About Us

Professor Jane Owen-Lynch joined Huddersfield from Lancaster University where she was the first Head of Biomedical and Life Sciences in the Faculty of Health and Medicine, a new Faculty at Lancaster set up in 2008. Under Jane’s leadership the Department achieved a rapid period of growth, almost doubling in size, income and student numbers and achieved a research excellence rating placing it within the top three departments in the subject area in the country.

Jane has a distinctive multidisciplinary portfolio of research activity based in Biochemistry but spanning across collaborations in Physics, Psychology and Biology. Her current work is based around biomarker analysis in physiological conditions including cerebrospinal fluid function in brain development, renal function in cardiovascular disease and biochemical markers of stress responses in acute stress. In conjunction with collaborators in Physics she has just completed an ESRC funded project looking at the dynamics of cardiovascular ageing and this work is continuing at a cellular and clinical level.

Jane also has a wealth of experience linked with student facing activities primarily in admissions but including development of international courses and acting as project lead for building projects including multidisciplinary teaching laboratories. She is also an active supporter of the Athena Swan agenda and orchestrated the Faculty Athena Swan submission at Lancaster which gained the Silver Award.

Ruth Stoker is the Director of Strategic Teaching and Learning, working with the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning on the development of institutional projects and initiatives in support of the University's commitment to delivering excellence for all our students.

After graduating with a Biology degree, she moved into journalism, working in the field for eight years. She was appointed as a lecturer at Barnsley College in 1993 to develop programmes in journalism at a time when this was a new subject in HE and FE, and as a result was invited to work with exam boards including Edexcel, City and Guilds and OCR in developing journalism curriculum specifications, assessment mechanisms, and in setting and moderating exams at national level.

She was a programme leader and part of the HE quality management team at the College, responsible for liaison with the University of Leeds over the development of its suite of programmes, when she was transferred to the University of Huddersfield in 2006 as a Senior Lecturer in Journalism as part of the University's new collaborative venture "Towns Like Us". Coming from a working class background herself, and developing her career as a teacher in Barnsley - an area with a high proportion of students in IMD1 and 2 households - has made her a strong advocate of widening participation in HE and the transformative impact University education.

She was appointed Director of Teaching and Learning for the former School of Music, Humanities and Media in 2014, and Director of Strategic Teaching and Learning in 2022.

Since joining the University, she has worked as a reviewer and review co-ordinator for the Quality Assurance Agency, and more recently served as a panel member for the Office for Students on the pilot of the Teaching Excellence Framework Subject Review.

She is a qualified teacher having completed a PGCE while working at Barnsley College, holds industry qualifications in journalism via the National Council of Training Journalists, and holds a Leeds

University MA in Journalism. As a researcher, her field is journalism education, and was awarded a Doctorate qualification in 2021 for her work looking at how early career journalists learn ethics in the workplace.

Contact Email: r.stoker@hud.ac.uk

Andy is a qualified Programme and Project Manager. He worked for 8 years in the Learning Technology department at the University of Huddersfield after spending the early part of his career working in the commercial sector providing consultancy and project management to various blue-chip organisations and running his own consultancy business. He has been instrumental in the increased adoption of learning technologies at the University of Huddersfield, contributing to the development and delivery of a range of staff development courses and promoting the use of technology to enhance pedagogical practice across the institution.

In 2017, he undertook a project to analyse the learning technology business requirements of the University, and subsequently project-managed the procurement and implementation of our VLE, Brightspace. He was also responsible for the project management of the early stages of the of the Global Professional Award and the redesigned Student Hub which has been met with a positive response from students. 2020 saw Andy take a pivotal role in the University’s COVID response projects.

His project management skills, coupled with his technical background and understanding of pedagogy and the HE sector, allows him to communicate effectively with academic, support and technical staff and successfully manage, drive and enthuse cross-institutional project teams to the successful implementation of a range of strategic projects.

Andy has presented at both international and UK conferences. He has a master’s degree in Multimedia and eLearning, is a Chartered Manager and is also a Certified Member of the Association of Learning Technology.

Contact Email: a.j.raistrick2@hud.ac.uk 

Sue is an Academic Developer based in the Strategic Teaching and Learning Team with a remit to support the pedagogic development of staff in the use of digital technologies. Her role involves both training staff and contributing to the University’s strategic developments in this area. She has a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) and has previously taught mathematics in the Further Education sector but has worked in Higher Education for over 20 years. She has a master’s degree in Multimedia and eLearning and has completed a doctorate in Education focusing on tutors’ experiences of teaching online. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the University’s representative on Helf (Heads of eLearning forum). Sue’s research interests include online teaching and learning, digital literacy, student dashboards and curriculum development.

