Panel

Professor Lydia Arnold is Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning, Teaching and Digital) at Harper Adams University where she leads on: Curriculum development, professional development related to teaching and supporting learning, educational technology, and pedagogic research. Lydia is a change leader with a strong interest in assessment, inclusivity, staff experiences, and student experience. She is interested in innovative pedagogies, for example working collaboratively with University of Staffordshire she co-led a QAA project around the idea of phenomenon-based learning. She is a Principal Fellow, a National Teaching Fellow, and holds Certified Membership of the Association for Learning Technology. She is active on social media and shares ideas through her long-established blog.

Connect with Lydia via Blog: lydiaarnold.net/ Linkedin:lydiajarnold/ Twitter:LydiaJArnold

Vicki is the Chief Executive of The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), and the President of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). Vicki has spent the last two decades navigating complex challenges and driving positive change in leadership roles across the breadth of the higher education sector.

At QAA, Vicki has provided expert advice to government on critical issues such as quality assurance, lifelong and online learning, academic integrity, and contributed to the development of landmark legislation to ban essay mills. Her insights have been sought by policymakers, and she frequently represents the UK higher education sector on the global stage.

Prior to joining QAA, Vicki was Bursar (COO) at St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford. She has also worked at the University of Birmingham as Director of Strategic Planning and in various roles at Warwick University and Warwick Business School. She started her career in higher education at UMIST, where she worked in international student recruitment. Previously, Vicki worked on the Scottish Government inquiry into infant cremation practices, and has experience in the commercial and charity sectors, having run her own company and been director of a charity working with women and families affected by domestic abuse.

Vicki is a graduate of The University of Manchester, and Harvard Kennedy Business School from where she holds a qualification in the Strategic Management of Regulatory Enforcement Agencies.

Stella Jones-Devitt is an academic leader of critical pedagogic research that can positively influence learning and teaching practice and effectiveness. Stella has worked across a range of HE institutions; including being the creator and Director of Staffordshire Centre of Learning and Pedagogic Practice (SCoLPP) at University of Staffordshire. Prior, she was Head of Student Research and Evaluation at Sheffield Hallam University. She is a National Teaching Fellow, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and Visiting Professor at Leeds Beckett University. In recognition of her standing, she was appointed in 2017 as one of two National Ambassadors for Learning and Teaching Excellence (HEFCE/HEA).

Stella has significant experience and expertise in leading, designing and implementing evaluation research, recently working as Principal Investigator of longitudinal evaluation of QAA Scotland’s Enhancement Themes. She has facilitated successful evaluation research for Office for Students, AdvanceHE, QAA UK, Leadership Foundation, TASO, and advised the Irish Higher Education Authority on evaluation methodology and review processes.

Ash is an interdisciplinary educator, writer, and consultant. He holds an MBiochem degree in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, an MSc in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Kent, and a PhD in Education for Sustainability from Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands.