New Project Manager joins the Community Gateway team

Corey Smith will be joining the Community Gateway team as Project Manager, replacing Lynne Thomas, from 22 November 2021. We caught up with her to find out a bit about her and what she is looking forward to most about joining the project team.

Welcome Corey! Please can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I joined Cardiff University in 2011 and have never left! I completed my MChem Chemistry with a Year in Industry in 2015 and continued with postgraduate studies by undertaking a PhD in the School of Chemistry from 2015-2019. During my studies I became heavily involved in outreach and engagement events promoting science, particularly chemistry, to people of all ages.

Since 2019 I have been a project manager for the Trio Sci Cymru programme based between the School of Chemistry and the Widening Participation team. The programme has delivered innovative STEM workshops to over 3000 pupils in secondary schools across the South Wales Valleys. I am very excited to join the Community Gateway and further develop existing relationships and build new connections across the University and community of Grangetown.

Outside of work, I love scuba diving, being outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

How did you first hear about the Community Gateway project?

During my final year as a PhD student, I was involved with the PSE Grand Challenges Week in 2018 as a facilitator managing groups of undergraduate students. This was the first time I had heard of Community Gateway as Mhairi was leading one of the other student groups (that I was not working with!). I also came to learn that the School of Chemistry had taken part in some engagement activities that ran at the old Grange Bowls Pavilion. Fast forward three years and it is funny how these things all come full circle as I become the new Community Gateway Project Manager.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role as Project Manager?

I love meeting new people and hearing their ideas and experiences. Having a lot of experience of schools-focussed engagement, I am looking forward to using this and applying it to a community setting and working with people of all ages. The redevelopment of the Grange Pavilion is fantastic - the new building has been designed beautifully and I am excited to work there often! There will be a lot of new skills for me to learn and experience to gain as CG enters a new phase, but I am ready for the challenge!

Are there any particular projects that you are looking forward to getting involved in?

There are so many exciting projects I don’t know where to begin! I have just led on my first funding bid with a Grangetown resident and artist, Prith Biant, with is looking to engage young Asian and Somali women and enable participation in the Arts. I am also delighted that colleagues from the Widening Participation team are partnering with Community Gateway in 2022 - they will be running sessions that aim to empower parents to make change to support their children’s future and ensure their children have a fair chance in education.

How can people get in touch with you and who would you like to hear from?

I would love to hear from anyone within the University or local community if they have ideas to partner with Community Gateway, and I am also happy to share my own experiences of outreach engagement. My email address is smithCL22@cardiff.ac.uk or you can contact Community Gateway directly: communitygateway@cardiff.ac.uk