Kevin Murphy
What is your current role and what does a typical week look like?
I am a Senior Support Technician and work as part of a team supporting both SLS and WMS. We don't really have a typical week. We deal with lots of shipping items over seas, releasing top tier items in Opera, chaperoning cleaners in high risk areas, inductions and training, chemical collections, all mixed in with many other random duties, whilst being mobile and responsive to issues that arise on a daily basis across the sites.
I am also the First Aid "Champion" for the department, so I coordinate meetings between the first aiders in the two departments across the 4 sites, along with ordering replacement supplies, which means I spend a lot of time talking to Health and Safety.
Which part of your role do you enjoy the most, and what are the biggest challenges?
That no day is the same. I come in with an idea of what I'm planning to do but that rarely stays 100% the same by the end of the day, and I enjoy that. I like talking to all of the different people in the department and tying to find out how to assist them to resolve issues that they come to me with.
Which skills help you most in being able to perform your role?
Being able to talk to people definitely helps with my role. I find that listening and being able to empathise with their position helps a lot. This usually means that I can find a resolution for many of the problems that arise, or at least am able to talk through ideas with them, that can then spark more potential solutions.
How has your education or roles previous to joining Life Sciences, informed your interests, and why did you choose this career direction?
Before working at the University I have had a lot of diverse jobs and roles. I started doing voluntary work at two different Vet clinics, one in Coventry and one in Leamington, while also working as a shop assistant in a PDSA charity shop. I contemplated becoming a Vet when I was younger, but in the end plumped for doing a degree in Marine Biology and Oceanography. This led me to work as a Research Assistant in Tanzania for 6 months where we did SCUBA surveys of coral reef health and commercial fish species, to show that the no fishing zone was positive. We also checked on Octopus cyanea catches, measuring, weighing and sexing them all. We did surveys on local Spinner dolphin populations and ghost crab behaviour. From this I went on to work in a local school as the Senior Lab Tech, this meant I interacted with many pupils regularly especially in my role as a first aider, this meant I dealt with a lot of pastoral issues as many of the pupils would come and talk to me. Then I moved to Warwick Uni, where I worked in Chemistry as a Stores Technician, and then as a Core Technician before moving up the hill.
Can you give an example of something that has made you feel part of the community while in Life Sciences, and what could be improved to enable this?
I was made to feel part of the community when I was asked to lead the First Aid group and subsequently asked to join the EDI committee. I joined the department during the pandemic, so it was difficult to meet people at that time. The team made me feel very welcome, however it wasn't until I could interact more directly with people and hopefully bring more to the committees that I began to feel more a part of the whole community.
What are your main interests or passions, outside of work?
Outside of work I have far too many hobbies! I spend a lot of my free time crafting things or painting, I'm not particularly good, but I enjoy it. I also really enjoy photography, though I don't spend too much time doing it at the moment. I enjoy walking, though nice gentle walks rather than mountain hiking, though I'm not adverse to doing that occasionally :) I ride my bike, though I wouldn't call it a passion, more a good way to keep a bit healthier and it makes for a cheaper commute. I love spending time with friends, travelling and going to the cinema and rock/metal gigs with them, BBQing and eating out :)
Interview date July 2022