2015 Biographies

2015 Biographies

Professor Kathleen Shennan

Content to follow


Professor Veronica Bamber

Veronica (Roni) Bamber is Director of the Centre for Academic Practice at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Prior to working in educational development, Roni was a lecturer in Spanish for 18 years, teaching in four different universities around the UK.

Roni’s current research is in universities as organizations, the development of academic staff, and the evaluation of academic work.  From 2012-14, Roni chaired a national project on postgraduate taught education which has published a Mastersness Toolkit. Roni is now Chair of the new Scottish Enhancement Theme, Student Transitions.

 [Back to top]


Dr Steve Tucker

Steve Tucker

Dr Steve Tucker is a senior teaching fellow within the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, where he is degree programme coordinator for the Pharmacology programmes. Aside from his teaching and research roles, Steve has pioneered initiatives within the School of Medical Sciences that have significantly improved retention figures and has presented these locally and nationally. More recently, Steve has been appointed as Institutional lead for a retention committee instructed to deliver on the University strategic plan with a view to enhancing the student experience. With a keen interest in eLearning technologies, Steve has developed and piloted a variety of innovative practices and approaches designed to aid in monitoring and retaining students, easing some of the time associated with these activities.

 [Back to top]


Dr John Barrow

John Barrow

Dr John Barrow is a Senior Teaching Fellow in the School of Medical Sciences where he delivers innovative and high quality teaching mainly focussed on biochemistry and molecular biology throughout all levels of study. Aside from his research-led teaching, John has developed various support mechanisms for science students and is interested in developing eLearning tools and processes that can engage students throughout their learner journey.  He is also involved in science outreach activities in local Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire schools.  John is also heavily involved in University-wide initiatives around student retention and progression as well as pioneering the university’s Students 4 Students peer mentoring scheme, which aims to support each and every one of our new students as they make their transition into university.

 [Back to top]


Dr Martin Barker

Martin Barker

Dr Martin Barker's extensive experience of teaching has included primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. Working with students all the way from P1 to PhD has helped him to appreciate that individuals within a given cohort learn at different rates and in various ways. Martin is interested in the possible consequences of this for progression, retention and transitions. Consequently, his pedagogic interests include tutorial teaching, problem solving, and also techniques in differentiated assessment and in increasing student involvement in feedback. Martin welcomes comments and ideas from colleagues on issues related to any of these themes.

 [Back to top]


Mrs Julie Bakewell

Content to follow

 [Back to top]


Dr Zac Hickman

Content to follow

 [Back to top]


Ms Julie Bray

Julie Bray is the Director of the Language Centre. Her back ground is in EAP ( English for Academic Purposes) and prior to moving to Aberdeen she worked for the British Council in Prague.

 [Back to top]


Dr Deborah O’Neil

Deborah founded NovaBiotics in 2004. An immunologist by training with over fifteen year’s experience in the field of anti-infectives research & development, Deborah studied at University College London and then worked in internationally acclaimed laboratories in San Diego and Ghent before moving to Aberdeen.  It was here where, in order to fully develop the commercial potential of novel antimicrobial peptide therapies, NovaBiotics was formed. Deborah has since grown the business to a leading global biotechnology company with a portfolio of clinical-stage and preclinical drug candidates. Deborah is editor of the European Biopharmaceutical Review, a member of the Scottish Life Sciences Advisory Board and sits on the Board of the Scottish Life sciences Association. She is also a proud Trustee of Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association. In 2014, Deborah received the Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Business Leadership award, the Enterprise North East Trust Grampian Entrepreneur of the Year award and was named Ernst & Young UK Healthcare Products & Services Entrepreneur of the Year.

 [Back to top]


Nika Ivanovova

Content to follow

 [Back to top]


Professor Peter McGeorge

Professor Peter McGeorge is Vice-Principal for Learning & Teaching, with responsibility for leading the University’s commitment to continually improving the quality of academic experience for our students, achieving the benefits of our curriculum reform project, and widening access and participation.

Professor McGeorge studied Behavioural Sciences (Psychology/Zoology) at the University of Nottingham before completing his PhD in Experimental Psychology. He moved to the University of Aberdeen in 1990 to become a post-doctoral research fellow and subsequently a lecturer in the School of Psychology. In 2004 he became the Head of School of Psychology within the College of Life Sciences and Medicine and in 2010 was appointed Vice-Principal for Learning and Teaching.

Peter McGeorge has a broad range of research interests and publications covering the area of visual attention in both healthy and clinical populations.

 [Back to top]


Dr Ian Heywood

Dr Ian Heywood is a Senior Teaching Fellow in The Business School at the University of Aberdeen and MBA Programme Director. Ian co-ordinates three Business School courses including New Venture Creation, Business Development and Leadership. He also teaches Business Strategy.

Prior to joining the Business School at the University of Aberdeen Ian was the Director and founder of The Ideas Academy Ltd which specialised in helping organisations use their internal expertise to generate, resource and deliver new business ideas. Ian has worked with a range of organisations across the not-for-profit, public and private sector, he is especially interested helping organisations develop new business propositions based on location based services (GIS & GPS), Internet and mobile technologies. Ian is an experienced facilitator and educator who has worked with teams at all levels in the organisation. Ian has extensive knowledge and practical experience of delivering training and development in both face to face and on-line settings, having previously been Director of the Centre for Open and Distance Learning at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

Prior to starting his own business Ian was Director of Growing Business and Skills with Scottish Enterprise Grampian where he had leadership responsibility for the organisation's portfolio of 300 high growth companies, several of which were third sector organisations.

He is currently Vice Chair of Aberdeen College Board of Management and Visiting Professor in e-Learning at the University of Abertay, Dundee.

 [Back to top]


Dr Claire Trinder

After working in nature conservation and environmental education for 13 years, Clare arrived in Aberdeen to do a PhD in 2004 in the School of Biological Sciences.  She followed this with a 3 year postdoc and has been aClare Trinder teaching fellow since 2011.  Since then, she had coordinated and redeveloped a number of courses.  She is particularly interested in field-based teaching and developing new courses to provide students with the practical skills they will need to work in conservation and ecology.  Clare is also passionate about improving the writing skills of students and finding better approaches to help students write about biology.

 [Back to top]


Dr Ewan Campbell

Dr Ewan Campbell’s research focuses on addressing the problems facing honey bee health.  He graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2001 and completed a PhD in invertebrate molecular biology. Ewan has undertaken a number of post-doctoral positions and has pioneered novel molecular and genetic approaches to investigate and control parasites that devastate honey bee populations. Throughout his career Ewan’s work has gained attention from the media and the general public.  This sparked his interest in public engagement and he has undertaken many projects including working with local schools, giving training workshops to stakeholders, assisting with government honey bee and pollinator policy and working closely on joint projects with the Scottish Beekeepers Association.

 [Back to top]