WIHEA 2025 Fellows Profiles
Welcome to our latest cohort of staff and student WIHEA Fellows! They will be developing expertise in areas of interest to them, enhancing practice and policy, and informing our strategic and practical thinking on learning and teaching.
Read on to see the perspectives they bring and what they are looking forward to getting involved in.
Law Undergraduate Student, Law
I am a first-year law student with a keen interest in exploring methods to uplift child welfare in countries with inadequate support systems and regulations aimed at protecting children. I am one of the project leaders of the school’s volunteering project and the student lead for the conversation class established to help newly arrived communities. As part of my fellowship, I hope to participate in projects focused on promoting social justice, enhancing children’s welfare and uplifting communities.
PhD in Engineering Education, WMG
My PhD research is on impact evaluation in STEM outreach programs. I am interested in promoting informal learning within and beyond Warwick, including in sports coaching context and widening participation activities. I also look forward to collaborating with WIHEA colleagues on VR-assisted learning, public and community engagement, and interdisciplinarity.
Mohammad Al-Amin
Associate Professor, School of Engineering
I am the Director of Studies for the Mechanical Engineering programmes in the School of Engineering, where I focus on enhancing teaching and learning. My responsibilities include guiding academic staff in module delivery, promoting student-centred practices, ensuring quality assurance, and contributing to strategic planning.
As a WIHEA Fellow, I aim to support strategic initiatives in global education, sustainability, and regional engagement. I look forward to leading interdisciplinary projects that align WIHEA priorities with both departmental and faculty objectives.
History Undergraduate Student, History/Centre for Lifelong Learning
I am a part-time History student with extensive work experience in report writing, analysis and engagement with a variety of stakeholders. I am very keen to use these skills within WIHEA to develop and enhance the academic experience of all students, with a particular focus on academic literacies and inclusive assessment.
Sarah Bennett
Skills Developer - Personal Development Programmes, Student Opportunity
I lead on the Thrive programme (a personal development programme for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, co-created with students to build their confidence, resilience and agency). Shaping a suite of student personal development programmes is of keen interest to me, along with continuing to build a sense of belonging within our Thrive community. Committed to creating inclusive learning environments, I am excited to engage further with the WIHEA community.
Michael Cavaliere
PhD in Mathematics, Mathematics
I am a Mathematics PhD student and a GTA, having previously completed my undergraduate degree at Warwick. I am very engaged with student voice, as a former SSLC Chair and current Faculty Rep, and have contributed to discussions and projects on teaching, research and EDI. During my WIHEA Fellowship, I will bring insights from my experiences of both sides of the teaching relationship at Warwick and ensure that student voices from all levels are heard. Furthermore, I will draw on my lived experience as a disabled student to contribute to projects relating to inclusion, and to expand on my previous work around disability, neurodivergence and accessibility, with a focus on postgraduate experiences.
Amir Cheshmehzangi
PhD in Engineering, Warwick Manufacturing Group
I am a researcher and educator working across engineering, computer science, and digital education. My research focuses on digital twins for steel manufacturing, and I’m passionate about using immersive technologies, AI, and real-time feedback to enhance inclusion, engagement, and learner autonomy. Alongside my teaching, I lead outreach for WMG Academy, co-design interdisciplinary modules, and apply curriculum design principles to make complex ideas more accessible. I look forward to contributing to WIHEA Learning Circles and collaborating on projects that support inclusive, future-facing educational practices.
Ali Collins
Head of Careers, Student Opportunity
As Head of Careers my focus is on ensuring all students have access to the support they need within the curriculum to achieve their own definition of career success. I look forward to working on projects that can have a significant impact on students’ experience, education and long-term success.
Dr Dawn Collins
Associate Professor (Teaching Focused), Warwick Medical School
I am fascinated by how technology can help us create novel, exciting, interactive and inclusive learning experiences. As a WIHEA fellow I hope to contribute to development of strategies that will allow integration of technological developments with authentic local/global voices to enrich the student experience and encourage engagement.
Jo Dobb
Assistant Professor (Teaching Focused), Centre for Teacher Education
Having worked at CTE since 2013 and as a qualified Primary school teacher, I have a strong background in curriculum design, pedagogy and research-informed practice.
As a WHIEA Fellow, I am interested in exploring how identity and a sense of belonging can be fostered through the curriculum to support student progress during practice-related placements.
