Karen (She/ Her) is an architect from Mexico City who is currently competing a PhD at the University of Leeds, which she started in December 2021. ​She began her academic career in Mexico City, writing her undergraduate dissertation, ‘The building as a mean in the architect’s education: The secret voices of the design studio” in 2017. This was her first foray into the analysis of space and its relation to pedagogical practices. She then began working at a young design studio based in Mexico City, before working at a school with children on the autism spectrum. This led her to study a master’s programme at Barcelona. Her second dissertation: ‘Re-think, Reframe, and Re-imagine educational spaces within the complexity of human and non-human intra-actions’ (2019) provided an insightful analysis into the concept of architectural character with the new materialism theories. In 2020 she taught at university level while studying a one year course about Bioclimatic Architecture, before beginning her PhD at Leeds.

“Look Right, Look Left”

Karen, who recently started her PhD at the University of Leeds, reflects on her experiences adjusting to life in the UK, including the language barrier, slower pace of life, and the complexities of the PhD journey. She shares the struggles of finding her research direction, fighting gender stereotypes in academia, and the fears that come with being an international student.

Read More »

Coping with Bereavement During a PhD: Grow Around the Grief

Grief is a lesser-discussed topic in academia, but processing grief due to the loss of a loved one compounds the challenges of doing a PhD. In this thought-provoking article, Kathryn Zacharek shares her experience of navigating a PhD during bereavement, where she took time out, leaned on her support networks, and researched ways to let her life ‘grow around the grief’.

Read More »

Should I Complete Side Projects as a PhD Student?

‘Side projects’ are valuable additional endeavours alongside your PhD that can build your skillset, relevant connections and future employability – both in and outside of academia. This article discusses some common side project ideas for PhD students, and highlights some of the short-term sacrifices required to complete them.

Read More »
Your contribution to our PhD Stories helps us disseminate valuable support to researchers worldwide.
Update cookies preferences