Director – Film and Broadcast Media / Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology
Debra says “It has been a great honour to be asked to judge some remarkable entries for this year’s Create Student Awards. It never fails to impress how our students use their imagination, creativity, diligence and dedication to succeed. This year is no exception. Every student put forward for an award, has proved to their colleagues and lecturers that they are worthy of note for their hard work, diverse interests, successful studies, and breadth of involvement in extracurricular activities beyond the lecture room.
Nominations have come from both lecturers and students. It is incredibly heart-warming to see individuals recognise the achievements of their fellow students and then nominate them for this prestigious event. The entries reflect determination and generosity, talent and enthusiasm, stoicism and adventurous spirit. Every shortlisted finalist deserves to win – good luck to you all at the ceremony and in your future careers.”
Debra joined the University of Salford in 2012 after a 35-year career in radio and television, both here in the UK and New Zealand. She started out as a journalist in commercial radio and at Radio NZ, before setting off to find her fortune. The fortune was never found, but her work in media provided a treasure trove of experiences which she is delighted to share at MediaCity.
Her work as a Researcher through to Executive Producer ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. In the same single decade, she was Series Producing religious programmes, making documentaries for Tonight, Exec Producing ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’, Series Producing on ‘The One Show’, counting urban foxes and chasing the sellers of horsemeat. In her time, she has filmed in active volcanoes, chased tornadoes, produced myriad studio shows, and had a great time. Like all roads leading to Rome, Debra’s programme-making lead her to the University of Salford and our MediaCity campus. She lectured on BA (Hons) Television and Radio before becoming Programme Leader, and then Programme Leader of the Broadcast Media MA courses. Three years ago, Debra took on the role of Director of Film Production and is now Director of Film and Broadcast Media area of study.