Contributors

Avery Kibble (they/them), Psychology student and LGBTQ+ Society committee member

Avery is a third-year Psychology student and the Aro-Ace Representative for the University of Exeter LGBTQ+ Society. They run Aro-Ace Tea events, where members of the aromantic and asexual communities can come together and make friends in the community.

Avery has also worked to raise awareness of the aromantic and asexual communities through the LGBTQ+ Society social media, and is currently writing a dissertation on the impact of asexual media representation on asexual individuals.

Alicia O'Grady (she/her), Executive Divisional Director of External Engagement and Global

Alicia is a seasoned marketing professional whose career has spanned roles in retail, telecommunications, healthcare, investment management and higher education branding and strategic marketing.

Her expertise lies in managing the overall strategic direction of major projects, with a focus on internal and external branding, brand communication, marketing leadership, and transformation.

Since 2023, Alicia has served as the Executive Divisional Director of External Engagement and Global at the University of Exeter. In this role, she leads initiatives to enhance the university's international reputation, develop global partnerships, and strengthen stakeholder engagement, contributing to Exeter's mission of becoming a world-leading institution addressing global challenges.

Alicia is also Chair of the University’s Gender Equality Group (GEG). GEG meets twice termly to discuss a range of gender-related issues affecting staff and students at our institution and progress our gender equality action plan.

Lewis Nurton (he/him), Learning and Development Manager (EDI)

Lewis runs a sector-leading Active Bystander Intervention Programme, fostering meaningful conversations among students and staff about strategies to create a more inclusive environment.

Lewis also manages the university's in-house consent training programme, which is part of our commitment to delivering preventative initiatives and awareness training to ensure a safe and equitable environment for all.

He provides organisational support to the University's Gender Safety Group and collaborates closely with the Students' Guild, Athletic Union, and the Students' Union (Penryn Campus). This includes working with communications colleagues to ensure our community receives consistent and impactful messaging on healthy relationships and student safety.

For staff development, Lewis supports the leadership training portfolio, including the prestigious Exeter Future Leaders programme. Outside the University, Lewis delivers training around incel ideology, online misogynistic narratives and radicalisation.

Peter Scargill (he/him), Director of Commercial, Residential and Campus Services

Peter is responsible for the university security team and acts as the liaison point between key safety stakeholders in the city, namely Exeter City Council, InExeter and the police. Peter also chairs the University’s Gender Safety Group which is a space to hear and act on the student voice.

Peter has chaired Exeter’s Community Safety Partnership for three years during which time he has delivered two significant safety plans into the city following successful bids for government funding.

The Safety of Women at Night bid introduced the first ever safety charter to the city with 160 businesses signed up. The was combined with the introduction of bystander intervention training.

The second successful bid resulted in improvements to CCTV coverage and lighting for routes used for students coming back from city centre night spots (including Hoopern Lane). It also introduced Exeter’s first Safe Space, information videos for schools, bystander intervention training and an award-winning publicity campaign designed to enable people to call out behaviour.

Keynote: Gender Equality at the University of Exeter (hybrid)