Journal Editorial Board

Steering Group Member
Chair of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education Editorial Board

Dr Alicja Syska has been an editor at the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education since 2018 and a Co-Lead Editor since early 2019. 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, and researcher development.

Amy Sampson is Head of Digital Learning at Falmouth University, 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

ALDinHE Treasurer
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.

Chad 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.

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.

Eleanor has been an editor at the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education since 2019. She is currently a Researcher Development Consultant at Nottingham Trent University, having previously worked in a range of roles providing training and support for students and researchers. Eleanor is an Advance HE Fellow and has researched and published on research, academic and employability skills development, studying online and the transition to university.

JLDHE Co-Lead Editor

Gita is a Professor of Chemistry Education at the University of Liverpool. Gita’s involvement in pedagogical research and learning & teaching innovations both within her discipline and more widely has been recognised by her Principal Fellowship, National Teaching Fellowship of Advance HE and RSC Excellence in Higher Education Prize. Gita’s research is focused on peer assisted learning, inclusive teaching & learning, and online assessment and formative feedback to enhance students’ performance and experience.

Dr Katharine Jewitt is an Associate Lecturer at The Open University in four faculties (Business and Law; Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics; Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies and The Centre for Inclusion and Collaborative Partnership) tutoring on access, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She has a Ph.D in Virtual Reality and is a Fellow of Advance HE. She is Co-Chair of the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab for Education and Digital Skills and former Chair of the Evaluation of Learners’ Experiences of e-learning Special Interest Group (ELESIG) and the UK Digital Learning Community of Practice. Dr Jewitt’s research interests focus on digital wellbeing and how technology enhanced learning can help people to develop key life skills and realise their full potential. Katharine tweets at https://twitter.com/katharinejewitt

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.

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.

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.