in Banff, Canada about how the arts in teaching and learning improves self-worth, promotes understanding of different cultures and beliefs, builds confidence and breaks down the barriers of hate.  He has created a TED-ED video entitled ‘One in a million’. In the past years, he has presented at York University and Leeds Trinity on ‘Teachers as agents of social change’ at their annual NQT conferences. 

Mark has been at Appleton Academy for 8 years and during that time has gained NPQSL and NPQH. He has also achieved an innovation award for teaching and learning. He leads on the Windrush, Srebrenica, Holocaust, LGBTQ projects which he has ensured to be delivered trust wide. He is currently acting Head teacher.

Dr Jane Wray is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing at the University of Hull and Senior Clinical Nurse Advisor to NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI) for the National Preceptorship Programme. She has an established track record in in research, teaching and learning and public engagement with a focus on nursing workforce, professional development and inclusive education and practice. Dr Wray led on the STaR project https://starnursehull.wordpress.com/‘Supporting Transition and Retention of Newly Registered Nurses. Jane is Associate Editor Evidence Based Nursing, Fellow Ad Eundem of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (FFNMRCSI), a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Member Scholar of the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology (IIQM), and a Registered Nurse (RN).

Carol Azumah Dennis has worked in higher education since 2010, first at the University of Hull where she was employed initially as a lecturer in education and programme director for post-16 teacher education, and later as programme director for postgraduate taught provision. Since 2017, she has worked for the Open University as a senior lecturer in education, leadership and management. She is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Prior to working in higher education, Carol worked for a number of years in further education colleges where she was responsible for teaching, training and managing adult basic skills. She completed her EdD at the UCL, Institute of Education in 2010, with a thesis exploring leading and managing quality in adult literacies provision.

Dr Dianne Wepa is the inaugural Associate Professor Mental Health at UoB. Dr Wepa’s current EDI expertise is cultural safety; community-based physical activity programme for British South Asian Muslim Families; digital technology and suicide prevention; Aboriginal peoples’ mental health discourse and evaluating health services with Kurdish Immigrants. Her presentation will discuss how to provide a decolonised approach to healthcare and education service delivery. The significance of we-dentity and cultural safety within three colonised countries, New Zealand, Australia and Canada will be explored.

Alex Fitzpatrick, PhD, is a zooarchaeologist and EDI researcher at the University of Bradford. Her main research interests are in decolonising and diversifying archaeological theory and practice, with a special interest in zooarchaeological approaches to decolonial action. She is one of the hosts of ArchaeoAnimals, a zooarchaeology podcast on the Archaeology Podcast Network, and regularly blogs at her website, www.animalarchaeology.com. Dr Fitzpatrick can also be found on Twitter and Instagram at @ArchaeologyFitz.”

Jagtar Singh OBE is one of Bedford most decorated and respected members of the South Asian community. Jagtar worked for over 28 years in two fire authorities and in Whitehall and now also has over 15 years in the NHS as a Chairman and Non-executive Director. 

Jagtar has made a significant contribution at local and national level promoting, in particular, diversity, Inclusion and health inequalities.

He is a passionate Charity from which many local Bedford charities have benefited . Jagtar with his friend Billy Gill rise over £15000 a year for local and national charities. Jagtar spent over 20 years helping Romanian orphans takin teams of firefighter to build orphanages and supporting the most deprived children in Romania.

Jagtar proudest achievement is that one of the girls from that orphanage is now a freighter in London.

Jagtar is a key member of the NHS assembly and NHS providers board in additional to other roles where he is making a difference in the local STP and Midlands leadership academy.

Jagtar retired from the fire service in October 2006 shortly after returning from working in Whitehall with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).    Jagtar set up Jagtar Singh Associates Ltd in 2006.  The company quickly established a reputation for delivering high quality training in areas such as HR policy support, Equality and Diversity training.

