Humans of Warwick - Professor Elena Riva

Professor Elena Riva

Head of Academic Department, Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning

“I ended up marrying the first British person I spoke to!”

“I met my husband at the University of Birmingham train station on my very first day in the United Kingdom, back in 2009.

I had just arrived from Italy for a one-month research visit, part of a project between the University of Milan, where I was doing my PhD in Chemistry, and the University of Birmingham. I asked a kind-looking stranger for directions to the city centre.

That stranger turned out to be my future husband. After completing my PhD in Italy, I moved back to the UK in 2011, for love. Alex was based here and could not relocate due to his work running a restaurant. What started as a short academic visit ended up shaping both my personal and professional life.

We now have three wonderful boys, and combining family life with an academic career has been a deeply fulfilling journey, though not without its difficulties. For women in particular, the expectations can be intense, and the systems slow to adapt. I am often asked—by both men and women, “How do you manage it?” The honest answer is joyfully, but not without challenges.

Since joining the University of Warwick, I have felt genuinely supported. I have met many like-minded colleagues who helped me find the right path when I could not see one myself. When I went on maternity leave, I was fortunate to have colleagues who stayed in touch, championed my work in my absence, and helped me remain connected to the academic community. That kind of support is rare, and it made a real difference.

After my first maternity leave, I returned to the lab with a six-month-old baby and quickly realised that the long, demanding research days were no longer sustainable. The Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), which funded my postdoctoral fellowship, was incredibly supportive. In agreement with the Department of Chemistry, they allowed me to split the role between research and teaching. That flexibility changed everything—I truly don’t think I would have stayed in academia without it. Additionally, it allowed me to really explore teaching, and in the process, I discovered a real passion for education. That eventually led me to the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL), and it has shaped the direction of my career in pedagogic research.

Most of my family life has been as a member of IATL, which has been much more than a workplace, it has been a space of care, flexibility, and support. A real example of how academia can adapt to and value the needs of carers.

Sometimes, a simple question asked on a train platform can change your life in unimaginable ways. What began as a request for directions became the start of a journey across countries, disciplines, and milestones guided, quite simply, by love.”