Interview with International Medieval Congress Administrator Sharna Connolly
International Medieval Congress (IMC) Conference and Events Administrator Sharna Connolly talks about her new role within the IMC and her desire to build community within medieval academia.
What does your role involve?
“As a Conference and Events Administrator my main responsibilities include fielding phone calls and email queries as well as general administration for the IMC such as processing registrations and paper proposals. I also have a hand in crafting the IMC social media presence and have produced various short and long form copy writing for the IMC Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress site. During IMC, I can be found smiling and chatting with delegates at the Information and Payments Desk.”
What attracted you to work for the International Medieval Congress?
“I’m a Leeds alumna and after working across the country, I was excited to return to Yorkshire and take on a challenge. I’m hugely passionate about creating a space that fosters academic creativity and collaboration, so I love seeing our annual labours come to fruition and interacting with delegates in person!”
I’m hugely passionate about creating a space that fosters academic creativity and collaboration, so I love seeing our annual labours come to fruition and interacting with delegates in person!
Can you tell us a bit about your previous experience and research interests?
“My degree was English Language and Literature, with a specific interest in corpus linguistics and semantic networks, and prior to joining the IMC team, I taught English Language and English Literature at a secondary-school level. I still privately tutor these subjects, in addition to Latin Language, outside of IMC.”
How do you think your experience and interests will inform your new role?
“I’m very interested in the way that language can shape and define the world around us. As a first point of contact for the IMC communication is key, and my cheerful manner and keen eye for detail makes me well-suited to engaging with delegates and producing clear, dynamic content in alignment with our core values.”
