Who We Are

Core Team

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Lab Director

Prof. Victoria Grace Richardson-Walden

Viki is the primary investigator of the Lab, leading the research, impact and knowledge exchange strategy. She holds the positions of Professor of Digital Memory, Heritage and Culture, and Deputy Director of the Sussex Weidenfeld Institute of Jewish Studies. She is also an Executive Board Member of the UK’s Media Education Association. Her background is in Media, Film and Memory Studies.

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Dr Kate Marrison, Research Fellow

Kate’s research is focused on digital Holocaust memory practice, education and commemoration at the intersection between Holocaust studies and media theory. Over the last decade, Kate has worked on multiple projects in the field, most recently leading the Sussex Digital Holocaust Education Project within the Sussex Weidenfeld Institute of Jewish Studies. Prior to this, Dr Marrison was awarded her PhD from the University of Leeds, where she worked as a Lecturer in Film Studies.

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Dr Ben Pelling, Research Fellow

Ben graduated with an MA in History from the University of St Andrews, and has since worked for several years in marketing, web development and data analysis across a range of industries. On returning to academic study, he completed a History PhD at King’s College London using digital research methods to study the ratification of the US Constitution during the American Founding period. This was followed by a postdoc role on the REDACT project, investigating the impact of digitisation on Conspiracy Theories across Europe.

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Philippa Murnaghan, Senior Project Officer

Philippa is responsible for the administrative and financial duties required for the running of the Lab. Philippa’s academic background is in both Information Management and Film Studies, she is an alumna of the University of Sussex.

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Mel Poluck, PR and Communications Manager

Mel works on the Lab’s global communication strategy, including disseminating the activities and achievements of the Lab. She has worked as a journalist, copywriter, digital services content designer and press relations manager over the last two decades. Mel’s academic background is in Art and Linguistics. She is an alumna of the University of Sussex.

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Steve Wang, Digital Media Specialist

Steve manages all media properties of the Lab, including editing, transcribing, and storing. He is also in charge of the Lab’s social media channels and all photography and videography for online and in-person events. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and a Master of Arts in Communications from Georgetown University. Previously, he served as a Videographer & Editor at the Berkley Center of Georgetown University.

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James Alvarez, Software Engineer

James is a senior web developer at the University of Sussex, his role in the project is to program the ‘living database-archive’ and training platform. He holds a PhD in cognitive psychology, and now specialises in web development and software for academic and research projects.

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Associates

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Dr Alex Sessa, Senior Research Associate – Indexing

Dr Alex Sessa is researching and developing a keyword and indexing system for the Lab’s digital collection. He is a historian of Holocaust Studies and Memory Studies and was named an honorary fellow of the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish and Non-Jewish Relations. Additionally, he is a contributor to multiple history publications, including The Historians Magazine.