In the 2025/2026 academic year, Arts and Culture collaborated with academics in the 100 Black Women Professors NOW (100BWPN) programme to commission photographer Eileen Perrier to create a set of portrait photographs which were acquired by the University of Exeter Fine Art Collection and displayed across the campuses in Devon and Cornwall.

About 100 Black Women Professors NOW

100 Black Women Professors NOW is a 12-month accelerator and change programme for UK higher education institutions developed and delivered by the Women’s Higher Education Network (WHEN).

Out of more than 23,000 professors at UK universities, now, 100 are Black women. When University of Exeter joined the programme, the UK only had 41 Black women professors.

The University of Exeter’s President and Vice-Chancellor, DVC People and Culture, and the Executive Division Director of HR, Culture and Assurance, sponsored the programme. The Wellbeing, Inclusion and Culture committee has supported three cohorts through this programme since 2023.

The programme is two pronged:

• Programme participants take part in and benefit from mentorship, career coaching, action learning and peer group coaching, networking, master classes, campaign and profile-raising opportunities.
• The line managers of programme participants, plus members of the University's most senior leadership team, including the Vice-Chancellor, are supported through a series of events and activities to improve understanding, engagement and dedicated action that results in genuine cultural change.

About the Commission

There are two goals for the project – the first is to champion Black academic achievement and excellence and inspire future generations; the second is to increase the number of artworks by Black artists in the Fine Art Collection at the University of Exeter.

Early in 2025, Arts and Culture contacted all Exeter staff who were part of the Black Women Professors NOW programme and invited them to be part of this commission. The following colleagues agreed to collaborate with us: Dr Liliane Mukaremera, Dr Suzanne Azer, Dr Safi Darden , Colleen Smith, Dr Melody Kuziwa Jombe, and Dr Iveren Winifred Nyinoh.

Over four days in mid-January 2026, Eileen developed a series of portraits, photographing each woman in carefully chosen locations across the Streatham campus that resonated with their research and academic practice. Each participant was invited to bring an object of personal significance; these objects were photographed separately and formed part of the final portrait compositions.

The project culminated in a final group portrait, bringing all six women together at the University's Roborough Studios in Exeter.

Alongside this, Eileen is dlivered four photography workshops, including three half-day sessions with B-HUGs(Black Heritage University Groups) pupils in local schools, offering skills development opportunities for young people in the region, as well as with students at Exeter College.

The Portraits

The group portrait was installed at all four University of Exeter campuses while the individual portraits are presently solely available to view at Streatham. First edition prints have been permanently acquired for the University’s Fine Art Collection.

You can view the group portraits in the following locations:
St Luke's Campus Library, Haighton
Penryn Campus Library, Exchange Building
Truro Campus Knowledge Spa café

You can view the group portrait and individual portraits in the following location:
Streatham campus, first floor mezzanine outside the library (The Forum).

Colleen Smith

Colleen is a Lecturer, Academic Mentor and Academic Mentor Manager for degree apprentices at Exeter Business School. She has a varied background in law across both the public and private sectors, including company law, corporate recovery, and insolvency. Transitioning from private practice, she pursued her passion for teaching, delivering across a variety of levels including professional, degree and apprenticeship programmes. She is currently undertaking a PhD, part-time, in Law and Criminology.

Colleen’s selected object is a gavel and sound block symbolising the authority of justice within the criminal justice system, reflecting decisions that should be rooted in impartiality. They represent a system where individuals are not judged by race but by evidence and the law. It is a reminder that true justice must uphold racial equality and therefore depicts her current research on racial disparity and the quest for equality and fairness in the Criminal justice system.

Dr Suzanne Azer

Dr Azer is a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer on the Clinical Psychology Doctorate, leading Clinical Skills and Reflective Organisational Practice teaching. She has worked in the NHS and third sector trauma services, including sexual violence services. She centres understandings of trauma in her approach to inclusive practice and has developed specialist trauma informed training for the NHS and HM Prison Service to improve the experiences of racially minoritised service users and staff. She has North African and English heritage.

Dr Azer’s selected object is a photograph she took while training to become a Clinical Psychologist. It is part of a playful series of images which remind her of her developing love of photography and film, shared with colleagues through wellbeing initiatives, and willingness to take risks rather than be constrained by perfectionism. Dr Azer has found this mindset hugely helpful in imagining what could be and summoning courage professionally and in her personal life.

Dr Iveren Winifred Nyinoh

Dr Nyinoh is a Lecturer in Biosciences, Senior Fellow of Advance HE, and Academic Lead for Student Support. As a microbiologist, her interests include antimicrobial resistance, One Health, and the gut microbiome in health and disease. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in inclusive education, student belonging, and education for sustainable development, integrating theory, practical skills, and real-world applications. She co-created The Belonging Game and has secured competitive funding to support educational innovation/initiatives that enhance student learning, engagement, and belonging.

Dr. Nyinoh’s object, a green-white-green Nigerian flag represents her nationality, reminding her of the phrase “Naija no dey carry last,” an affirmation of resilience, resourcefulness, and determination. The Tiv black-and-white beads and cloth from Benue State symbolise her cultural heritage and the traditions that have shaped her identity, serving as a reminder to always remember home. Together, these objects tell a story of origin, values, and belonging, reflecting resilience, continuity, and the ongoing unfolding of self in a new environment.

Dr Safi Darden

Dr Darden is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology. She works in both vertebrate and invertebrate systems and in the lab and field to investigate the causes and consequences of social behaviour. Her main line of research is aimed at understanding how inter-individual interactions act as a driving force for social evolution. Alongside her research and teaching, Dr Darden is also passionate about contributing to service activities that foster a socially just research and education environment.

Dr Darden’s selected object is a skeleton of a swift fox (Vulpes velox), a house cat sized Noth American fox species. It represents her first independent launch of a large-scale research and field study. This was during her PhD studies and the experience went beyond everything she had imagined growing up that a career working with wild animals could look like. The time was fundamental in shaping her as a scientist, mentor and colleague.

Dr Liliane Mukaremera

Liliane is a Senior lecturer in Biosciences and a principal investigator in the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology. Liliane was born and raised in Rwanda where she completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Rwanda in Biotechnology. She has a PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland). Liliane’s career goal focuses on addressing infectious diseases endemic to developing countries. In addition to research and teaching, Liliane is passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists.

Dr Mukaremera’s selected object is a set of pale blue spheres. Liliane’s research focuses on understanding how the fungus Cryptococcus cause diseases in humans and how we can use this knowledge to develop drugs against this deadly fungus. During infection, this fungus forms round yeast cells of different sizes and these cells help the fungus to hide from human immune system. Liliane uses the blue sphere as a teaching tool to show the different sizes that Cryptococcus can take.

Dr Melody Kuziwa Jombe

Dr Jombe is Strategic Management lecturer, and Programme Director for BA International Business & Modern Languages. Her doctoral research utilised a critical incident technique to explore the causal attributions of venture distress, reflecting her continued interest in resilience, agency, and decision-making in uncertain environments. Melody’s work is driven by a commitment to widening participation, reimagining access, and ensuring that the next generation of scholars and leaders are not only welcomed into higher education but recognised, empowered, and seen.

Dr Jombe’s selected object is the Zimbabwean flag, reflecting her strong ties to her African roots.