Fiona O'Brien

Student Research Support Officer (Journals), Education Academy

“The best part of my job is watching students realise that their ideas matter.”

"I always joke that I never really meant to stay at Warwick. I arrived looking for a flexible job while raising young children. What was supposed to be a short-term role has turned into nearly a decade of opportunities, new projects and career changes. Warwick has a way of opening doors you didn't know existed.

I work as a Student Research Support Officer in the Education Academy, focusing on journals and undergraduate research. On paper, that means supporting students to publish their research, present at conferences and develop their academic skills. But really, it’s about helping them build the confidence to share their work with the world.

If there’s one thing I love about my role, it's seeing students surprise themselves. A lot of students arrive at university not seeing themselves as researchers. Then they complete a project, write a dissertation, or investigate something they’re passionate about and suddenly realise they’ve created knowledge that other people want to hear about. Being part of that journey is incredibly rewarding.

One of the things I'm most involved with is Warwick’s international journal of undergraduate research – Reinvention. I mentor a fantastic team of student editors who manage the journal and go through the same publication processes used in academic journals around the world. Next year we'll be celebrating nearly 20 years of Reinvention, which feels like a real achievement. Alongside that, my colleague supports the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR), and together we help create opportunities for students to share their work beyond their own departments.

One of my favourite moments is watching students from completely different disciplines realise how much they can learn from each other. Occasionally a history student will wonder why they're in a session with mathematicians or sustainability researchers. Then they come out of the room absolutely buzzing with ideas. You can almost see the lightbulb switch on when they realise research isn't confined to a single subject area. We've had students collaborate with people on the other side of the world, present their research to international audiences and go on to publish work they never imagined would leave their laptop.

The students themselves are often what inspire me most. Many arrive nervous about speaking in front of people or sharing their research publicly. Over the course of a year, they learn how to communicate complex ideas, create posters, deliver presentations and write for wider audiences. By the end of the process, they're doing things they never thought they could do. It's amazing to see their confidence grow.

Outside work, life is mostly about my two boys. Like many parents, I spend a lot of time acting as a taxi service, ferrying them between sports clubs and activities. When I'm not doing that, I love walking, yoga, reading and spending time with friends from my book club. I've also become surprisingly enthusiastic about weightlifting, which is something I never thought I'd say!

What I love most about Warwick is that students are encouraged to be curious from the moment they arrive. Every day I get to help them discover what they're capable of, and honestly, that's a pretty special job to have.”