Rebecca Leach

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT REBECCA LEACH

I am formerly Senior Lecturer in Sociology/ Head of School in the School of Social Sciences, Keele University. As a social scientist interested in objects, consumer taste & identity, my published work has focused on the \'translation\' of consumer activity into \'material cultures\' of home, community & locality, consumption & ageing/generation, & the relationship between objects & domesticity. Recent work has focused on the \'cultural democracy\' heritage practices & material cultures of locality/domestic life, with a particular focus on Stoke-on-Trent & N Staffordshire. I have over 30 years\' experience in leadership, as a facilitator/lecturer (with consistently outstanding student feedback), & as a researcher (in mostly qualitative social science but with modest experience in surveys/large datasets).I am a board member of Rideout Arts. I have also served as a staff board member of Keele University Council. In my arts/social entrepreneur role, I established, fundraised & co-produced the Newcastle Lantern Parade for 5 years, achieving substantial income from Big Lottery, Arts Council and achieving charitable status. I founded Keele Women\'s Community Choir & founder/Chair of the \"Friends of the Guildhall\": I was proud to be able to hand over custodianship of this group with a start up grant from Locality to get things underway. I served as Head of the School of Social Science & Public Policy, managing around 40 academic staff in Criminology, Education, Sociology and Social Work, where we hosted a wide range of successful undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD programmes, as well as a substantial research profile. During my leadership term, I managed substantial change in a very complex School, directed a very engaged process of strategic thinking & steered the unit through difficult times/conversations. While doing this, the team I enabled/managed within the School sustained student recruitment in very challenging times, even growing it in some areas, alongside revived research confidence & income growth. I was proud of having led colleagues in \'readying\' the new School for the next phase of its development.