Dr Sarita Robinson

Sarita is passionate about enhancing the student experience and making sure that all students succeed, regardless of their backgrounds. She provides strategic leadership across the School to ensure that all students are able to benefit from the opportunities that Higher Education offers. Sarita also provides leadership regarding curriculum design and teaching for the School and works closely with colleagues to implement appropriate pedagogic strategies. Sarita has oversight of the School’s Early Interventions Strategy and Retention Programme and works closely with the Year Leads and Student Coaches. Sarita also chairs the School’s Teaching and Learning group, and co-leads on the implementation of Athena Swan strategies. Working across the university Sarita is the co-chair of the Women’s Network and contributes to the REF Equality Impact Assessment group as well as leading on trans awareness initiatives. Sarita maintains an active research portfolio with her research interests broadly located within the domain of health and cognitive psychology, looking at the impact of acute environmental events on health and well-being. Specifically Sarita is interested in human responses to life-threatening events. Sarita also undertakes a wide range of public engagement activities and frequently comments on news stories in the press and on TV.

Sarita joined the University in September 2005 as a Lecturer after completing her PhD in Cognitive and Neuroimmune Responses to Threat at Lancaster University. Sarita has made an active contribution to the School and across the University, taking on leadership roles such as Course Leader for the Psychology BSc programme, chairing a university-wide ethics board and contributing to the University’s Athena Swan application. In August 2020 Sarita was promoted to her current role as Deputy Head of School, leading on teaching and student experience. Sarita also plays an active role as a committee member for the British Psychological Society’s Crisis, Disaster and Trauma Section and for the Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management. Both of these roles allow Sarita to contribute, at a national level, to policy and practice relating to dealing with emergency responses and trauma treatment.

Sarita is currently contributing to a number of Covid-19 related research and consultancy projects. Sarita is also passionate about public engagement and promoting the public understanding of science. Sarita can often be found giving talks to the public at all types of events (such as Science Fiction conventions, Nerd Nite) and summer festivals (such as The Bushcraft Show, Burning Women Festival, Lancashire Science Festival). In addition, Sarita is frequently asked to appear on both national and international news programmes to comment on psychological responses to disaster situations. Sarita has also made frequent TV appearances acting as a psychology expert on shows such Channel 4’s “From Hell” series and the Dave TV show “Comedians Giving Lectures”. Sarita is a frequent contributor to The Conversation website, with her most recent article on tiredness during lockdown being read by over half a million people. Most recently Sarita has contributed to a science textbook- Science of Superheroes - which aims to engage young adults with STEM subjects.