In July 2006 Jagtar was selected to be a Non-Executive Director for the East of England Ambulance Service.  In 2009 he moved on to be a Non-Executive director of Luton and Dunstable Hospital this role he completed in December 2014. Jagtar took up the role of Chair of Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust in September 2014.

Jagtar has delivered national training on managing diversity and more generally on equality impacts assessment training and in November 2007 delivered a key note address in Australia on equality.  He has also been asked to be a key note speaker in the USA on several occasions whilst working in the fire service.

Associate Professor, Centre for Applied Dementia Studies, University of Bradford

Andrea Capstick is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies and was Principal Investigator on the study Coronavirus and Dementia in Care Homes (CoDeC) from which the script of Voices from the front line was developed.

Dr Colins Imoh is passionate about social action, sustainable development, diversity, and Peacebuilding. He is a scholar and teacher. He taught peace studies at the University of Toledo and California State University, Sacramento. Professionally, he obtained his doctoral degree from the University of Toledo, USA, An MA in Conflict Transformation and Organizational Leadership from Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, USA and an MPhil in Environmental Management and Sustainability from the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. He was the pioneer coordinator of the Africa Network of Young Peace Builders, a strong network of about 200 youth-based organization and individuals involved in Peacebuilding, human rights and good governance working from the UNOY Peacebuilders Foundation International Secretariat in the Netherlands. He served as the Partners for Peace (P4P) Project Manager, a network whose mission is to build social capital around Peacebuilding.  P4P is an initiative of Chevron Inc, USA. He is an Advisory Board Member of the International Institute for Peace Education (IIPE); Board Secretary, African Peace Fellows –California State University, Sacramento. He is on the editorial board of In Factis Pax journal of peace education and social justice. He has written articles and book chapters in his areas of interest.

Toby Howarth was born in Kenya, grew up in London and studied Philosophy at Yale University. He worked as a research assistant before becoming a postman in the East End of London.  

After ordination training for the Church of England in Oxford, Birmingham and Uganda, combining Christian theology with Islamic Studies, he moved to India with his family where he did research in Islamic preaching for a PhD from the Free University of Amsterdam.  

Returning to Europe, Toby worked in Rotterdam and then in Birmingham where he taught Islamic studies and served as a Tutor and then Vice Principal at Crowther Hall in Selly Oak.  

In 2004 he took up parish work again as Vicar of St Christopher's, Springfield, a church in a majority Muslim area of the city. In addition to the parish role, Toby was the Bishop of Birmingham's Adviser on Inter Faith Relations until April 2011 when he became Interreligious Affairs Secretary for the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was consecrated Bishop of Bradford in York Minster in October 2014.  

Barry is project Support Officer in the Stronger Communities Team at Bradford Council, and has been managing projects, groups and campaigns that champion social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion over the past 3 years on the Bradford for Everyone Programme. One of the recent and ongoing projects he has managed that is very relevant to the MDICAC 2022 overall theme is ‘The Linking Network’, which works with children and young people to support them unlock a life-long commitment to taking action in their communities.

Meg Henry, Co-Director at ‘The Linking Network’, which is a charity seeking to develop and deepen young people’s knowledge and understanding of identity, diversity, equality and community, creating space for discussion of these issues within the school curriculum and providing teachers the fully resourced support to deliver Schools Linking and Intergenerational Linking for their pupils.

Matt is project Support Officer in the Stronger Communities Team at Bradford Council. He has worked on a number of projects with employers and migrant groups in Bradford District to improve cohesion and integration outcomes as part of the Bradford for Everyone Programmes over the past 3 years. Two of the projects he will be exploring at MDICAC 2022 are ‘Make Sure It Adds Up’ and ‘African Study for Change’.

Izzy is an English Language Service Assessor as part of the Stronger Communities Together Strategy delivered under the Bradford for Everyone Programme. With support from Saima Rifet, Izzy will introduce ‘Lets Talk About It’, on behalf of its founders. ‘Let’s Talk about it’ is the outcome of research & development by Bradford for Everyone (BfE) and Bradford Hate Crime Alliance (BHCA), and it addresses the need for a ‘white space’ when working for racial justice.

