2018 Biographies

Professor Peter McGeorge

Professor Peter McGeorge was 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.

Professor Sue Rigby, Vice Chancellor of Bath Spa University

Sue commenced her role as Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University on the 22nd January 2018. Previously she was Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Development at the University of Lincoln where she was responsible for the student journey from application to alumni activities, and had oversight of the Colleges of Science and Arts.

Sue is a palaeontologist by background. After being an academic at Cambridge, Leicester and Edinburgh she moved into senior management, first as Assistant Principal and then Vice Principal at the University of Edinburgh. She is an HEA Principal Fellow.

She is Chair of the HEFCE Learning Gain project, is chairing work on the design of a PGT national survey and is Chair of the Natural Sciences TEF Pilot Panel. Internationally, she has contributed to the development of reward and recognition processes for staff in learning and teaching through the U21 network, and developed the first MOOC to be shared by students in the U21 Universities.

Dr Martin Barker, Senior Lecturer (Scholarship), School of Biological Sciences

Martin Barker is a Senior Lecturer (Scholarship) in the School of Biological Sciences. He is also a member of the university's Feedback and Assessment Task Group.

Martin has a strong interest in finding ways to close the 'feedback loop' for both staff and students. His current focus is on dynamic feedback (using BluePulse2 technology), iterative feedback (e.g. embedding feedback into assessments) and feedback-as-conversation.

Dr Colin Calder, Senior Adviser, Centre for Academic Development

Colin Calder Bsc PhD FHEA is a senior adviser at the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Academic Development, where he oversees operation and analysis of the University's core student surveys and undertakes evaluation and research to inform teaching and learning enhancement.

Harry Chalklin, Debate Chair

I'm Harry Chalklin and I am currently a final year Politics and International Relations student.

For the academic year 17/18 I have been serving as the President of UoA Debater and have also been the Chair of the Student Council. I have been involved in debating since first coming to university and it has seen me travel to most nations of the EU to compete, as well as Westminster on more than one occasion.

Whilst I don't have much subject knowledge in this area, I am keen to learn and believe that debating is a fantastic way to do this. So, here's looking forward to a robust debate.

Dr Stuart Durkin, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, School of Social Sciences

Dr Stuart Durkin is a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, who previously completed the University of Aberdeen's PG CERT in H.E.

In 2016/17 he was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award (undergraduate). At Honours Level, Dr Durkin currently teaches courses in Spanish Politics and Dirty War and its Aftermath (Argentina, Spain and N.Ireland).

Dr Malcolm Harvey, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, School of Social Sciences

Dr Malcolm Harvey is a Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations and Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, currently working towards the University of Aberdeen's PG Cert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

At Honours Level, Dr Harvey currently teaches American Politics and Constitutional Change in the UK.

Dr Peter Henderson, Senior Lecturer (Scholarship), School of Natural and Computing Sciences

I did my first degree at the University of Aberdeen in Chemistry with New Materials Technology. Having done two undergrad summer projects in the department I then stayed to do a PhD, becoming a teaching assistant during my write up period. I then did an 18-month post-doc at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw. This was a great personal experience but did somewhat put me off lab-based research for a while. I returned to Aberdeen as a teaching fellow. I am currently Level 1 coordinator, and School Digital Learning Representative. At the moment I'm interested in different methods of assessment and feedback, particularly in labs.

Dr Gerry Hough, Lecturer (Scholarship), School of Divinity, History, and Philosophy

Gerry has worked as a lecturer in the Philosophy Department at Aberdeen for 13 years. Prior to that he studied and taught at the University of Sheffield, St.Andrews, and University College Dublin.

He teaches primarily in the areas of Philosophy of Language and Metaphysics. He received his HEA Fellowship in October 2017.

Dr Kirsty Kiezebrink, Senior Lecturer (Scholarship), Institute of Applied Health Sciences

Kirsty joined the university in July 2010 as RCUK funded research fellow based in the health services research unit. Since then she has joined the postgraduate education group of the institute of applied health sciences. Her research interest focus the role of a assessment and feedback as tools to engage students with learning. In addition she is involved in projects exploring way to reduce student disengagement during PhD studies. She also has a particular interest in the use of digital technology to enhance student and staff experiences.