Cath Fenn
Senior Academic Technologist, Warwick Medical School
I am curious to explore the diverse learning opportunities available to WIHEA Fellows. I bring over 20 years’ experience in digital education within higher education, 10 years as an active WIHEA member, and extensive experience collaborating with medical students. My areas of special interest include immersive pedagogies, creative design practices, critical digital pedagogy, the application of AI agents as educational support tools, gamification strategies, belonging and sustainability initiatives.
Will Haywood
Assistant Professor, Centre for Teacher Education / Academic Development Centre
As an experienced teacher, teacher educator and education developer I am excited to become involved with WIHEA. I am looking forward to bringing my expertise in assessment & feedback and student engagement to help enhance education and student experience at Warwick, in particular through exploring and supporting the development of authentic and inclusive assessment practices.
Dr Sacha Hepburn
Director of Student Experience and Progression, Faculty of Arts
I am Director of Student Experience in the Arts Faculty, leading student-centred, co-created initiatives that challenge structural inequalities and strengthen community. My disciplinary expertise lies in African history, with a particular focus on labour, gender, age, and history’s role in addressing contemporary global challenges. I look forward to collaborating on projects that foster inclusion and community and strengthen WIHEA’s global partnerships.
Amanda Kowalczyk
Assistant Professor / Faculty Senior Tutor for Arts, Warwick Foundation Studies / Dean of Students Office
I have been teaching Law on the Warwick IFP since 2016, working with students who are taking their first steps into higher education in the UK. I am passionate about diversity and ensuring that individual differences are recognised and supported. As Faculty Senior Tutor for Arts, within the Dean of Students’ Office, I see the complexity of challenges faced by students and the value of regularly reviewing our policies and practice. I hope to contribute towards WIHEA projects that promote belonging and inclusivity at the university.
Professor Nina-Anne Lawrence
Director of Warwick Foundation Studies, Warwick Foundation Studies
I have extensive experience in international education and international affairs including academic leadership of programmes which enable international students to succeed in their university studies. This experience includes the UK and also offshore in China and Europe. As a member of the university’s newly formed Transnational Education (TNE) Group and as I am leading the development of TNE models for delivery of programmes within my department, I hope to lead or support discussions within WIHEA around effective models and approaches for Warwick TNE.
Dr Daniel Lowe
Assistant Professor in Law / Deputy Director of Undergraduate Studies, School of Law
I am a teaching focused academic with over ten years' experience in higher education and expertise in human rights and international law. As a WIHEA Fellow, I am excited to contribute to initiatives aimed at enhancing the accessibility and enjoyability of education for all students, particularly those who face significant barriers to learning.
Dr Maryam Masood
Assistant Professor (Teaching Focused), Warwick Manufacturing Group
I am a teaching-focused Assistant Professor at WMG, with a background in sustainability, waste management, and the circular economy. I lead a large-scale hybrid postgraduate research methods module and am passionate about inclusive and digitally enhanced education. As a WIHEA Fellow and member of the AI Learning Circle, I look forward to exploring AI-enabled learning and developing scalable, accessible, and equitable learning design in hybrid environments.
Dr Ewan Mellor
Quality and Partnerships Development Manager, Education Policy and Quality
I work in Education Policy and Quality and have a particular interest in widening the opportunities for participation in higher education by developing diverse, accessible, and inclusive routes and modes of study. I have expertise in the distance and online learning, blended learning, part-time study, collaborative and trans-national education, and degree apprenticeships. As a WIHEA Fellow I look forward to working with colleagues to explore micro-credentials, stackable awards, and open degrees as ways to make a Warwick education more accessible. In particular, I am interested in exploring what the student experience means for these alternative modes of delivery and understanding how to maintain and enhance the student experience and the quality of education.
Lewis Middleton
Sociology Undergraduate Student, Sociology
Over the past year, I have served as an Inclusive Education Project Officer on the Faculty of Arts’ Best Practice Toolkit Project, as well as a Student Representative and the Secretary of the Sociology department’s Student Staff Liaison Committee. Through these roles, I have developed a strong commitment to embedding best practice into teaching, learning, and assessment, and education more broadly.
I see the WIHEA Fellowship as an excellent opportunity to pursue this commitment further through co-creating meaningful and impactful research that informs the direction of education policy here at Warwick. As an incoming Fellow, I am particularly eager to engage in discussions and projects pertaining to curricular reform, employability, the internationalisation of higher education, and artificial intelligence in education.
