Dr Sarah Gordon – Lecturer, researcher, creative designer

Dr Sarah R. Gordon is a design researcher, lecturer, and advocate whose work sits at the intersection of design methodology, race, and higher education. Her PhD (University of Nottingham, 2025) used design-based, participatory and creative methods to examine the mental health and wellbeing experiences of Black undergraduates in UK universities, producing findings that speak directly to institutional practice and equity. She has spoken at the Department for Education’s Higher Education Mental Health Roundtable, for Universities UK, and at Hay Festival and more. Her published book chapter, “Designing for Hope” (2023), is referenced within the University Mental Health Charter framework, and she is an appointed member of Student Minds’ Anti-Racism Council and a former Quality Assessor for the University Mental Health Charter.

As a lecturer in the creative arts and creative practitioner, Sarah brings research-informed perspectives into the education environment and into public dialogue. She is available to speak on topics such as Black and racialised student wellbeing, participatory and co-design methods, inclusive and critical design practice, critical race theory, critical pedagogy in higher education and more.