Inspiring Oxford Women

As I reflect on my time in Oxford, there were three women that made my visit even more enjoyable. I had the pleasure of being in the presence of three inspirational women. Each one of them is at a different places in their life, yet each one of them made a significant impact on me.

Meet Barbara. She is the "house mama" of the UGA Victorian house. She brightened my mornings everyday with her wise words and sharp British humor. You know she is friends with the Queen (in her dreams!) When either of us were traveling, she would send me sweet little text messages that were uplifting and thoughtful. The heart-to-heart conversations were the topping on the cake. Thanks Barbara for being a wonderful surrogate mom and friend. WOWSERS!

Meet Ingrid, my Oxford faculty don who I was fortunate enough to meet with every week in a graduate tutorial. She comes from a psychology background and is now interested in dimensions of academic mobility, specifically in the psychology field. Her mutual interest and strong support of my research agenda put a little extra wind in my sails. During my time working with her, we turned a paper I wrote into a publishable article. Lets see where it goes from here! Her direct, yet gentle, academic style made me realize that a woman can be a successful academic, while maintaining personal passions and caring relationships. Thanks Ingrid, for investing in my academic growth and encouraging me to keep going.

Meet Vassiliki. She is a young professor at the University of Sheffield and has been a great friend and mentor. I met her in 2006 in Oslo and have kept in touch since then. She invited me to speak in Dublin and was instrumental to my University of Sheffield visit, all the while challenging me to present my research ideas to others. Thanks Vassiliki, for giving me these opportunities and for all of your support.