The Department of Development & Alumni Relations help our graduates to stay connected with the University of Bath and each other. We also fundraise for a wide range of causes at the University, including scholarships, research and student experience.
Gifts Administrator Isobel tells us about thanking donors, doing things that scare you and why she'd have loved to meet Sondheim...
How long have you worked at the Uni? What does your role involve?
I have worked at the University for just over two months, since late 2022, and my job mainly involves ensuring that everything is in place once we have received a gift. This includes logging the gift on our database and coordinating thank-you letters. I am also in charge of the department’s internal newsletter.
Name one thing that makes you feel proud to work in the University of Bath’s Development & Alumni Relations team?
As someone who started fairly recently, I am proud to be part of a team that has been so helpful and welcoming, and I am very proud to be part of a department whose impact is so far-reaching.
What would you most like to achieve while at the University?
I would like to develop my administrative and interpersonal skills while continuing to produce high-quality work and provide excellent customer service to the University’s donors and students.
Who was your most influential teacher or educator, and why?
The teacher who was the most personally influential was my GCSE music teacher, Mrs Turner. She was the most organised and prepared person I have ever met, who juggled the numerous responsibilities that came with being the head of performing arts, while still taking time to enjoy the moment and encouraging her students to make the most of life and the opportunities provided.
Meanwhile, I would say that the educator who has been most generally influential would be Professor Katie Mitchell OBE, who led the teaching on my master's degree and who has directed numerous productions across Europe, pioneered ecodramaturgy (theatre that foregrounds environmental concerns) and created her own method of analysis and practice for theatre directors.
What piece of advice would you like to give to a student?
I would tell them to make the most of every opportunity they have, to try things that scare them and to have fun! University goes by much quicker than you think it will.
When are you happiest?
Sitting on the sofa, under a blanket, watching a DVD with my fiancé and my dog!
If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and why?
I would love to meet Stephen Sondheim and ask his opinion on my dissertation, where I described much of his work as misogynistic despite his protests to the contrary.
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