Contact Email: s.folley@hud.ac.uk 

Jarek is a member of the STLT as a Data Analyst. His role involves investigation of factors affecting students’ attainment across the entire institution, using in-depth information on various characteristics of students, such as entry qualifications, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and others. He also contributes to analysis of student engagement with the VLE and help elucidate the impact of the pandemic on students’ achievement, course assessment structure, and others. Along with members of STLT, as well as Drs Vicki Trowler (SAS) and John Stephenson (HHS), they try to provide social context for this data and statistical modelling to highlight causative relationships, to further support the university in understanding student progress and achievement at the university. Jarek is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an instructor in The Carpentries. He is also a University Teaching Fellow in the School of Applied Sciences, where his main interests are ecological and evolutionary genomics of wild populations of mice and teaching with the R statistical programming language.

Contact Email: j.bryk@hud.ac.uk 

Amanda leads the university Academic Skills Team and contributes academic expertise to projects within the Strategic Teaching and Learning Team, particularly academic integrity and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).   As a qualified teacher and chartered librarian, she actively promotes a collaborative and inclusive approach to help students make sense of academic practices and achieve their potential at university.  She has worked in higher education for over twenty years and is a strong advocate of embedding academic skills within and across the curriculum at all levels of study, presenting and publishing this work nationally and internationally. She has previously worked at the Bodleian Library, led a digital image Heritage Lottery Funded project at Kirklees Council and teaching and learning projects focusing on e-portfolios and visual copyright. Amanda has recently acted as an invited reviewer for online academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism courses, developed internationally by Oxford University Press and, subsequently, Sage Publications. 

Amanda is an active member of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education and the Northern Academic Integrity Network, a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, Member of the European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing, Advance HE Fellow and Chartered Manager. Amanda has a PhD in information science and her research interests include models and teaching practices of learning development, visual arts pedagogy, digital archives, information retrieval and GenAI.

Contact Email: a.tinker@hud.ac.uk

Steve is a Learning Technologist who joined the team in October 2022 having been the Learning Technology Advisor in the School of Applied Sciences for over 21 years. He has particular interests in online assessment, academic integrity, learning analytics and in developing and extending our online platforms, and has developed numerous add-ons for Brightspace to address institutional requirements.

He has presented at UK and international conferences and is a Fellow of the HEA and Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology.

Contact Email: s.d.bentley@hud.ac.uk

Michelle provides executive assistance and project support to the Strategic Teaching and Learning Team.

She has worked as a PA for a Regional Director of a deafblind charity and has spent the last 13 years working in the education sector, with 7 years working in special needs as a qualified Multi-Sensory Intervenor.

Michelle joined the University of Huddersfield in 2017, working in administration, finance and as an Executive Assistant for various departments, including VCO. She has developed extensive knowledge of the HE sector and how the University of Huddersfield operates within it.

During the Pandemic, Michelle was instrumental in the set up and operation of the University’s Trace Reporting system and has more recently project managed the University's Teaching and Learning Conference.

Michelle has her APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ), AAT Level 2 and 3 both with distinction, has completed a Level 5 Apprenticeship and CMI qualification and has also achieved her ECDL Advanced and Expert certificates. Michelle was recognised as Apprentice of the Year at the 2024 Kirklees Adult Learners Awards.

Contact Email: m.radford@hud.ac.uk

Paul is a Learning Technologist who leads the Learning Technology Advisor team and supports the School of Computing and Engineering. Prior to this, Paul supported the School of Human and Health Sciences and was instrumental in the delivery of a number of key initiatives, ranging from the adoption of online marking to the implementation of an online system for practice-based assessment.

Paul has a background in graphic and print design, and took a detour through a degree in Behavioural Sciences before achieving two Master’s in Multimedia Production and Technology Enhanced Learning.  Paul has presented at both national and international conferences, is a Fellow of the HEA and is a Chartered Manager with the Chartered Management Institute.

Jess is a Learning Technologist who joined the centralised team in September 2024 from the School of Business, Education and Law and prior to that, the School of Education and Professional Development, where she has been supporting Brightspace, PebblePad and other learning technology tools since 2017.

