Coming full circle: feeling at home in some rather special shoes

Department Operations Manager, Luke White reflects on leaving the NHS, joining Imperial and feeling at home in some rather special shoes.

As a teenager, Luke White turned down a place in the Department of Life Sciences, choosing instead to study for a clinical career. Now after 15 years in the NHS, he’s finally joined the College – this time, in the Department of Physics.

“I’ve spent all my working life in the NHS”, says Luke, “mainly in acute hospitals. But I was interested in experiencing life in a different working environment. When I read about the work and people here, it was too exciting not to give it a shot, but I still wasn’t sure if my application would be considered.

Luckily, I telephoned Jordan Nash and asked him if it was worth applying. He said ‘go for it’ - and I was thrilled to eventually get the job.”

Rising to the challenge

Much as he loved his life in healthcare, Luke was ready for a new challenge. What he couldn’t foresee was that this would include stepping into the shoes of a very notable predecessor, the much-loved (and long-serving) Linda Jones.

“I didn’t get to meet Linda until I was in post” says Luke: “I was coming out of my office one day and I saw a person in the corridor who I recognised as Linda. I introduced myself and she was fabulously welcoming. She took me for lunch and shared some of the anecdotes many alumni will be familiar with. The time just flew by and I am in awe of her contribution to the Department.

I was also keen to meet researchers, to see what was going on inside the labs and to build up my passion for physics so I can properly advocate for and champion the Department - and that has been just as enjoyable

For example, I was very keen in my induction to see as much of the science going on as possible. I’ve attended lectures, lab tours and colloquiums on everything from complex theoretical Physics to the practical application side – it’s absolutely fascinating and I love it!”

Responding and reflecting

Another bonus for Luke is that this is such a varied role:

“You never quite know what will be occurring each day. Aside from running the Department, I have a hand in HR and finance matters. I also line-manage the administration staff, which is a route into all the different research groups and any recruitment, management or budgeting issues that arise there. Plus there’s also lots of interaction with other Departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences and across the College.”

Just as in the NHS, this role can be unpredictable. But there is a key difference, as Luke explains:

“In a surgical or acute hospital setting everything is very much about the here and now. A patient’s life may be at stake, so issues must be resolved immediately. In an academic community, you can take a more strategic approach. You have time to properly engage with people and understand their opinions; to respond in a more measured way, come up with solutions and work with others on delivering them.”

Involving alumni

Luke is determined to follow Linda’s example in involving our alumni community:

“I’m aware that the Physics community extends beyond the period of study or employment here and I’m keen to keep the relationship strong. Linda had a great influence over the years, as she got to know so many people. I’d like everyone to know that I am open to their ideas for engagement – both formal and informal.

We’re always happy to hear from alumni, so please feel free to contact me by email at Luke.White@imperial.ac.uk or by telephone on +44 (0) 20 7594 7502.”