▁of ▁ 2 7 , ▁she ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁four ▁co - edit ors ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁she ▁became ▁a ▁full - time ▁lect urer ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁Language ▁Department . ▁ ▁Of ▁her ▁career , ▁Professor ▁Kay ▁is ▁quoted ▁as ▁having ▁said ," I ▁never ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁academic . ▁I ▁worked ▁in ▁journal ism , ▁English - language ▁teaching ▁and ▁publishing ▁before ▁becoming ▁a ▁research ▁assistant ▁and ▁then ▁a ▁lect urer ▁at ▁Glasgow . ▁The ▁common ▁thread ▁is ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁language ." Recogn ised ▁as ▁an ▁efficient ▁and ▁effective ▁academic ▁leader , ▁and ▁an ▁am bit ious , ▁yet ▁self less ▁scholar , ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁her ▁career , ▁Kay ▁had ▁under ▁her ▁employ ▁in ▁ 2 3 3 ▁research ers ▁and ▁production ▁staff . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁Kay ▁and ▁Jane ▁Roberts ▁published ▁A ▁Th es aur us ▁of ▁Old ▁English , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁Kay ▁was ▁promoted ▁from ▁Senior ▁L ect urer ▁to ▁Professor . ▁ ▁Kay ▁was ▁the ▁original ▁conven or ▁of ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁Scottish ▁Language ▁D iction aries ▁( S LD ), ▁which ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁Ret iring ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Kay ▁remained ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁facil itation ▁and ▁research ▁in ▁Th es aur us - der ived ▁projects . ▁She ▁continued ▁to ▁act ively ▁support ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁Historical ▁Th es aur us ▁of ▁the ▁Oxford ▁English ▁Dictionary ▁which