She is the postgraduate coordinator for the Institute of Applied Health Sciences and teaching on a variety of research methods and applied health courses.

Dr John Lamb, Lecturer, Business School

John Lamb teaches management-related stuff in the University of Aberdeen Business School. He also researches, mainly in OR and finance.

He has a PhD in engineering, is a fellow of the higher education academy and has often been compared. In his spare time he likes reading poetry and avoiding televised sport.

Liam Fuller

I graduated from the University in 2015 and went on to be the Education Officer at AUSA for two years helping support students and develop representative structures for students.

In 2017 I was student president at the students' association helping oversee the development of a new policy structure and recruitment of new staff. Since October 2017, I've been enrolled in an MSc in Social & Educational Research here at the university of Aberdeen focussing on higher education and students being active partners.

Dr Heidi Mehrkens, Lecturer (Scholarship), School of Divinity, History, and Philosophy

Dr Heidi Mehrkens joined the University of Aberdeen as a Lecturer in Modern European History in 2016. She teaches and researches political-cultural history, including military history, the history of monarchies and the media in the long 19^th century. 2012-2016 she was a postdoctoral researcher for the project Heirs to the throne in the constitutional monarchies of 19^th-century Europe, based at the University of St Andrews.

Professor David McCausland, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Business School

Professor W David McCausland was appointed as Director of Undergraduate Studies of the University of Aberdeen Business School from July 2017. He served as Head of Economics from January 2014 to December 2017. He is a member of the University's Evidence Based Enhancement Steering Group. He also acted as Deputy Head of the Business School (with special responsibility for Student Experience) from March 2016 to June 2017 and was Director of Teaching and Learning in the Business School from August 2010 until December 2013. He has a strong profile in research leadership, teaching innovation and administrative expertise. His principal research interests are in the areas of open economy macroeconomic modelling, labour economics and the economics of health and wellbeing. He has been involved in three large EU funded projects in which Aberdeen was the coordinating partner, and has published widely in internationally respected peer-reviewed journals. He is a Senior Fellow of the HEA, and an Associate of the Economics Network. He has received three awards recognising excellence in teaching: the HEA Economics Network 2006 E-learning Award, the 2009 (student-nominated) College of Arts and Social Sciences Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the 2011 Student Nominated Teaching award from the Economics Network. He obtained his first degree in Economics from the University of Hull, his Masters degree in Economics from the University of Warwick, and his PhD. from the University of Keele. Prior to his appointment as Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen in September 1995, David spent three years teaching at the University of Keele. Before that he was a Research Fellow, first at Warwick Research Institute, and then at Warwick Business School Research Bureau. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in September 2000, and became Assistant Director of the Centre for European Labour Market Research (CELMR) in November 2001. He was promoted to Personal Chair in August.

Dr Michael Scholz, Lecturer (Scholarship), School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition

I graduated in Biochemistry in 1999 and then did my PhD in the Physiology department of the Hanover Medical School. In 2005 I was appointed as lecturer at the University of Aberdeen in the School of Medical Science and joint the Sport Science group.

In 2008 my role changed to a teaching only post and my teaching responsibilities now cover a broad range of topics related to Biochemistry, Physiology and Sport Science and I deliver lectures, practicals and tutorials to students from numerous science and non-science degrees as well as medicine and dentistry. I received my HEA Fellowship in 2016.

Dr Clare Trinder, Lecturer (Scholarship), School of Biological Sciences

After working in nature conservation and environmental education for 13 years, I arrived in Aberdeen to do a PhD in 2004 in the School of Biological Sciences. I followed this with a 3 year postdoc and have been lecturing since 2011. I am 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. I'm also investigating activities that make lectures more interactive and ways to improve students' skills in interpreting data and problem-solving. I have also experimenting with additional activities to increase students' engagement with biology.