First in Family Podcast

Epizódok

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  FiF Podcast Episode 8: Dermot Daly 18.09.2026 51p

  Jane's guest this week is Dr Dermot Daly: a university lecturer, researcher and practitioner working across theatre, film and audio as an actor, director and dramaturg. He was the first in his family to go to university, and talks about his experience of being the first to be awarded a PhD, and how an accident during his A-levels changed the course of his education and career. We will look at his journey from a 15 year old grammar school boy, through his undergrad, his years outside of higher education and to his return to it. Check out Dermot's practitioner website for more information on what he's up to now, and his Leeds Beckett page here. This episode was produced and edited by John Constable, Grace Sutton, and Jane Setter from the University of Reading, UK. The music for this episode was provided by DELOSound on Pixabay. Thank you to the University of Reading for providing the funding for the First in Family Podcast. Remember to like and subscribe if you want to hear more, and email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in being on the podcast.
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  FiF Podcast Episode 7: Dan Skelson 04.09.2026 43p

  Jane talks to Dr Dan Skelson, lecturer in Chemstry at the University of Reading, about his experience of studying in higher education and his journey into teaching at the University. Originally from Dorset and coming from a family with a strong military history, he was the first person in his family to attend university and tread a new path. He teaches the Science Foundation students in Chemistry, promoting the wellbeing and community aspect of learning within a diverse cohort. You may be interested in an Alumni article on Dan here: https://sites.reading.ac.uk/connected/2025/10/14/from-first-generation-student-to-lecturer/. This episode was produced and edited by John Constable, and Grace Sutton, Lily Dewar and Jane Setter from the University of Reading, UK. The music for this episode was provided by DELOSound on Pixabay. Remember to like and subscribe if you want to hear more, and email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in being on the podcast.
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  FiF Podcast Episode 6 with Jane Setter and Abbie Tibbot 21.08.2026 57p

  Prof. Jane Setter talks to Digital Humanities Officer Abbie Tibbot about her time studying at university as she finalises her PhD, and how she feels her first-generation status has impacted her experience within academia. Seeing university education as a "get out of jail free card", Abbie discusses the financial issues of studying at university while coming from a working-class background from the Isle of Wight, as well as the impact of (lack of) encouragement/support from schools to pursue higher education, the benefits of studying Humanities subjects, and "the AI situation". We discuss Abbie's PhD on citizenship and the concepts of underrepresented groups in the 1920s, whether having a PhD means one can still consider themselves to be working class, and accent and identity. We mention the pilot podcast in this episode, which is available as Episode 1 and can also be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxBLePua52I. This episode was produced and edited by John Constable, and Jane Setter, Lily Dewar and Grace Sutton from the University of Reading, UK. The music for this episode was provided by DELOSound on Pixabay. Thank you to the University of Reading for providing the funding for the First in Family Podcast. Remember to like and subscribe if you want to hear more, and email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in being on the podcast.
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  FiF Podcast Episode 5 with Jane Setter and Alan Smith 07.08.2026 50p

  Prof. Jane Setter interviews Alan Smith, who is Professor of Learning and Teaching at Leeds-Beckett University. Jane and Alan discuss his work with first-generation students, as well as his own experience being a first generation student. Alan goes on to explain to Jane how he and his colleagues aim to support students’ transitions throughout university life, along with teaching Jane about the Rhubarb Triangle and how he uses food to build positive educational relationships with students. This episode was produced and edited by John Constable, and Jane Setter, Lily Dewar and Grace Sutton from the University of Reading, UK. The music for this episode was provided by DELOSound on Pixabay. Remember to like and subscribe if you want to hear more, and email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in being on the podcast.
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  FiF Podcast Episode 4 with Jane Setter and Anna Mammitzsch 24.07.2026 35p

  Prof. Jane Setter interviews Dr Anna Mammitzsch about her journey across Europe to graduating with a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Stockholm University. Anna explains, that for her parents living in East Germany during its division, studying at university was not an option for them. This and being encouraged to travel and see the world, influenced her decision to begin an undergraduate degree in European studies at the Catholic University of Bavaria, with a study abroad year in Sweden, where she now lives. Jane and Anna discuss the implications of her first generation student status for university life, such as dealing with imposter syndrome. We would like to note that this episode was recorded in 2025, when it was not known that the UK would be re-entering the Erasmus program. Additionally, during the recording of this episode there were technical issues outside of our control that occasionally affected the quality of the recording, which we apologise for. This episode was produced and edited by John Constable, and Jane Setter and Lily Dewar from the University of Reading, UK. The music for this episode was provided by DELOSound on Pixabay. Thank you to Sophia Banger and the 2023 Pilot team for their creative input in the production of episodes, and for the University of Reading for providing the funding for the First in Family Podcast. Remember to like and subscribe if you want to hear more, and email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in being on the podcast.  
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  FiF Podcast Episode 3 with Jane Setter and Zara Parr 10.07.2026 39p

  Professor Jane Setter talks to Zara Parr, a graduate from the University of Reading, about her experiences applying for and studying at university. This episode discusses life whilst studying, such as finding work, and studying abroad, as well as Zara’s journey to now working in the Cabinet Office. This episode was produced and edited by John Constable, and Jane Setter and Lily Dewar from the University of Reading, UK. The music for this episode was provided by DELOSound on Pixabay. Thank you to Sophia Banger and the 2023 Pilot team for their creative input in the production of episodes, and for the University of Reading for providing the funding for the First in Family Podcast. Remember to like and subscribe if you want to hear more, and email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in being on the podcast.
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  FiF Podcast Episode 2 with Jane Setter and Angela Smith 26.06.2026 24p

  Join Professor Jane Setter interviewing Dr Angela Smith about her experience being a first generation student, and her journey to becoming a research fellow in the Energy Demand Centre at the University of Leeds. Angela touches upon her time in Sixth form and her unconventional entry into university, and how her working class background impacted her time studying at Coventry University, the University of Leeds and Bournemouth University. This episode was produced and edited by John Constable, and Jane Setter and Lily Dewar from the University of Reading, UK. The music for this episode was provided by DELOSound on Pixabay. Thank you to Sophia Banger and the 2023 Pilot team for their creative input in the production of episodes, and for the University of Reading for providing the funding for the First in Family Podcast. Remember to like and subscribe if you want to hear more, and email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in being on the podcast.
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  FiF Podcast Pilot Episode with Jane Setter and Jake Ishiguro-Shute 09.06.2026 29p

  Listen to Professor Jane Setter interview University of Reading student, Jake Ishiguro-Shute, in the pilot episode of the First in Family podcast. Jake talks about his thoughts on the financial and social challenges that first generation students might face, and how the support of his wife influenced his decision in applying to university. If you’d like to let us know how this episode went or are interested in sharing your first generation student experiences with us, please complete our pilot episode survey. This episode was produced and edited by John Constable, and Jane Setter and Lily Dewar from the University of Reading, UK. The music for this episode was provided by DELOSound on Pixabay. Thank you to Sophia Banger and the 2023 Pilot team for their creative input in the production of episodes, and for the University of Reading for providing the funding for the First in Family Podcast. Remember to like and subscribe if you want to hear more, and email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in being on the podcast.