Liz lives and works in Bradford and divides her time between roles as the Interfaith Worker at Bradford Cathedral and the development worker at Wellsprings Together Bradford, a project tackling poverty locally. 

In her spare time Liz gets involved in interfaith, maternity care (she’s a volunteer doula), equalities and women’s work, as well as BCB radio! 

She presents Radio Venus, the monthly women’s show with Mary Dowson on a Wednesday evening, and also hosts Roundtable. And Liz has been involved in BCB’s local election coverage. 

Jim has been teaching for over ten years, in the Thames Valley, Essex, London and now Bradford.  

Jim moved to the UK from New Zealand as a child and went to secondary school and university here. He joined the Future Leaders programme in 2015 as a senior leader in Brent, before moving to Dixons Trinity in 2017.  

At Trinity Jim leads on Personal and Community Development. He is also part of the safeguarding team and designated teacher for looked after children. He also leads on civic responsibility for the Dixons Academy Trust and chairs the group that manages the pandemic recovery work for five Bradford based academy trusts. 

Outside of teaching, Jim has experience working in policy, politics and community organising in the UK, US, and New Zealand. 

Graham is Senior Community Organiser with Citizens UK in Bradford. Citizens UK is a broad alliance of civil society organisations campaigning for social justice, developing leaders and strengthening member organisations. Graham has 30 years’ experience in church-based community work in Birmingham, Teesside and West Yorkshire. He has served on a number of neighbourhood and regional partnership bodies, as a governor in a variety of schools often navigating through change. He has played a role to strengthen the grass roots voices in shaping community which bring together community, public bodies and businesses. Currently, he is working alongside 5 school trusts across Bradford alongside faith groups, businesses and charities to build an alliance in Bradford with young people at the centre. Graham is also responsible for Citizens UK’s work with Born in Bradford.

Saima has recently joined the Stronger Communities Team at Bradford Council. She is an Inclusion Executive Coach on the ‘Inclusive Employers Network’ project delivered by the Bradford for Everyone Program to support 140+ employers in the Bradford District on their Inclusion journey. Saima’s interests lie with Hybridity as a concept of Hybrid Identities resulting from a mix of cultural traits; intersectionality as a key factor of diversity and inclusion; and the working lives and lived experiences of minorities in the Bradford District. Saima will be supporting her team in delivering MDICAC activities related to the Bradford for Everyone Programme.

Farida Zaman is the Local Development Lead for Bradford at Business in the Community (BiTC) working in collaboration with businesses, local and regional councils and the VCS sector to create sustainable economic, social and environmental growth, to ensure no one is left behind. She joined BiTC as an Inclusion Adviser for a year before moving over to this role. Farida’s work has a Keighley focus where she has been engaging with local businesses, town council, schools and charities to impact on social mobility.

She has had a 24-year career with Post Office Ltd, which has included assessing and appointing new franchise Agents, at branches across London and the southeast, responding to national Energy and Water client tenders and 5 years in transformation investing £2.34 billion into the 11,500 branch network.

She is an experienced stakeholder engaging with strategic operators on investments into their portfolio of branches, including Co-op group, McColl’s and Tesco.

Farida created and chaired the Post Office Ethnic Minority network for 2 years and was a member of the Post office Advisory council for 3 years during her time there. She is a Psychology graduate and speaks 3 languages, and as a survivor of domestic abuse, she is passionate about inspiring others on their journey to emotional, psychological and financial freedom.

