School of Modern Languages Celebrates 2025 Academic Promotions Success

The School of Modern Languages is delighted to announce the promotion of three members of the School's academic staff.

Applications for academic promotion are considered each year by an institutional panel led by the Principal and Vice-Chancellor. This year's promotions will take effect from December 2025.

Ana Barazal Barreira, Department of Spanish

Ana is a member of the School's Department of Spanish and is promoted to Lecturer. Previously the Department's Examinations Officer, Ana will from August 2025 take up the role of School Access and Outreach Officer.

Colette Lawson, Department of German

Colette is a member of the School's Department of German and also contributes to the School's cross-disciplinary Comparative Literature programmes. Colette was previously the School's Director of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusions; from August 2025 she will take up the role of Academic Misconduct Officer. Colette is promoted to Senior Lecturer.

Claire Whitehead, Department of Russian

Claire is a member of the School's Department of Russian and has also previously served as Head of Department and Deputy Head of School. In May 2025 Claire Whitehead was awarded a British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship for her project ‘Russia’s First Female Crime Writers, 1860-1917’ - uncovering the untold stories of the first women to write crime fiction in imperial Russia. Claire is promoted to professor.

Left to right: Ana Barazal Barreira, Claire Whitehead, Colette Lawson