I AM BCU - Research
We have a confident, proud and diverse community of postgraduate researchers at BCU, who are striving to achieve their career goals and transform their lives. Read their stories here.
Achuthan Shanmugaratnam
Sport PhD
Achuthan took the plunge into PhD study to deepen his knowledge and contribute to the world of football talent identification and development. His passion for football shines through his research, and he works closely with his supervisor to progress to his goal of becoming a leading expert in the field.
Neil Sambrook
Professional Doctorate in Education EdD
Neil never believed he would be studying a Doctorate, but has exceeded his expectations after completing his Masters in Educational Leadership at BCU and delving into research. He says vocational education saved his life from a young age when times were tough, which motivated him to focus on it for his research.
Laura Gee
Psychology PhD
Laura thought that the rest of her life was set out in front of her; with a wife, a child and her own hairdressing business. However, a health scare made her reassess what she wanted in life, and decided to take a leap of faith and go to university. Now studying for her PhD, she has already started teaching other students at BCU alongside her research.
Rhianna Levi
Professional Doctorate in Education EdD
Having a tough upbringing inspired Rhianna to work in education, so she could provide a safe space for people like her. Now, she’s working towards becoming a Doctor of Education and doing ground-breaking research that will improve mental health education in schools.
Johann Lux
Sport PhD
With a passion for positively impacting football and society, Johann decided to continue his studies at BCU and pursue doctoral research within sport. His research journey has kicked off to a great start, with plenty of opportunities to expand his knowledge, learn from recognized professionals in global football development and collaborate with his expert supervisor.
Liam Brolan
Social Sciences PhD
Liam had planned on becoming a police officer, but when he learnt that the local forces weren’t recruiting, he considered going to university. Having first joined BCU as an undergraduate, Liam went on to be a PhD student and is now a course leader in the Criminology department.
Jess Wythe
Professional Doctorate in Education EdD
When Jess started her undergraduate studies as an Education student at BCU, she didn’t have the confidence to believe she was good enough to study at postgraduate level. Now, her doctoral research is making positive changes to Special Educational Needs policy and practice and her confidence in her work and ability grows every day.
Hina Shafi
Sport PhD
Hina never believed a PhD studentship would be for her. After having to retake her GCSEs, and facing imposter syndrome with her dyslexia, she wasn’t sure she would make it. However, her passion for cricket and researching representation in the sport, combined with the support of her supervisors at BCU, means she can use her research to truly make a change in the world of talent identification and development in British South Asian Women and Girls in cricket.
Vincent Obia
Media PhD
After completing his Bachelors and Masters in Lagos - Nigeria, Vincent took the plunge and made the move to Birmingham to study a PhD in Media. Vincent transitioned to his next level of study with ease as he was always pro-active and had fantastic support from his tutors.
Melisa Oleschuk
International Human Rights PhD
Passionate about the empowerment of people and the protection of human rights, Melissa felt studying a PhD would provide her with the knowledge for a career contributing to a better society. After completing her undergraduate degree in Law and postgraduate degree in International Human Rights, she is now studying for her PhD, exploring the translation of international human rights provisions into domestic legal change.
Omar Green
Sport PhD
After applying to several PhDs and not being successful, Omar nearly gave up on the idea of pursing postgraduate research. When he saw the opportunity to conduct a fully funded PhD studentship in his area of interest at BCU, he decided to try a final time. He is now researching his passion, cricket, and works with the team at BCU to achieve his goals and make a true impact in the sport.
Natasha Pope
Psychology PhD
As a mother with a passion to make society a safer place for young people, Natasha decided to pursue a PhD, researching knife crime and prevention of serious youth violence. Having studied both her undergraduate and Master's degree at BCU, she wished to continue working closely with academics within the Forensic Psychology department. Natasha’s area of research is close to her heart, and with her impactful research she hopes to make true change for the future of knife crime intervention provisions.
Zhou Yang
Fine Art PhD
In her photographic practice, Yang has always had a fascination with Chinese Literati Gardens. She decided to take the plunge and delve into them further in her practice-led PhD as an international student at Birmingham School of Art, in the Research Centre for Chinese Visual Arts. Realising that her role as an artist and researcher go hand in hand, Yang integrates her photographic expertise within her PhD research.
Jaspreet Singh
International Human Resource Management PhD
Jaspreet never thought he would ever get the chance to study in the UK, coming from a small village in the Punjab. Since joining BCU, Jaspreet has taken any and every opportunity he can, and worked to tackle discrimination in the city, now focusing on the issue through his PhD.
Abigail Shaw
Criminology PhD
After being released from prison in her late teens, Abigail became a mother and realised she needed to provide a better life for her new family. After several attempts at college, she discovered an Access to HE (Higher Education) course, which led her to study Criminology at BCU at undergraduate and master’s levels. She has overcome every challenge life has thrown at her and is now a PhD researcher at BCU focussing on the experiences of black women in the criminal justice system.
Loretta Bortey
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning PhD
Loretta lost her mum at a young age and grew up not having much, but with the support of her friends and family she’s been able to pursue her goals and study Big Data science in the UK. She is leading by example and won the Sir Lenny Henry Award for Diversity and Inclusion for her work inspiring young girls in Ghana to go into STEM careers.
Avital Prais
Sport and Exercise PhD
Avital knew from her first year at BCU that researching the menstrual cycle and sport performance was a passion she wanted to pursue. As a PhD student, she’s been able to overcome self-doubt to complete impactful research that will make a difference to others.