George Morrell
Deputy Head of Disability Services, Disability Services
I am the Deputy Head of Disability Services and have worked within the Disability Team at Warwick for 11 years. My role includes supporting students with disabilities to access support, ensuring they have an equitable learning experience. Working closely with staff and students, I have an enthusiasm to support everyone by raising awareness for this topic and implementing relevant adjustments to individuals based on need. I am also keen to promote how the university can help to address the challenges that students who have a disability can face. I am excited to work as an WIHEA Fellow, where I aim to use my experience to encourage and implement inclusive education and promote positive learning for all.
Dr Natasha Mwila
Associate Professor, Warwick Business School
With a decade of international experience in HE, I bring case method expertise. I lead case writing at WBS, mentoring new writers and developing resources for our teaching and learning site. Through WIHEA, I aim to share innovative case-based practices and engage in practice-oriented teaching and learning initiatives more broadly.
Zineb Nmili
Management Undergraduate Student, Warwick Business School
I am an international student currently studying Management with a Placement Year, with a deep interest in teaching and learning, particularly in ways that build children’s confidence and foster a genuine love of reading. Volunteering has always been close to my heart, and I am passionate about improving the student experience, both academically and personally. Through various initiatives, I’ve sought to create inclusive, supportive spaces where all students can thrive. I am excited to join the WIHEA community, where I look forward to learning from like-minded individuals, contributing to conversations on inclusive education, and furthering my commitment to enhancing learning environments for current and future students.
Dr Eleanor Reynolds
Assistant Professor, Warwick Business School
I draw upon 12 years as a practitioner and over a decade teaching in HE to transfer my experience of business improvement, group facilitation, problem structuring and strategy development from the workplace into the classroom. I am drawn toward pedagogies of interdisciplinarity, authenticity, and compassion, all of which I associate with inclusivity. I am interested in integrating qualitative and quantitative analyses, making the inauthentic authentic, how learning circles inspire our response to cohort needs, and exploring these interests in creative and innovative ways. My teaching seeks impactful delivery of learning objectives, using co-created student-led content to give students confidence in using group-based, collaborative tools in their future careers.
Luda Ruddock
Academic Partnerships Manager, Innovation Group
I am excited to share my expertise in designing and piloting educational and capacity development programmes that promote multi-stakeholder engagement, international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
During WIHEA fellowship, I aim to contribute to initiatives that advance sustainability, innovation and place-based education, integrate enterprise and entrepreneurship education, and promote global citizenship
Ian Saunders
Associate Professor (Teaching Focused), Computer Science
I am an Associate Professor in Computer Science and departmental EDI/Athena SWAN lead. I am passionate about inclusive pedagogy, technology-enhanced learning and innovation. As a WIHEA Fellow, I hope to contribute to projects on inclusive group work, authentic assessment, and peer-based feedback.
Fatemeh Shahbazi
Director of Studies for WMG School of Engineering Courses, Assistant Professor
(Teaching Focussed), Warwick Manufacturing Group
I am a Lecturer in Engineering Simulations, specialising in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and passionate about enhancing engineering education through inclusive, active learning. I developed a gamified teaching approach that consistently achieves high student engagement and satisfaction. As a WIHEA Fellow, I aim to support institutional strategy on inclusive teaching and digital learning.
Dr Saran Shantikumar
Associate Clinical Professor, Warwick Medical School
I’m a medically trained public health consultant and Course Director for the Masters in Public Health at Warwick Medical School. My current educational interests are in the safe and effective integration of AI for staff and students, neurodiversity, avoiding lectures at all costs (!), and the engagement and experience of international students, who significantly contribute to Warwick’s academic community.
Stella Shi
Language, Culture, and Communication Undergraduate Student, Applied Linguistics
I am an award-winning interdisciplinary researcher studying medical communication (presented orally and with poster at ICUR 2025) and gender representation in advertising (URSS-funded). As SSLC representative and first undergraduate Co-Chair of WICAL, I've bridged student-staff divides while leading international academic events. Through my fellowship, I will initiate cross-disciplinary projects that merge innovative research with pedagogical development, fostering inclusive high education
Billy Smith
Economics, Psychology and Philosophy Undergraduate Student, Philosophy
I am a final year BSc Economics, Psychology and Philosophy student, keen to research and promote critical thinking in academic and professional contexts. Having studied critical thinking’s impact on leadership at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, undertaken a 12-month placement at Deloitte and co-founded my course society, I am excited to explore the impacts of critical thinking on students’ academic and professional success
Sarah Tasneem
History Undergraduate Student, History
In my term as a WIHEA Fellow, I am keen to explore creative ways of embedding sustainability and inclusion into teaching practice. Drawing on my research into energy history and carbon finance, alongside my work in student media and collaborative projects, I aim to connect disciplines and amplify underrepresented perspectives. I hope to use this fellowship to experiment with innovative approaches that make education more engaging, equitable, and future-focused.
