Leading archaeologist, lecturer and television presenter Carenza Lewis is to join the University of Lincoln, UK, in a new role connecting the public with cutting edge research in the arts and humanities.
Renowned in the academic fields of history, archaeology and landscape studies, Professor Lewis is also a familiar face to television audiences, having featured on the much-loved Channel 4 series Time Team. The award-winning programme, which ran for 20 series from 1994 – 2013, followed original excavations and archaeological studies, gaining critical and popular acclaim for its presentation of archaeological investigation to the general public.
Professor Lewis comes to Lincoln from the University of Cambridge, where she has been teaching for more than 15 years, having previously been an archaeological investigator for the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments of England.
Professor Lewis, who will work across Lincoln’s College of Arts as Professor of Public Understanding of Research from September 2015, said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the University of Lincoln, where I will be able to develop and expand my long-standing commitment to involving people beyond academia in exciting and important research projects. Lincoln is a dynamic, inspiring and outward-looking academic institution whose aims absolutely chime with my own, with the added bonus of being based in a wonderfully historic city.”
Professor Lewis brings with her a wealth of experience derived from academic research, television and leading public engagement initiatives at Cambridge. As part of a campaign to widen access to higher education, she launched Access Cambridge Archaeology (ACA) in 2004 – an innovative unit intended to develop skills and enhance personal well-being through active participation in archaeology, involving people of all ages and backgrounds from across the UK.
Professor Matthew Cragoe, Pro Vice Chancellor for the College of Arts at the University of Lincoln, said: “Carenza has a tremendous track record of engaging the public with academic research and breaking down the barriers between the academy and the wider community. At a time when universities are increasingly measured on the practical impact of their research this is a powerful statement of Lincoln’s ambition.”
In her new role at Lincoln, Professor Lewis will also continue her own historical research in Lincoln’s School of History & Heritage. She said: “I am looking forward to continuing my studies into the archaeology of medieval Britain and the history of childhood. My current work is exploring the historic development of rural communities, the impact of global events such as the Black Death and the lives of children in the past – fascinating subjects which are relevant to all of us today.”
Professor Lewis, who also presented Story of England and Great British Story on BBC2 in 2010 and 2012, was shortlisted in 2009 for the Marsh Archaeology Award for her contribution to public archaeology.