Goodie Okechukwu is a radical inclusionist, change catalyst, with a mindset of the transformer and very passionate about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Goodie Okechukwu is a dedicated and result-driven Diversity professional. She holds a master’s degree in Diversity Management and has made valuable contributions to this field over the years. Consistent, compassionate, focused, and intentional, Goodie specializes in helping organizations to empower and engage employees to lead change, implement and foster positive team behaviour, create enabling and inclusive work environments. Goodie has a special interest in communication excellence with expertise in Accent Bias training, she is obsessed with the inclusion of all accents in organizational communication and the broader society, Goodie is the founder of the Protect Accent initiative. The campaign is dedicated to highlighting the issues around accent bias and discrimination in organizations and the broader society, fostering and promoting accents inclusion in the workspace. Best known for her informed approach to work, she finds the most rewarding aspect of her career is participating in activities that eliminate negative work systems and cultures, systemic and structural racism, enhance team dynamics, create quality team relationships, enable mindset shifts towards modelling positive values and behaviour from board levels to all teams. Goodie is an author, her first book – “Navigating the Problems and Solutions of Work-Life -Balance” is available for sale on Amazon in hard copy and Amazon’s kindle formats. Goodie Okechukwu has over 5 years of experience in her field. She is the Founder and Director of Protect Accent CIC – a company that specializes in providing bespoke, CPD accredited, on-site and online Accent Bias training. As Director of Protect Accent CIC, she oversees Protect Accent's research program and covers the training department. She is currently a research student at the University of Bradford, her research topic is focused on the impact of accents discrimination and inclusion in organizations. Looking ahead, she hopes to continue to make a difference doing her current work but on a global scale, and she credits her success to believing in herself. She looks forward to connecting with like-minded professionals. For more information about the Protect Accent initiative please visit www.protectaccent.com Email: gkcokech@bradford.ac.uk

Kath has worked in the field of access and inclusion for over 20 years. She is experienced in engagement, training, and people development across a wide range of sectors, as well as having an excellent project and programme management track record. She is an expert in diversity issues and has provided strategic advice to a range of organisations to support their diversity aims. She is also an experienced researcher and evaluator, with a track record of successful impact assessments. Kath is currently working with CfID as their Insight and Evaluation Lead on a range of access, progression and social integration research and evaluation activities to support decolonisation across the University as part of understanding and affecting structural change for student and staff success.

Kingsley Utam (Utam) is the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Lecturer at the Centre for Inclusion and Diversity [CfID]. His job involves making scholarly contributions to research, teaching and knowledge exchange and supporting the University’s sub-strategies of Research and Innovation and Learning, Teaching and Student Experience.

Before assuming this role, Utam was EDI Advisor at the CfID between April and October 2021. He also worked within the CfID as a Research Associate on the Responsible Research and Innovation Networking Globally (RRING) project - a European Union sponsored Horizon 2020 research project involving 20 international partners from different parts of the world (September 2019 to April 2021). He co-authored two chapters of the Horizon 2020 RRING report. He has also authored/co-authored several publications including journal articles, book chapters, and published instructional materials.

Utam earned his PhD in Inclusion and Diversity Management from the University of Bradford in 2021. He holds an MSc in Organisational Behaviour and BSc in Business Administration from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

Before embarking on his PhD, he was a Lecturer at the Faculty of Management Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria, where also played the role of Deputy Director of the Commonwealth Executive MBA and MPA (CEMBA/CEMPA) Programmes.

Neena is a Project Support Officer in the Stronger Communities Team at Bradford Council and has managed projects, groups and campaigns that champion social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion as part of the Bradford for Everyone Programme, over the past 3 years. Neena will hold a poster stall at MDICAC 2022, focussing on the ‘Shared Values’ campaign which is the Bradford District’s people-led campaign that inspires and aspires to get all communities and organisations in the Bradford District to live and celebrate four human values that bring us together.

Jabu Phiri is a Bradford for Everyone Programme Ambassador and a People’s Powerhouse Racial Justice Advocate. Jabu has an immense passion for equality development in all its forms including racial justice. As a community activist/advocate and businesswoman, Jabu empowers people to have a voice, to speak, to be heard, and to act positively on their experiences. Jabu will join Neena Punnu to promote Citizen Coin, which is another Bradford for Everyone Project that digitally rewards the good things people do.