Louisa Toxvaerd Munch
PhD in English and Comparative Studies, English and Comparative Studies
I am a final-year PhD researcher in English and Comparative Studies at the University of Warwick. My work explores nostalgia, neoliberalism, and the rise of the far right through critical theory. I am committed to bridging academic and public discourse and advocating for inclusive, socially engaged scholarship.
Oliver Turner
Assistant Professor, Academic Development Centre
I’m interested in how students sustain human connection and wellbeing in an AI-driven, smartphone-dominated world. I aim to champion high-quality, distinctively lecture-based teaching; support the professional development of postgraduate researchers who teach; and draw on my secondary-sector experience to explore how school-based practices can enhance inclusion and excellence in HE.
Yuxin Wang
PhD in Engineering, School of Engineering
I am a PhD student with a strong interest in inclusive, student-centred teaching and learning. I have worked as a lab demonstrator and tutor, supporting students in both practical and theoretical learning environments. I look forward to interdisciplinary collaboration, exploring cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange, and contributing to the enhancement of inclusive learning and teaching practices at Warwick.
PhD in ELT and Applied Linguistics, Applied Linguistics
My research focuses on teacher development relating to intercultural pedagogy. I have worked as a PGR teacher champion in the Warwick PGR Teaching Community and organized GTA professional development activities. As part of my fellowship, I aspire to continue my work in GTA development and utilize my academic expertise to enhance GTAs’ understanding of intercultural aspects of teaching in multicultural and internationalised higher education. Let’sconnect!
Emily Watkins
Widening Participation Lifecycle Officer (Priority Groups), Widening Participation
As the Widening Participation Lifecycle Officer for Priority Groups, I provide support for Care Leavers, Estranged students, and Sanctuary Scholars at the University—from both a pastoral and strategic angle. I work with numerous teams across the university to improve student experience and educational outcomes for Widening Participation students. During my Fellowship, I am keen to continue to ensure that Widening Participation considerations are central to all work across the university, embedding inclusive practices institution-wide, particularly around improving transitions, support, and progression for Priority Group students.
Jackie Whitehouse
Head of Work based & Professional Learning, Flexible & Online Learning (Education Group)
My passion lies in ensuring achievable learning outcomes are overtly visible in authentically appropriate assessment, with distinct opportunities to explore multiple outcomes, with experiential work-related practice that contextualises academic concepts. Learners thrive when they are able to experiment, play out and embed experiences learned from ‘life’.
Being a senior leader in HE is a privilege. I’ve had the agency to drive bold educational innovation—transforming global curricula, embedding authentic assessment, and championing inclusive pathways into and through higher education. These roles have allowed me to challenge convention, shape policy, and empower others to succeed - I am delighted to continue in this journey
Dr Samantha Wilson-Thain
Associate Professor (Teaching Focused) / Director of Student Experience (DSEP), School of Life Sciences
I am a Doctor of Education and Senior Fellow with almost 20 years of experience in transforming learning and teaching in higher education. As Director of Student Experience in SLS, I drive belonging-centred educational practices and co-lead teaching innovation. I co-create networks, mentor educators, and drive change that places students at the heart of higher education. As a WIHEA fellow, I hope to continue my work in DEI, collaborating across faculties and beyond to achieve a truly inclusive educational experience.
PhD in ELT and Applied Linguistics, Applied Linguistics
I am excited to be a fellow and more than ready to be engaged in various WIHEA activities and projects, particularly in the aspects of compassionate pedagogy, interdisciplinarity, internationalisation and AI in education. For me, quality of education matters but quality of life in education matters more. As a WIHEA fellow, I aspire to be part of the joint efforts to enhance quality of life in education at Warwick. I will bring along insights I have gained about teaching and learning from my roles as a Senior GTA, a member of Warwick PTC, a library student partner and a PhD life Blogger, and my past experiences in WIHEA and IATL projects.