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Women in Leadership Profiles
Name: Prof Juliette Pattinson
Role: Professor of Modern History and Deputy Director of the Division of Arts and Humanities at the University of Kent and a Chair for Advance HE’s Athena Swan (gender equality). Previously Head of History (Strathclyde 2011-13 and University of Kent, 2015-2020)
Company: University of Kent since 2013
A bit about Juliette: I was brought up in Maidstone (went to MGGS I’m afraid as it was more local!) I studied History and Women’s Studies at Lancaster University and enjoyed it so much that I went on to undertake a Masters and then a Ph.D. My Ph.D was on male and female secret agents during the Second World War. I have held lectureships at the University of Wales (Bangor), Strathclyde University (Glasgow) and University of Kent and have also worked with the Open University. I give lots of lots of talks to local societies, appear on television relatively frequently and have given a Ted talk:
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG7CDh5BnBI
I have also published widely, including the following books, some of which are collaborative projects:
Women of War: Gender, Modernity and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2020).
Men, Masculinities and Male Culture in the Second World War (Houndmills: Palgrave, 2018).
Men in Reserve: British Civilian Masculinities in the Second World War (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2017).
Fighting for Britain? Negotiating Identities in Britain during the Second World War (Oxford: Peter Lang, 2015).
The Cultural Memory of the Second World War in Britain (London: Bloomsbury, 2013).
War in a Twilight World: Partisan and Anti-Partisan Warfare in Eastern Europe (Houndmills: Palgrave, 2010).
Behind Enemy Lines: Gender, Passing and the Special Operations Executive in the Second World War (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2007).
What is it like working in your company? I love my job! It’s so varied. As an academic, I teach and undertake research. So I give lectures to large groups of students on topics I’m passionate about. I run seminars where we discuss primary and secondary sources. I research in the archives and interview people and then write books and articles. I hold conferences where I get to hear all the cutting edge research from my fellow academics. I appear on tv and give talks to local societies. In addition to being an academic, I hold a senior leadership role at my University. So lots of meetings (which aren’t always so enjoyable!) I am responsible for the academic lifecycle in my Division of about 250 academics so I lead on recruitment, probation, promotion, mentoring, performance etc. When Head of History, I served on the panel to appoint the next Vice Chancellor. It was great to be able to champion the strongest candidate – a woman – who was then appointed.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field? I rather fell in to it, I’m embarrassed to say. I loved my undergraduate degree so stayed on to do a Masters (having seen a poster in the women’s loo saying ‘Have you thought about doing a Masters?’!) My dissertation supervisor encouraged me to undertake Ph.D so did! I then applied for a lectureship near the end of my Ph.D and was successful and have since then grabbed opportunities when they presented themselves. I was headhunted by Kent and am delighted to be back ‘home’.
I became particularly interested in women and the Second World War in particular when undertaking a module on the history of women in my third year. Until then I thought I was a historian of the early modern period. Looking back, I can see that an inspirational teacher, who became my Ph.D supervisor, changed the course of my life!
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position? A Ph.D to become a History lecturer and then experience. I’m highly organised, good at administration and people management which was noted early so I was appointed Head of History at my previous institution when I was really quite junior. Since then, I have capitalised on the experiences and am always willing to try something new to challenge myself.
What do you enjoy the most about your job? The variety. Teaching students. Supporting colleagues.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career? I’ve been very fortunate and don’t feel I’ve had obstacles in my career. My partner was diagnosed with bowel cancer which spread so that was a pretty tough time and five years he later died. Trying to juggle caring and a demanding job was challenging but in many ways work was a good distraction.
Why do you think it is important to have a strong female representation in your industry? When I went to University in 1994 I was told there were 4 female History Professors in the entire country. My department, which had 8 male Profs and no women in the summer of 2013, currently has six female Professors (and two male) so a good sign that things are changing.
The mental image of a History Prof is probably still of an older white man! It’s important to see female Profs on TV to challenge that preconception.
What advice would you give those wanting to take a similar career path? Choose a degree programme based on love of the subject and not on what you think you ought to do. That way, your passion for the subject will help you as you study.
When opportunities present themselves, take them! Being outside of our comfort zone (despite the nerves) can be invigorating and really rewarding.
