Thinking of doing a PhD? Panel 2026
Thinking of Doing a PhD? Panel
Tuesday 16 June 2026 11:00 - 13.00 (BST) Online
This event is free to attend.
At the University of Westminster, we recognise that applying for a PhD can be a very mysterious process: from choosing a topic, a university, or a supervisor, to writing a PhD proposal, doing an interview, or embarking on independent research. It can be particularly daunting for those from backgrounds underrepresented in doctoral study who may be the first in their family to study at postgraduate level.
This panel will consist of members of our current doctoral researcher community who will talk about their experiences of applying for PhDs and offer you an opportunity to ask any questions you might have.
The panel is for all those thinking of doing a PhD – masters students at the University of Westminster, those elsewhere in the UK thinking of doctoral study, and those around the world considering a PhD in the UK.
For further information and guidance you can also visit our ‘Thinking of Doing a PhD’ webpages.
The session will be chaired by Dr Polly Hayes, PhD Co-ordinator for Life Sciences.
Meet our panellists
Jess Porritt Best
Jess Porritt Best is a final year doctoral researcher whose work explores ultramarathons, running events, transformational eventscapes, inclusive serious leisure, and creative methodologies. Her PhD focusses specifically on the role of event design and participant context in transformational experiences in ultramarathons. Jess also has over ten years of operational experience in the events industry and takes an active role in the Tourism and Events teaching team and the Destinations and Experiences Research Centre at the University of Westminster. She is also a member of the Ultrarunning Research Network and the ATLAS Special Interest Group for Event Experiences.
Jordan Blanchard
Jordan Blanchard is an author hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana. After completing her term as the first intern at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, she went on to earn her BA in Creative Writing from the University of Westminster, her first MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck College in 2022, followed by her second MA in Art Enterprise at the University for the Arts, London. She is currently working on her PhD in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of Westminster. Her focus is on poetic investigations of Louisiana ecology and Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Her work is an homage to the mess of the bayou. She can be found wherever there is water, her work can be found in Autograph Gallery, BRUISER, Cheerio Publishing, Kelp Journal, and more.
Isang Emeneka
Isang Emeneka is completing her PhD in Psychology specifically exploring the differences in musical choices and memory between cultures, with a focus on identity and relationships. Isang has spoken at conferences from Black History Year scholars at the University of Westminster and at the University Helsinki Music Research and Activisim II Conference.
Callum Kirwin
Callum Kirwin is a doctoral researcher in the Westminster Law School and is studying convergence and divergence of law and morality in the USA and USSR through a necropolitical lens. With a background in premium hospitality, he holds an LLB (Hons) and an LLM in Law and Gender from SOAS and aims to teach public and tort law.
Jiahan Olivia Lin
Jiahan Olivia Lin is a first-year PhD student in Modern and Applied Languages. Her work explores Chinese digital cinephile culture and film commentary, funded by the Techne AHRC studentship. She previously worked as a film critic, columnist, short video company, and panel organiser at the Oxford China Forum.
Obasanjo Okekunle
Obasanjo is a doctoral researcher in accounting at the Westminster Business School, exploring sustainability reporting and biodiversity disclosures. His work aims to strengthen accountability and transparency in corporate sustainability practices. He represents doctoral researchers on the WBS College Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee and is passionate about using research to solve real-world problems.
Iris Sirendi
Iris Sirendi is a doctoral researcher in the School of Social Sciences, undertaking an interdisciplinary research project that sits between psychology, disability studies and museum studies. She is a disabled researcher of disability heritage, and a curator of social and community history across different museums and archives in the North of England.