As Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students, Professor Judy Williams is responsible for steering the University’s education strategy, including maintaining oversight of educational performance and ensuring the highest standard of student learning experience and an environment and culture of innovation in pedagogy and educational enhancement.

What attracted you to take up this key leadership role at Queen’s?

I was attracted to come and work at Queen's for many reasons. In particular, I was really keen to enhance and drive forward the portfolio, and I felt I had the skills, knowledge and experience to really help make a difference.

When I came for interview, I did a bit of secret shopping beforehand: I walked around the University a few days before my interview and met staff and students on campus. I got a good sense of what it’s like to be a member of staff or student at Queen’s. I felt that the culture and the values aligned well with my own culture and values.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

I find the close working relationship I have with the students and Students’ Union really rewarding; it really helps to ground everything that we do for the benefit of them. I'm very focused on student success and what we can do to enable every student to reach their potential by working hand-in-hand with them to co-create and co-design projects that really have impact and make a difference for all of our diverse students.

It’s been great to see this beautiful synergy between staff wanting to make an impact and really support our students to do their best and also our students wanting to work with us to drive forward enhancements.

What is the key to providing an enriching and supportive environment for students?

The most important thing, first off, is to listen to them – to ask questions and to understand. Because our students are inspirational and many of them have such fantastic, creative solutions.

It's also about giving opportunity to people, whether they're staff or students, to be able to take forward creative ideas - creating structures and safe environments that empower and enable staff and students to have a go and push the boundaries to create inspirational and transformative learning and student experiences.

What inspires and drives you forward in your role?

I'm a professor of academic enhancement and set up the Centre for Academic and Research and Development in my last post. As a disabled member of staff, I know what it’s like to face challenges and I want to promote and support a cultural environment that doesn't look at people for what they're not good at, but, rather, one that celebrates diversity and individual strengths – I call them superpowers – and that enables them to thrive.

For me, my disability is my superpower; it allows me to see life through a different lens to other people. So I’m passionate about helping people reach their potential and enabling them to overcome the challenges or barriers that they face, looking at alternative ways to go forward and giving them different support mechanisms or approaches.

About Judy

What are you enjoying most about life in Belfast?

I'm really enjoying the culture. It is very much a culture of supporting and feeding. I absolutely love food, so I've enjoyed going out for food with colleagues, getting to understand the local culture and cuisine and getting to grips with all of the different types of bread that are available in Northern Ireland. I haven't quite tasted them all yet, but I am enjoying exploring that and I look forward to making my way through the vast array of different breads that are available!

What is your favourite app?

My kids are still in Yorkshire because they're doing their A-levels and GCSEs so, at the moment, it's my Air Lingus app because it helps with my commuting and WhatsApp so that I can support with any homework questions and finding essential elements of the PE kit!

What are you most proud of?

I'm most proud of my family. They are amazing and they keep me grounded.

I have two teenagers and they both have disabilities as well. I'm always absolutely amazed by what they are pushing themselves to do on a daily basis and what they're achieving. They've gone above and beyond what I would have done at their age. My daughter was nominated and won a young personality of the year award in our local area and got a fantastic award for her support and encouragement of girls into sport and as a role model inspiring other children to take up sport. My son has also pushed himself to achieve the best he can and set up his own business alongside his schoolwork, which I'm very proud of and find very inspirational.

What is the best advice you've ever received?

I've been really lucky to have had some fantastic mentors throughout my career. A sound piece of advice I received has been that it’s important to reach out and have mentors or coaches who can help you through tough times because there's bound to be tough times throughout your career.

One of the best pieces of advice I've had is not to worry about the things I'm not good at and, instead, to really reflect and think: what are my strengths? What am I good at? And then how do I build teams around me that have the strengths that are my weaknesses. So really valuing diversity and difference.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

I love holidays, especially sporty ones. My family enjoy being active and you can find us out in the mountains enjoying climbing, walking, and skiing. As I’m getting older I am also enjoying stopping for a drink and relaxing along the way.