Willem Sander van Boxtel

BA (Hons) English

We caught up with  former BA (Hons) English student, Willem Sander van Boxtel, about his time at BCU and what  he’s been up to since graduating.

What course did you choose to study and why?

I studied the BA (Hons) English course. I'd always known I liked writing and enjoyed the prospect of being a writer. 

When you started university, did you know what you wanted to do as a career?

I didn't have a clue. Fortunately, my years at BCU were immensely formative, so I had a much clearer idea of what my interests were by the time I graduated. I now have a very clear career path I intend to follow. 

What is your current job role?

I'm about to start a postdoctoral fellowship at Purdue University in the US, after finishing my PhD in Psycholinguistics at the University of Essex. I do research on language in ageing and stroke patients, and in particular how we can tap into learning abilities in these groups to improve understanding of language.

What is the most challenging aspect of your current role?

The combination of practical know-how and theoretical knowledge that you need to do successful research is by far the most challenging aspect of what I currently do. You need to be aware both of the recent cutting-edge research in the field as well as aspects of setting up and designing studies that make them effective and practical. 

What main skill from your university days will you take with you through your life?

The independent study module at BCU was a great chance to develop a research project for the first time, under close supervision, which definitely gave me some of the basic skills I take with me to the present day. More directly, my study module project also researched language impairments, which is the exact topic of my recent job appointment.

How has your life changed since you have graduated?

Since graduating, I have gone on to pursue a career in academia, and I am much happier with where I am going now than I was before starting my degree.