Associate Dean Academic: Student Experience / Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology
Paul says “The creativity, quality and commitment of our students is simply outstanding. I have witnessed brilliance and been inspired time and time again during 12 years in our wonderfully eclectic School as a lecturer, programme leader, director and now Associate Dean for Student Experience. To see a student grow from day one, flourish as a person and develop as a professional is a tremendous privilege. It’s also the reason I love my job. I am honoured to be a judge for a second year for the Create Student Awards. The entries this year and last not only show our students’ tremendous talent, but also their spirit to inspire and innovate, whatever they face in their lives.”
Paul’s association with Salford dates to his childhood and many happy days at his grandmother’s home at Kingsford Street in Weaste, helping him to understand the creative spirit, humour and energy of the city. He has been a journalist for 28 years, working for local, regional and national newspapers and their websites. He began his career at the Knutsford Guardian in Cheshire, where his exclusive interview with embattled Conservative MP Neil Hamilton over corruption allegations led to Martin Bell deciding to stand and triumph as an independent in their famous 1997 election battle. Paul later moved to the Bolton Evening News before joining home city newspaper, the Manchester Evening News, where his stories included covering the Harold Shipman murders. He headed to London in 2002 to work as a staff news reporter and assistant news editor for the Daily Express before returning to Manchester as the newspaper’s Northern News Editor.
Since joining the University in 2009, Paul led and developed the industry-accredited BA and MA Journalism programmes at MediaCity, working with many industry partners, including the BBC and ITV. His research has focused on how newspaper organisations can survive and thrive in the digital age. From 2015, Paul worked as a Director to lead different departments spanning many creative disciplines within the School before embarking on a new challenge in 2020 as Associate Dean for Student Experience.