"You see your work having an influence in the decision making process."

08 Aug 2018

Data Analyst Sami Karamalla-Gaiballa tells us why he is Proud to be PSS

Sami Karamalla-Gaiballa has been here on our campus for many years – as an undergraduate studying Philosophy and Politics, then an International Political Economy Masters student, then intern and now data analyst for our Office of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

He gets to work with his former lecturers – which he enjoys – and the work itself goes way beyond ‘number crunching’.

Sami plays a vital role – finding out how and why our students stay here and do well, investigating gender inequality in higher education and seeking out evidence for the Black Lawyers Matter campaign.

He’s also proud because he sees his work influence the decision making process here on campus.

He explains: “I’ve found that because we’re in an academic setting, senior management are open to the idea of factoring quantitative data when making changes, which might not be the case in other organisations.

“Some people might not be aware that some of the research at the University is actually done by the Professional Support Services and not just by academic staff.”

Sami enjoys working with a huge range of colleagues, from Human Resources, Recruitment, Planning, Environment and Sustainability, Communications and Marketing to individual schools.

“There’s a wealth of skills and knowledge amongst staff at the University – if you have a question about a particular subject, there’s always someone who can impart their knowledge.”

He adds: “I think the University has a lot to offer in terms of career and professional training.

“It is also important to work for an organisation that has a strong commitment to social responsibility. I like that the University places this goal high in its strategic importance next to research excellence and student experience – I think that’s quite unique.”