Jess has a BSc in Computer Science, where she carried out a year’s placement with Sue Folley and Andy Raistrick in the Academic Development team and achieved a Masters in Technology Enhanced Learning in 2022. Jess has previously taught the Technology Enhanced Learning subject area on the PGCHE course at The University of Huddersfield.

Steve is the Learning Technology Advisor providing specialist support to the School of Applied Sciences and supporting the other LTAs with wider support to the University’s schools in the use of our suite of technologies, including Brightspace, Teams and other learning technologies.

He has worked at the University in various roles since 2017, including supporting students in Disability Services through the coordination of the mentor and tutor teams, and as a Trainer on the University’s employability programme, the Global Professional Award, before joining the Learning Technology Team in 2022.

Steve holds a BA(Hons) Interactive Multimedia degree and has worked in industry as a web designer and developer, before going on to complete a PGCE and teaching ICT in the Secondary and Primary sector.  As ICT Coordinator at Wood Lane School, he elevated the TELTA provision through various projects including IT curriculum planning, procurement of innovative hardware and software, and delivering staff training.  Most recently, Steve has attained an APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) which was a great opportunity to further develop his skills and enjoyment for delivering projects.

Steve is particularly interested in Digital Accessibility, and the area of Instructional Design and the development of training materials, taking advantage of his creative skillset and teaching and training experience.

Daniel has worked in education for 11 years, both in further education and higher. Despite starting his career as a theatre technician, he took an interest in educational technology, and this combined with his personnel passion in technology, was able to adapt and learn the multitude of pedagogical ways technology can be used in an educational setting.  

He is the Learning Technology Advisor assigned to the School of Arts and Humanities whilst also supporting the use of technology in the university as a whole. He currently holds a MA in Education (Technology Enhanced Learning), is interested in conducting engaging training sessions that fosters collaboration and active learning alongside the creation of interactive and practical guides to support the effective integration of technology into teaching practices.

Nick Travis is the learning technology advisor responsible for supporting the School of Human & Health Sciences.

He has been with the University of Huddersfield for five years. He joined as a communications & administration officer with the None in Three Research Centre, supporting an international research project exploring innovative, technology-driven ways to tackle gender-based violence in India, Jamaica, Uganda and the UK. He then joined the School of Human & Health Sciences’ Learning Technology Support Unit as a web developer, working on a number of projects, including the development of resources for blended learning nursing courses. His second role with the LTSU was as the school’s e-portfolio and VLE developer, supporting staff and students across the school with Brightspace and PebblePad. He continues to support these systems in his current role as a learning technology advisor.

Nick Travis has a first degree in history and postgraduate qualifications in philosophy. He was a joint recipient of Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2006.

Vickie is a member of the University Academic Skills Team. She has experience of working in a variety of HE environments both abroad and in the UK, and of delivering programmes which enable students to achieve their full potential linguistically and in Academic Skills. As Head of Teaching Unit at Bilkent University, she led on the development of academic programmes for students considered at risk of underachieving, which resulted in her teaching unit receiving the first Bilkent Commendation.  As Head of English at the University of Huddersfield ISC she implemented initiatives for students and teacher training development which resulted in an increase in overall student progression from 66% to 97%. Vickie’s academic background lies originally in languages and she coordinated the university Modern Languages Centre, overseeing EAP modules and student recruitment.

Since joining the University Academic Skills Team in 2017, she has worked with both International and Home Students in the field of Learning Development and has led on various projects for International Students. She is currently developing a university-wide buddying scheme which has grown by 300% this academic year. This fits into her research on affective factors within educational achievement and overcoming the challenges faced when immersed in different environments – both academically and culturally. Her main interests include improving the HE journey for all students but notably for International and for care experienced and estranged students, developing confidence and motivation, academic integrity and incorporating episodic memory into learning.

Vickie has an MPhil in Political Science and holds the RSA Delta Tefl Diploma as well as a Teacher Training Diploma. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, currently contributes to Bangor University Quality Enhancement Unit and has presented at UK and International conferences.

 

Contact Email: v.arslan@hud.ac.uk

Tanya Fernbank is a Learning Development Advisor in the Academic Skills Team. She provides timetabled Learning Development sessions for students alongside her colleagues Christian Johnson and Lucy Henderson. She is also involved in the provision of bookable one to one and group tutorials for students in most Schools within the University. 

