Women in Durham: Prof. Sara L. Uckelman
By Isobel James
It’s hard not to know of Prof. Sara L. Uckelman — the name we constantly scroll by during summative season. “I went to Rymans to pick up an order… and they’re like, ‘Ohhh, you’re the one from Overheard,’” she reminisces. We know her as Sharepoint satnav, Facebook-savvy, and steadfast to advise that yes, you probably should submit that SAC form. But in honour of International Women’s Day, I spent an afternoon in the warmth of her lived-in office, tucked among the sofas and the artwork, eager to truly get to know the woman behind the wit, the words, and the hard work.
“University is such a unique time; as an academic, I just want people to take as much out of it as they can”
Sara L. Uckelman
First thing’s first: Sara’s Overheard activity offers her a unique social media dopamine kick. “You feel like you’ve done something that is tangible and good,” she explains. She even keeps a folder of screenshots, small reminders of moments where her replies eased someone’s panic. “I know the answers, and it’s a demonstrable way that I can help… University is such a unique time; as an academic, I just want people to take as much out of it as they can.”
Her online presence began during the 2023 marking boycott. When students were rife with confusion and navigating a maze of university bureaucracy, Sara empathised. “In an ideal situation, people shouldn’t be coming to Facebook for support… the information should be easy to find.” After this, it “snowballed” into tags from students, constant exam season queries, and even a brief auto-ban from Facebook for replying too frequently.
When asked for her most-received question, she swivels her laptop screen. Her answer is immediate: SAC forms. So many that she’s devised a flow-chart to guide students. “If you’re wondering whether to submit a SAC form and you need me to tell you yes,” she chuckles, “I’ll tell you.” The flow chart, beginning in part as a joke, may yet be incorporated into formal student support after catching the Dean of Colleges’ attention.
From getting shout-outs in last year’s Ecology Report drama, and learning the tango in Durham Does Strictly 2025, to clarifying assessment regulations, Sara has become a valued interpreter between institution and student. She even keeps an eye on Durfess. “Just tell them,” She says simply, reacting to the classic ‘should I tell them how I feel’ submissions. “You know you should do it; you just need to do it.”
Her umbrella advice? “Fill out that SAC form,” she jokes, before speaking earnestly. “This is a world-class institution full of amazing academics — you’re never going to have an opportunity like this again to talk to so many extraordinary people like this… You can go to the office hours of any academic, whether you’re taking their class or not.”
“You need to teach? You need to parent? You just do it.”
Sara l. uckelman
After a Ph.D. at the University of Amsterdam and research posts across Europe, Sara jubilantly recalls settling in Durham in 2014. In a classic Durham arc, a walk by the Wear won her over. “I remember we walked along the river, and I was like, ‘Durham’s really pretty. It’s nice here. If ever the appropriate job comes up, I’ll apply.’”
Alongside academia, Sara has navigated the balancing act of being a mother and an academic. She motions toward a cabinet behind me, still housing a small collection of children’s toys from when her daughter would join her in the office. It is one of her undergraduate professors at the University of Wisconsin — Prof. Patricia Rosenberg — who empowered her to embrace both roles at once. One day, Rosenberg taught an 8:30am class with her nine-month-old baby in tow after childcare fell through. “I didn’t appreciate [then]…just how good an example that was of ‘you just do it’… You need to teach? You need to parent? You just do it.”
As we wrap up, it is glaringly obvious why Sara has become our Overheard oracle. It isn’t just that she has the answers; instead, in her ‘just-do-it’ philosophy, she resurrects the art of asking. Making questions feel easy, Sara is more than our Agony Aunt — she is the human link between a major institution and the students navigating it. This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating Sara as more than our ‘big name on campus,’ but as the woman proving that world-class academia can be approachable.
Image: Xue Ge via Sara L. Uckelman
