![]() And Bristol feels very much like we've got a strong family connection. "My eldest stepson met his wife here in Manor Hall in their first year and they're now married and have two children and she is actually a training consultant at St Michael's, so they've spent quite a bit of time here. "And sorry I'm not around as much to babysit", Evelyn continued, "I'm a granny to five and a mum to six, so they definitely counted on me much more when I lived round the corner. Prior to her role here at the University of Bristol, Evelyn worked at King's College London for 10 years and before that she worked at Queen Mary University of London for 10 years and she said her family are all "very proud and very pleased" of her new role and have even been to visit. ![]() "But what is unusual and what I'm so proud of is Bristol was the very first university to admit women from day one in their own right in 1909 and actually to be the first female Vice Chancellor of that very forward-looking university, I'm extraordinarily proud of that." Oxford and Cambridge will both have female Vice Chancellors in January or this time next year and Durham is run by a female Vice Chancellor, Exeter is run by a female Vice Chancellor, so it's no longer an unusual sort of 'how did that happen?' kind of thing. "It's really interesting because there are quite a lot of women now running major universities. Read more: New St Pauls Carnival film celebrates its roots through voices of founders When asked if she had been thrown straight in at the deep end when it came to her role - and whether being the first female in the position came with added pressure, Evelyn told Bristol Live: "I got a new government on day one and then I lost my Queen on day four, so does that count as the deep end? Liz Truss and I started on the same day. ![]() But just who is the woman behind the role and what are her plans for the university's future? In such a short space of time, having taken on the role in September, she is already working to collaborate with UWE's Vice Chancellor Steve West and has set out a number of provisions for students to help them during the cost of living crisis. She took on her role on the same day Liz Truss took on the role of Prime Minister and was even honoured with an invitation to represent the university at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. Evelyn Welch is the University of Bristol's first ever female Vice Chancellor, as well as the mother of Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine fame - and five other children and step children. ![]()
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