Jess Wythe (she/her) is a Visiting Lecturer in Childhood, Youth and Community and a second year EdD candidate at Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom. Her research interests are centered around Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and the educational value of school trips to heritage sites. Jess published her first journal article in 2022 which was a study concerning how the Coronavirus restrictions impacted the transition from early years education to Key Stage 1 for learners in a specialist provision setting. Twitter: @wythejess LinkedIn: jesswythe

Being Gay in Academia: Unravelling Suffocating Contradictions

This article explores the experience of a gay man entering academia in an oppressive conservative culture, creating impossible contradictions between who they are and who academia wants them to be. Professional norms of academia clash with stereotypes of what ‘gay’ looks like to produce a suffocating costume that we often feel is necessary to survive. The article advocates for representation of minority groups in academia to expand ideas of who we can be – and for PhD students to care for one another and embrace our unique stories and identities.

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Pursuing A Research PhD Is Like Launching Your Own Start-Up Business

Learn about the similarities between pursuing a PhD in a research field and launching a startup business. From selecting a viable research topic to marketing your work, PhD students and entrepreneurs have overlapping skills and mindsets that can lead to success. Read more to find out how PhD students can learn from entrepreneurial techniques to achieve success in academia.

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