Tanya has a degree in English Literature and History, an MA in English Literature (2008) and another MA in Teaching and English for Academic Purposes (2022). Her teaching qualifications include the Trinity Cert. TESOL and the Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults (DELTA). She gained her FHEA accreditation in 2020. 

After teaching EFL abroad for 10 years Tanya has provided a combination of ESOL, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), Academic Skills and English as a Foreign Language lessons, workshops and tutorials. In addition, she has done SEN TA, cover supervisor and exam invigilation work in local schools and colleges as well as working as an oral examiner for Cambridge General and Business English exams and Trinity College London SELT exams. Her experiences living and working abroad have provided her with insights into the experiences of students from a range of cultures. 
 
She has supported students from international foundation to Master’s level at six universities, including the University of Leeds (2017-2023) and University College London (2023-). She has taught discipline specific EAP and academic skills courses for Business and Law students as well as for those from a range of disciplines. She also initially provided EAP support at the University of Huddersfield before moving on to her current role. 

Contact t.fernbank2@hud.ac.uk

Andrea Gaynor joined the University in 2007 as a part time lecturer in the Behavioural Sciences, teaching on the Criminology, Politics, Sociology, Psychology and Counselling degrees. In 2009 she became an Academic Skills Tutor within the School of Human and Health Sciences (alongside some subject lecturing) and continued in that role until joining the central Academic Skills Team in September 2024.

Andrea has BSc (Hons) degree and PhD in the Behavioural Sciences, and a PGCE (pcet), which were all attained at the University of Huddersfield. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Andrea is passionate about helping students to develop their academic skills, whether they are Foundation, Intermediate, Honours, Masters or PhD level students.  She also liaises with School of Human and Health Sciences colleagues to develop the academic skills provision in the school.

Contact a.gaynor@hud.ac.uk

After a career in local government, Pat gained a First Class Degree in English and Communication Arts as a mature student, followed by a teaching qualification. As well as teaching at local colleges, she began part-time teaching in Media Studies and English at the University of Huddersfield in 1994 and continued whilst studying for a PhD and acquiring fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

She has now been an AST for almost 20 years, working mainly in Media, English, History and Music, and has presented and published papers on embedding academic skills within the curriculum. She thoroughly enjoys helping students to get the best possible results, and her doctorate was centred on the ways that students can be helped to reach or surpass the required standard by developing their individual strengths and overcoming any weaknesses.

Contact p.a.hill@hud.ac.uk

Lucy is a Learning Development Advisor working with students across varied disciplines within the university, to support the advancement of their academic skills. This includes referencing, critical thinking and the structuring of academic writing.

With an extensive background working with SEND students across mainstream and specialist provision, Lucy is passionate about supporting students to overcome educational barriers and achieve their academic aspirations.

Lucy graduated from The University of Huddersfield in 2022, where she achieved the British Psychological Society Award and Trevor Butt Prize for her undergraduate studies in Psychology with Counselling. Since then, she has primarily worked in further education provision to support students with a range of pastoral and academic challenges. 

She is particularly engaged with creating an inclusive educational environment, where the diverse skill set of students can thrive and generate new, exciting possibilities for academia.

Contact l.henderson2@hud.ac.uk

Sara is part of the University’s central Academic Skills team. Before joining the team, she worked as an Academic Skills tutor in the School of Arts and Humanities. She has taught in FE and HE and prioritises inclusive, student-centred approaches to skills development. Before beginning her current role in Academic Skills, she worked as a lecturer in Education, leading TESOL and specialist English teaching programmes. She also worked at the University of Huddersfield’s International Study Centre, teaching Academic English and leading the Pre-sessional programmes. 

Sara is a Fellow of the HEA and a member of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education. She has an MPhil in Literature, a PhD in Linguistics, a PGCert in post-compulsory education and several language teaching qualifications; her research interests include the links between characterisation and unconscious bias, the uses of AI in teaching and learning, and language pedagogy. She has presented at UK and international conferences and is currently a reviewer for the University’s Fields journal.

Contact: s.ingham2@hud.ac.uk

Christian is a Learning Development Adviser working with the newly-centralised Academic Skills Team.  He guides home and international students in developing their academic skills through one-to-one tutorials, embedded sessions as well as bespoke courses that help meet the needs of international students transitioning to UKHE. Prior to joining the Academic Skills Team he worked as a Learning, Innovation and Development Tutor at Huddersfield Business School, UoH. Christian has previously worked in a number of universities and language institutes overseas as an EFL tutor teaching students to develop the language skills necessary for study and work overseas. He has also served as an ICT co-ordinator which involved training colleagues and students in the uptake of digital tools for learning development.  

