Our People

Ms Alice Purkiss

Fellow, Ordinary Fellow

Heritage Partnerships Lead, Humanities Division

MSt (Oxford); BA (Bristol)

Alice Purkiss leads the Heritage Partnerships Team at the University of Oxford. Based within the Humanities Division, she works with colleagues across the University to build interdisciplinary research collaborations with a range of partner organisations in the UK heritage, museum, policy and advocacy sectors. This includes the award-winning National Trust Partnership that she co-founded and has led since 2018.

Beyond her Divisional role, Alice co-leads the Oxford University Heritage Network, is Co-I on the Kickstarting Heritage Innovations project, and is a guest lecturer on the Said Business School’s MBA programme. Alice is committed to early career training and development and facilitates a range of opportunities including the Heritage Pathway Graduate Training Programme, student internships and research placements with heritage bodies, and has been a mentor for a number of university schemes including the Crankstart Scholarship programme and the Digital Humanities MSt cohort.

Outside of the University, Alice engages with the UK heritage, cultural and research sectors at local and national levels, including as a Trustee for The Heritage Alliance NGO, Chair of the Oxford Preservation Trust Awards, an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a Clore Leadership Ambassador, and member of the UKRI Talent Peer Review College. She has a background in the cultural sector, with experience of working in major UK museums and small, private heritage organisations across research, curatorial and commercial roles.