In retrospect I can’t believe I hesitated. I was settling nicely into my new job: with just a couple of weeks under my belt, I was getting things moving, finding my feet and enjoying the new environment. Then an email landed: a request for help in a recruitment process. When I opened the job description, I realised with a sinking feeling that the job on offer was the kind I’d been looking for for years, a job I really wanted. I kid you not, I actually hesitated. Thankfully some wiser people helped to me see sense and so I find myself now six months into another new role.  I’ve moved out of Information Services and back to The College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences to help establish a new research centre.

The Edinburgh Centre for Data, Culture & Society is a bit of an anomaly: based at College level rather than School or subject level, it will try to bring people together across fields and disciplines. It’s really about ensuring that our community is  prepared for and excited about the possibilities of data-driven research and that the voices of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences are heard within broader data/digital debates.  Starting from scratch can be hard work, but we’re getting lots done (like our new website for example) and  there’s lots of exciting opportunities on the cards. I’m really enjoying being based back amongst the research community, and catching up with lots of familiar faces. It’s been a busy few months, but thankfully I have also had the odd moment or two to look out of my new office window – a great view, and a compensation for the nine (?) flights of stairs I now need to climb every morning.