New appointments set to enrich and develop community of researchers

The department is pleased to announce the appointment of Stefano Germano and Ulrik Lyngs as Research Community Coordinators, as they aim to enhance collaboration and inclusivity within our community of researchers. 

The department’s research community is home to some of the foremost researchers in computer science, whose work helps define the future of the field and impacts daily on the world around us. The appointments will strengthen the community network across the department’s core research themes, bringing together a diversity of skills and interests, and leverage opportunities for more collaborative working.  

The roles were developed in response to feedback from the department’s 2021 Staff Experience Survey, where ‘Reviewing career development experiences of researchers and departmental lecturers’ was highlighted as a core action, reflecting the wider University’s Concordat to Support Career Development of Researchers.  

Senior Research Associate Dr Stefano Germano and Research Associate Dr Ulrik Lyngs will take up their new positions for 2024/25 alongside their departmental roles. While working to develop the community ethos and enrich academic life, they will also organise social activities, develop new lines of communication, and act as contact points for feedback. Stefano and Ulrik will also represent research staff on the EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) Committee and work with the MPLS Division's Research Staff Forum and wider University’s Researcher Hub. 

We are very excited to take on the roles of Research Community Coordinators. Silvia Butti has done a fantastic job over the past year to improve our community and make it easier for research staff to connect with each other, and we will do our best to follow her example. Stefano Germano

Stefano will represent us on the department's EDI Committee, and be the point of contact for more structural suggestions and feedback. I will look after the social and event side, and create opportunities for us all to meet and greet, whether at pizza lunches or pub drinks, or at more formal networking and career development events. Ulrik Lyngs 

Stefano and Ulrik replace outgoing Coordinator Dr Silvia Butti, who made important inroads into cultivating the researcher community with informal social events and a survey. These enhanced roles reflect the department’s continued commitment to supporting the engagement, integration and career development of research staff, while improving equality and diversity across Computer Science at Oxford.