Christian has a passion for helping students maximise achievement on module assignments by guiding the development of core academic skills through active learning tasks and digital tools that enhance learning and improve efficiency. He is also keen to guide students in developing   the critical thinking skills needed at HE level and to encourage less confident students reach out to key tutors at the time and point of need to ensure continuous and timely learning support. He has a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, holds the CELTA, DELTA and CertICT qualifications and is currently pursuing a PGCHE.  He is also a Fellow of the HEA and member of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education.

Contact: c.johnson3@hud.ac.uk

Dr Rachel Birds is the Director of Registry and Academic Development.  Rachel has nearly thirty years’ experience in the further and higher education sectors where she has been involved in the delivery and management of teaching, research and knowledge transfer activities.  She holds a doctorate in Education from the University of Sheffield and a master’s in Management Studies from the University of Northumbria.  Over the course of her career, she has worked at seven UK universities in a range of roles and also undertaken research and delivered teaching in higher education. 

Rachel is currently serving on the editorial board of the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a chartered manager. A passionate supporter of the Association of University Administrators (now the Association of HE Professionals) and graduate of the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration and Management, Rachel has served as both a Council member and a trustee of the Association. She is currently a member of the national executive committee of the Academic Registrars’ Council (ARC) and chairs the ARC Postgraduate practitioner group.

Rachel’s research interests include HE policy, management and leadership, organisational culture and the experiences of third-space professionals in HE.

Contact r.j.birds@hud.ac.uk

Charlotte is an accomplished midwifery educator and practitioner with a career spanning over 20 years. Within her roles at the University of Huddersfield, she combines her passion for midwifery with her commitment to fostering the next generation of healthcare professionals.

With 18 years of teaching experience, Charlotte has taken on diverse leadership roles, including Course Leader for pre-registration midwifery programs and Lead Midwife Educator. During her tenure, she has successfully introduced new curricula, guided programs through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and led efforts to enhance student experiences and academic outcomes.

A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Charlotte is deeply involved in curriculum development, module and course leadership, program validation and external examining across midwifery and healthcare programs nationally. She is passionate about nurturing excellence in education and practice to improve outcomes for families and students alike.

Contact c.kenyon@hud.ac.uk

Dr Karl Walton is a researcher and academic in the School of Computing and Engineering and the Centre for Precision Technologies. With a PhD sponsored by Rolls-Royce, his research focused on the surface topography of Rolls-Royce Trent series compressor blades and their aerodynamic performance

Dr Walton's expertise spans surface metrology, mass finishing, surface analysis, and aerodynamics. He has contributed significantly to the field through numerous publications and collaborations. His work aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing the importance of sustainable and innovative manufacturing practices

He joined the STLT as a Teaching and Learning Associate in 2025 where he contributes his expertise to a range of strategic projects.

Contact k.walton@hud.ac.uk

Stewart is a graduate of the University of Huddersfield and has worked for the institution for over 25 years, including for 10 of those as Subject Leader for the Music and Music Technology subject area. His tenure in that role coincided with the team obtaining a Queens Anniversary Prize for contemporary music as well as the highest Research Excellence Framework and QS ranking of any subject area at the University.

He has received numerous awards for student support and postgraduate supervision and is a long-time advocate of student mentoring and Peer Assisted Learning, the outcomes of which were used as evidence in the university’s most recent Gold Teaching Excellence Framework award.

In the Strategic Teaching and Learning Team, Stewart is involved specifically in: Flying Start, Ready Steady Study, Huddersfield Essentials and the Global Professional Award as well as contributing to support for Personal Academic Tutoring and liaising with the University’s Careers service.

Stewart holds a First-class BMus degree, Masters in Music Composition and Masters in Higher Education Practice all from the University of Huddersfield. His PhD is from De Montfort University, he is a CMI Chartered Manager and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Contact: s.a.worthy@hud.ac.uk

I have worked at the University within the School of Education for over 20 years.  My role has evolved from course leadership to subject area leadership, and I have been responsible for ensuring the School delivers high quality under-graduate, post-graduate and doctoral level courses.

My research interests include blended and online learning; the skills and qualities of effective online tutors; and emotional intelligence and higher education leadership.  Prior to working at the University, I taught Business and Economics at a local FE college and I am a qualified secondary level teacher. 

Contact: a.youde@hud.ac.uk