A Worcester graduate is preparing to start teaching on the same course she completed just a few years ago.
Gemma Allcott studied Biochemistry at the University of Worcester from 2019-2022, before she was elected by her fellow students as Vice President of Education at Worcester’s Students’ Union.
After her year in office, Gemma studied for her PhD at Aston University, and has now been appointed as a lecturer, teaching alongside the lecturers who inspired and supported her through her degree.
“It is wonderful to be back on campus,” said Gemma. “It almost feels like coming home.”
While studying at Worcester, Gemma served as a course and school representative, and was a member of the Biology Society.
“I made the most of the opportunities that were available to me,” she said. “There are so many opportunities available to you if you choose to take them.”
Gemma added: “I was really inspired by my lecturers, the research that they had done and their journeys, and I wanted to do the same. Quite early on, I thought, ‘Wow, I would quite like to do this, how do I get there myself?’”
She said the course provided strong preparation for a career in science.
“The course included dedicated modules on career development and the staff were always generous in sharing their own experiences and how they got to where they are,” she said.
Gemma said one of the most valuable aspects of her degree was the opportunity to gain practical experience as an undergraduate student.
“On my course we could design our own final research project from scratch,” she said. “I didn’t realise until after I left university quite how rare it is to have that opportunity.”
After finishing her studies, Gemma decided to broaden her experience by standing for election to a role in the Students’ Union.
“Some people recommended me for the role,” she said. “The experience taught me so much about higher education. I was able to attend very high-level meetings and I learned a lot about how universities work.”
Gemma said the role gave her the chance to see how the University supports students: “I think it just reaffirmed for me that Worcester was where I wanted to come back to.”
Now back on campus and looking ahead to the September semester, Gemma combines teaching with her research, having recently submitted her PhD thesis on antimicrobial resistance and new ways of treating bacterial infections.
“This is very much where I want to be,” she said. “I see Worcester as being somewhere that I stay for a very long time now.”