Can also answer questions about higher education internationalisation and international student recruitment
Sue Heaser is an author, illustrator and teacher with a lifelong interest in the jewellery arts. After studying at Art college and Exeter University, her career began in archaeology – working as a Finds Assistant for the Museum of London and then as an illustrator for English Heritage, drawing ancient jewellery from all over Britain. She is accomplished in a wide variety of jewellery-making techniques such as silversmithing, enamelling and lampwork. Her project and technique books have been published all over the world and in many languages. Sue is currently researching the Anglo-Saxon beads of Britain and uses her lampwork skills to investigate the likely techniques of ancient beadmakers. She lectures on the subject at museums and universities.
Sue’s latest book, Anglo-Saxon Beads 400-700: A visual guide was published in June 2025. She was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in January 2025 for her work on ancient beads.
I did a mathematics undergraduate degree at Exeter graduating in 2025. Throughout my time I really enjoyed the stretch and the challenge every day. Afterwards I started my PhD here at Exeter as well and I am set to finish in 2029! My favourite thing about the PhD is having the opportunity to hear about the other interesting work that people are doing.
I read geography at Exeter: BA from 1971-1974, PhD from 1974 to 1978. My particular interest was in why/how people use semantic space – aka language – to evaluate how townscapes affect them.
I then put all my energies into becoming an opera singer.
Very few people manage to be fully employed in the performing arts so I juggled two careers for most of my working life, namely opera and offender learning. My singing has taken me around the world, chiefly playing rather silly old men who should know better, but coming back to working in prisons in the ‘gaps’ was probably very grounding.
My advice is to follow your desires. The only certainty in life – apart from death and taxes – is that if you give up, you definitely won’t succeed at what you really want to do.