Professor Clare Peddie is a graduate of the University of St Andrews. Her career has been focused on education in biology and she is the first Professor appointed under new promotions procedures that recognise contributions to teaching and service at her University. Her undergraduate degree and PhD were both in Marine Biology at the University of St Andrews; her research career moved into medical research at other institutions before she returned to take an education-focussed position at St Andrews. She has held roles as Director of Teaching for the School of Biology, ProDean for Undergraduates in the Faculty of Science, ProDean for Taught Postgraduates and Head of School. She was promoted to Professor and was appointed to the role of Vice Principal Education (Proctor) in May 2019. External to her University, she has a depth of experience as an external examiner, an institutional reviewer for the QAA in Scotland and often conducts subject-based and degree-accreditation reviews of other institutions. She still teaches marine biology in the field at undergraduate and masters level and has interests in the role of experiential learning in effective teaching.

Professor Ruth Taylor took up the role of Vice-Principal Education at the University of Aberdeen in November 2019. She is responsible for leading the effective delivery of the University’s strategic objectives for Education. Areas of responsibility include: quality and innovation in learning, teaching and assessment; student experience and engagement, including student support; student success; employability and entrepreneurship; quality assurance and enhancement across the provision. Ruth is also responsible for leading the University’s work on the Race Equality Charter.

Ruth was previously Senior Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of a Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care, and Professor of Nurse Education, at Anglia Ruskin University from 2013. She held an institutional role in the leadership of the student retention strategy. Prior to that she worked at The Robert Gordon University in a leadership role in the School of Nursing and Midwifery having had a career in clinical nursing practice for 15 years.

Ruth’s research interests include student retention, the first-year student experience, social capital in the context of the student experience, compassion in healthcare practice, and student leadership in healthcare practice.

Amy is a Quality Enhancement Manager at QAA Scotland, supporting a wide range of activities, including the current review and redesign of its resources and webpages.

Amy joined QAA Scotland in January 2020 as a Quality Enhancement Specialist. She supported the delivery of Enhancement Themes work, acting as a collaborative cluster liaison and leading sector-level activity on the digital divide and Focus On projects.

Before starting at QAA Scotland, Amy worked in Academic Quality and Governance at the University of Stirling and the University of Stirling Students’ Union. She also brings her experience as an international student, PGT and PGR student, and undergraduate tutor to bear on her work with QAA Scotland. Amy graduated from Denison University in Granville, Ohio in 2011 before completing a MLitt in Medieval Studies at the University of Aberdeen (2012) and a PhD in Late Medieval History at the University of St Andrews (2016).

Amy enjoys the opportunity to meet with and learn from staff and students across the Scottish higher education sector, ensuring that QAA Scotland’s resources are practical, engaging, and relevant for institutional colleagues.

Heather Innes is the current President at the Highlands and Islands Students’ Association and this is her first term in the role of Enhancement Themes Student Lead and SHEEC member after sitting on the Student-Led Project Steering Group last year. She has 7 years’ experience in the student movement, having been involved with HISA, NUS Scotland and a number of other organisations. During this time, Heather has worked with and represented students right across the tertiary spectrum, from access courses through to PhD. Heather is passionate about continuing the develop the tertiary education sector. In particular, Heather is a champion for accessible learning, and the rights of people to learn in whatever method is most accessible to them.

Hitanshi has been involved with Enhancement Themes work at the University of St Andrews since 2021 where she assisted with a longitudinal study assessing student reception of online, hybrid, and in-person learning environments. She has also been involved with student representation as a member of the University of St Andrews Rector’s Committee where she worked towards making student activism more accessible. She is particularly interested in decolonisation and inclusivity – not just in educational curriculums, but also in methodologies of gathering, assessing, and implementing feedback.