Get to know the team behind the creativity, collaboration and connections.
Head of Public Engagement
Ben is the institutional lead for Public Engagement, helping define what Public Engagement is and means at the University.
Ben has led on national science engagement programmes, consulted on the Discovery channel and managed the largest engagement training programme at UCL.
Outside work Ben can often be found fossil hunting on the south coast or tinkering with 3D printers, uranium glass and materials with unusual properties.
Deputy Head of Public Engagement
Lisa leads the development and delivery of the Public Engagement Training programme, Public Engagement Network and the Development Fund.
Lisa’s leadership of public and policy engagement and development of award-winning funding bids have enabled diverse research impacts across the University and beyond.
Lisa is a passionate EDI champion who led the University’s Parent and Carer Network (2012–2022), shaping inclusive policies through public engagement. She enjoys travel, festivals, and paddle boarding.
Senior Administrator
Elizabeth oversees the operational delivery of all activity within the team, supporting all in bringing the public engagement vision to life.
Elizabeth is the secretariat for the Engaged University Steering Group and works with colleagues on the annual development fund as well as the Public Engagement Network.
Elizabeth is involved in a variety of networks across the University, which showcases her commitment to sharing insights, know-how, and sparking collaboration.
Senior Civic, Community and Public Engagement Manager
Ronda brings over two decades of experience in civic, community, and university engagement, working across multidisciplinary contexts. She now leads on civic engagement across the team and the University Directorate, applying deep expertise to foster meaningful partnerships and drive impactful initiatives.
Committed to equitable, collaborative and inclusive practice, with lived experience, Ronda is Vice-Chair of the staff and PGR Disability and Neurodivergence Network and manages the UK Disability History Month working group.
Senior Public Engagement Manager (Operations)
Silvia leads the UoS Festival team and is responsible for the planning, curation, and delivery of the Southampton Science and Engineering Festival (SOTSEF), the Southampton Arts and Humanities Festival, and the University of Southampton 'Bringing Research to Life' Roadshow.
She discovered her passion for public engagement and communications whilst working as a cancer research scientist. In the past, she volunteered with the Italian Red Cross, collaborated with Cancer Research UK and brought Pint of Science Festival to Southampton.
In her spare time Silvia rocks out to hard-rock tunes, dives into fantasy books, and lives for good food!
Senior Public Engagement Manager (Hubs)
Jess began working as School-University Partnership Officer in 2016 – and now she gets to apply that learning to working with communities, spending time getting to know and building relationships with people and organisations.
Jess has a PhD in Cryogenic Engineering & Superconductivity from the University of Southampton (UoS), which is almost entirely unrelated to her MEng degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering with European Studies. Her third year research project was about a Wave Energy Converter so she is an expert in not taking the direct path.
Public and Community Engagement Officer (Hubs)
Felicity joined the team in January 2024 and plays a key operational role in working with communities as the Public and Community Engagement (PCE) Hubs Officer.
Coming from the private healthcare sector, with a background in project management and customer service, she has 10 years marketing experience.
When not working, Felicity enjoys crafting, volunteering at her local baby bank, and performing in pantomine (oh no she doesn't)!
Public Engagement Co-ordinator (Festivals)
Kara joined the team in January, 2024 to support and facilitate the operational planning for our interactive festivals and 'on the road' public engagement events.
With a background in Performing Arts Kara has also spent over 15 years in the Travel, Leisure, Entertainment and Event industry, in a variety of experiential roles, including communications, event management, employee engagement, consultancy and customer experience.
In her spare time Kara loves an adventure by the sea and sharing the arts with children through teaching, and performing in shows. She is motivated by these experiences and feels proud to be a part of a team that is helping to create opportunities for all.
Public Engagement Administrator
Wendy-Anne is the team’s civic-engagement administrator. Her role mainly relates to our community or council partners. As such her goal is to make beneficial connections and improve life for project participants.
Wendy-Anne is an experienced Executive Assistant with a global background and a certified associate in project management. After over a decade supporting road-building projects in Africa, she joined the University in 2015 to assist on the impactful ‘Push the Pace’ project. She later worked in ethics and communications before starting her current role in 2020.
Outside work, she enjoys needlework, including knitting, crochet, and cross-stitching.
Senior Engagement Fellow (currently on sabbatical)
Tony is dedicated to embedding public engagement with research as a normal practice across the institution. He works to create a diverse spectrum of opportunities that enable students and staff at all levels to actively participate in public engagement.
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Public Engagement/CORNERSTONE Research Technician
Emily joined the team in April 2025 and plays a key role in public engagement research between the team and CORNERSTONE, an open source, license-free, silicon photonics prototyping foundry.
Emily is currently working a joint role between CORNERSTONE, where she spends her time in the University's Zepler Cleanroom complex, and half doing Public Engagement, bringing the lab to life and taking silicon photonics out into schools and the public to raise awareness and promote the work being done within the lab.
Outside of work Emily enjoys hiking, surfing, and photography.
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Administrator and Support (Festivals)