Dr Alicja Syska is Editor-In-Chief at the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. She is a Learning Development Advisor at the University of Plymouth where she also holds lecturing posts in Education and History. Alicja has a Ph.D. in American Studies from Saint Louis University, USA, is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE, and an ALDinHE Certified Leading Practitioner. Her interests include writing, community building, Third Space identity, and researcher development.
Amy Sampson is Associate Director for Online Learning at University of Greenwich, she joined the editorial board in December 2022. She is passionate about creative arts education and has worked in HE for 19 years covering a variety of digital education and technical roles. Her work has received recognition including winning the 2023 UCISA Supporting Excellence in Learning Teaching and Research award. Amy’s experience spans learning design, online course development, technical implementation and content production. She is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE, holds an MA in Creative Education and reviews for two other educational journals. Amy can be found on X under @amysampsonuk
Dr Carina Buckley joined the Steering Group in 2012 and was Co-Chair 2015 – 2021. She came into learning development almost by accident after gaining a PhD in Archaeology in 2006, and is currently Instructional Design Manager at Solent University, responsible for leading on the development of the VLE as a student-centred learning space. Her research interests focus on collaboration and community in LD, and how these impact and are impacted by our professional identities, particularly in terms of emotion and imposter syndrome. She is an Advance HE Principal Fellow and a Certified Leading Practitioner in Learning Development.
Dr Chad McDonald is a Senior Academic and Study Skills Tutor at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he manages a team of nine learning developers. He previously taught academic literacies at the Universities of Bristol and Chester. Much of his work has focused on students who are at transition points in higher education, especially in arts and humanities disciplines. He has been a member of LearnHigher’s working group since 2021 and ALDinHE’s Professional Recognition working group since 2023. Chad joined the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education’s editorial board in 2024. He is an Advance HE Senior Fellow (SFHEA) and an ALDinHE Certified Leading Practitioner (CeLP). Chad occasionally tweets about learning development using @Chad_McDonald.
Dr Craig Morley is an Academic Developer at the University of Salford with a background in Ancient History. He joined the editorial board of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education in 2018. Craig’s own research interests focus on academic reading, embedding strategies and social learning; he has published articles and presented at conferences on these subjects. He completed his PhD in Ancient History at the University of Liverpool in 2015 and earned Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2020.
Dr Katharine Jewitt is an Associate Lecturer at The Open University, a Researcher and Consultant. She also works as a Validator with the Digital Schools Company to guide and implement its ongoing strategy to promote digital skills in Nursery / Primary / Special Education / Secondary schools & organisations. Her role focuses on maximising the opportunities offered by digital technology in education. Working with educational leaders and practitioners, Katharine builds their confidence and assists them to embed digital skills in their everyday learning and advising on areas where progress can be made. She has a Ph.D in Virtual Reality and is a Fellow of Advance HE. Katharine is Co-Chair of the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab for Education and Digital Skills. She is former Chair of the Evaluation of Learners’ Experiences of e-learning Special Interest Group (ELESIG) and the UK Digital Learning Community of Practice. Katharine is the Administrator and Web Developer for the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education and Technical and Production Editor for the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. Katharine posts at BlueSky, LinkedIn and X.
Dr Lee Fallin works as a Lecturer in Education Studies and MA Programme Director for the School of Education at the University of Hull. He has ten years of experience working as a Learning Developer for the University Library and is an ALDinHE Certified Leading Practitioner (CeLP). Lee is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Certified Member of ALT, an NVivo Certified Expert, a Microsoft Certified Educator and a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. Lee has an EdD in Education, a PG Cert in eLearning, a PG Cert in Academic Practice and a BA (Hons) in Geography. His research interests focus on the intersections between education and geography, inclusive of physical and digital spaces. His specific interests include learning spaces and communities, inclusive digital practice, SENDI education, higher education, research methodologies and geographies of place. Lee joined the LHWG and JLDHE Editorial Board in 2022. You can find him on X as @LeeFallin.
Dr Maggie Scott is Associate Dean Academic (Quality Assurance and Enhancement) for the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology at the University of Salford. She has a PhD in Linguistics from Glasgow University and an MBA from the University of Salford, and is a former editor of Nomina, the journal of the Society for Name Studies in Britain and Ireland, and a current member of the Editorial Board for Names, the Journal of the American Name Society. Her research interests include the history and lexicography of the English and Scots languages, and academic leadership and governance in Higher Education.
Dr Tom Lowe is a Senior Lecturer in Higher Education at the University of Portsmouth, where his research includes student engagement in development of education, embedding employability into the curriculum and belonging. Prior to Portsmouth, Tom was the Head of Student Engagement and Employability at the University of Winchester where he led the University’s student development, internationalisation and extra-curricular opportunities, staffing and strategies relating to fostering student success at Winchester. Tom is experienced in the practicalities surrounding student engagement in quality assurance, learning and teaching, University governance and Students’ Unions, as well as student involvement in extra-curricular activities and overcoming barriers to student success through inclusive practice.