The Team and How to Contact Us

The Academy Team Structure Find out who to contact for your query

Book an appointment Book an online appointment to speak with us here

The PhD Academy office is open Monday-Friday, 10.00-16.00. We are closed for lunch between 12.30 and 13.30.

Bingchun Meng

Director, PhD Academy and LSE ESRC Doctoral Training Centre

I am a Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE, where I also co-direct the LSE-Fudan Global Public Policy Research Centre. My research interests include political economy of media industries, communication governance, gender and the media, and comparative media studies. I am mainly concerned with how institutional forces shape media and communication, and how communicative activities and digital technologies are implicated in the formation of culture, identity and political engagement.

Focusing on China as my main empirical site, I aim to advance related academic debates by historicising and retheorising state-market and state-society relations in non-liberal contexts through the lens of media and communication.

At the LSE, I have supervised many Media and Communication PhD students; this is the aspect of my academic job that I enjoy the best, because that is how I learn the most. As Director of the PhD Academy, I have responsibility for enhancing the PhD research environment, for overseeing the activities of the Academy’s team, and for liaising with funders. In addition, I have the privilege of meeting and exchanging ideas with PhD students from across the School.

You can contact Bingchun to discuss any aspect of your experience as a PhD student. Email her at b.meng@lse.ac.uk to arrange a virtual or in person meeting.

Peter Mills

PhD Academy Manager

I lead the PhD Academy professional staff team, oversee all PhD Academy operations, and work with the Director of the PhD Academy, the Chair of the Research Degrees Sub-Committee and the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research in developing and implementing strategy and policy relating to postgraduate research (PGR) students, and in representing PGR interests in committees and working groups across the University.

I previously managed research degree programmes in the Department of Geography and Environment at the LSE. I was also a member of the LSE UNISON branch committee during the pandemic.

I joined the LSE after managing the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Safe and Trusted Artificial Intelligence, a collaboration between King's College London and Imperial College London. I also worked previously for the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes, where I did my BA, MA and PhD in History. I also have a Graduate Diploma in Law, though I forget quite how that happened...

To contact me, please email me at phdacademy.manager@lse.ac.uk.

Tracy Barber

PhD Academy Assistant Manager (Casework and Records)

I compile statistics and data for internal and external purposes, for instance the School's submission and completion rates, REF student data and ESRC/AHRC submission rate surveys. I am also the Secretary of the Doctoral Programme Directors Forum.

To contact me, please email me at phdacademy@lse.ac.uk, or book appointments via the PhD Academy book-an-appointment form.

Shuma Begum

Research Degrees Officer

I assist PhD candidates with any change of circumstances. I can also be contacted with queries about PhD student registry changes, examination entry and thesis submissions, viva outcomes and the PhD awards process and, generally, anything to do with supporting PhD research.

To contact me, please email phdacademy@lse.ac.uk, or book appointments via the PhD Academy book-an-appointment form.

Douglas Clackson

Research Degrees Officer

I assist PhD candidates with viva outcomes and the PhD awards process. I can also be contacted with queries about examination entry and thesis submissions, PhD student registry changes, change of circumstances requests and, generally, anything to do with supporting PhD research.

To contact me, please email phdacademy@lse.ac.uk, or book appointments via the PhD Academy book-an-appointment form.

Dr Liudmila Pliner (on Secondment)

Research Degrees Officer

I assist PhD candidates with examination entry queries and thesis submissions. I can also be contacted with queries about viva outcomes, PhD student registry changes, change of circumstances requests and, generally, anything to do with supporting PhD research.

Sadia Hussain

Research Degrees Officer

I assist PhD candidates with examination entry queries and thesis submissions. I can also be contacted with queries about viva outcomes, PhD student registry changes, change of circumstances requests and, generally, anything to do with supporting PhD research.

To contact me, please email phdacademy@lse.ac.uk, or book appointments via the PhD Academy book-an-appointment form.

Loraine Evans

Events & Communications Manager

I support the Director of the PhD Academy in the administration and development of the events programme for PhD Students. I am responsible for developing networks with partner institutions alongside managing communications across a range of media.

To contact me, please email l.evans1@lse.ac.uk or phdacademy@lse.ac.uk.

Faith Langley

Events & Communications Officer

I assist the Events and Communications Manager with the running of the PhD Academy events programme. I am also responsible for our webpages, communications including the PhD Academy Newsletter and social media feeds

To contact me, please email phdacademy@lse.ac.uk

Kirsty Rawlings

Research Partnerships Manager

I manage processes to ensure compliance with ERSC reporting and accreditation requirements. As the LSE ESRC nominated contact I am responsible for developing relationships with the wider DTP network. I also provide advice, guidance and support to students, academics and administrative staff on key Research Council initiatives, workshops, conferences and events.

I am the lead for the ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships recruitment processes.

To contact me, please email - K.Rawlings@lse.ac.uk

Dr David Tiedemann

PhD Academy Assistant Manager (Research in Practice)

I lead on Research in Practice a core component of skills training for PhD students funded by the ESRC. Research in Practice, through placements in industry, individual support, and professional development opportunities, works to improve students’ awareness of the career paths open to them and helps them to develop the skills to progress to academic and non-academic careers.

To contact me, please email - d.s.tiedemann@lse.ac.uk

Dr Joe Macdonald (on secondment)

Research Partnerships Officer

I assist in providing advice, guidance and support to students, academics and administrative staff on key Research Council initiatives, workshops, conferences and events. I also provide support to the Research Partnerships Manager with the the ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships recruitment processes.

Paulina Gas

Research Partnerships Officer

I assist in providing advice, guidance and support to students, academics and administrative staff on key Research Council initiatives, workshops, conferences and events. I also provide support to the Research Partnerships Manager with the the ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships recruitment processes

To contact me, please email phdacademy@lse.ac.uk

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Committees Committees serviced by the PhD Academy

The Team and How to Contact Us

The Academy Team Structure Find out who to contact for your query

Book an appointment Book an online appointment to speak with us here

Meet the PhD Academy Director

Meet the PhD Academy Manager

Meet the Research Degrees Management Team

Meet the Events & Communications Team

Meet the Research Partnerships Management Team

Committees Committees serviced by the PhD Academy

Academic department PhD contacts Get in touch with your department