Journal Editorial Board

Steering Group Member
Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education 

Dr Alicja Syska is Editor-In-Chief at the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, which she has led since 2019. She is a Lecturer in Humanities and Education at the University of Plymouth where she previously also held a decade-long post in Learning Development. She has a Ph.D. in American Studies from Saint Louis University, USA, is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE (PFHEA) and an ALDinHE Senior Fellow, and she co-hosts the Learning Development Project podcast. Her interests include writing, community building, Third Space identity, and researcher development.

JLDHE Section Editor

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 over 20 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, Senior Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology, holds an MA in Creative Education and reviews for two other educational journals. Amy can be found on Bluesky under @amysampson.bsky.social

JLDHE Editorial Board Member

Carina 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.

JLDHE Managing Editor and Deputy Chair of the Professional Recognition Working Group

Chad McDonald is a Senior Academic and Study Skills Tutor at Manchester Metropolitan University. Much of his work has focused on supporting students at transition points in higher education, especially in Arts and Humanities disciplines. He was a member of LearnHigher’s working group from 2021 to 2024, and he is the Deputy Chair of ALDinHE’s professional recognition working group. Chad became the Managing Editor for the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education in 2024. He is an Advance HE Senior Fellow (SFHEA) and an ALDinHE Certified Leading Practitioner (CeLP).

JLDHE Section Editor

Craig 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.

ALDinHE Administrator and Web Developer

JLDHE Technical and Production Editor 

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.

JLDHE Section Editor

Dr Laura Barnett is a Lecturer in Higher Education at the University of Surrey. She has expertise in higher education learning and teaching through her roles in faculty teaching, academic and student learning development roles at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), University of Roehampton, and the University of Surrey. Laura obtained her PhD in Cultural Studies at CCCU. Laura’s research expertise and pedagogical approaches embodied in her teaching practice relate to the sociology of higher education, including inequalities in education, inclusive education, and social justice. Laura is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE.

JLDHE Assistant Editor and Member of the Events Working Group

Laura Dyer is a lecturer in English for Academic Purposes at the University of Leeds. She holds a Master’s in TESOL and FHEA. She is currently writing her monograph A Humanistic Approach to English for Academic Purposes Pedagogy: People, Place, Compassion, Power to be published by Palgrave MacMillan. Her research interests focus on philosophical approaches to pedagogy, pedagogical innovations, inclusivity and integrating GenAI into pedagogy and assessment. She has extensive experience of working with students from a wide variety of disciplines, particularly STEM.

JLDHE Section Editor and member of the LearnHigher working group

Lee 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.

JLDHE Section Editor

Maggie is currently on secondment as Interim Pro Vice Chancellor Student Education at the University of Salford, her more regular role being that of Associate Dean Academic (Quality Assurance and Enhancement) for the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology. She has a PhD in Linguistics from Glasgow University (2004) and an MBA from the University of Salford (2022), 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.

JLDHE Assistant Editor

Dr Paula Villegas is an Associate Lecturer at the University of St Andrews and Director of the Academic English Service, where she leads a dedicated team supporting students’ academic and language development. Previously, she worked at the University of Sheffield, collaborating closely with academic departments on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and academic literacies. Paula holds an EdD focused on Flipped Learning in the online environment, and her research explores innovative pedagogies and navigating higher education. In 2024, she joined the editorial board of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and is recognized as a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA). You can connect with Paula on X (@PaulaWerdu), BlueSky (@dr-paula-villegas.bsky.social), or explore her research on her PURE profile.

JLDHE Assistant Editor

Dr Steve Briggs leads the Academy for Learning and Teaching Excellence at the University of Bedfordshire. In this role he works with colleagues from across the University on strategic and enhancement initiatives related to all areas of Academy work (including teaching and learning, academic development, learning development, digital learning, education and student experience evaluation and students as partners). He has previously contributed to the authorship of institutional TEF and APP submissions. Steve was previously the Co-Chair of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education where he led national work related to professional recognition and networking events. He is currently a committee member of the Association for National Teaching Fellows and contributing to the ‘In it Together’ project. Steve is a Chartered Psychologist, National Teaching Fellow (2020) and PFHEA.