Meet the Education Executive team
The Education Executive lead the University's strategy for education, and oversee the implementation of the programme of activities to achieve its goals.
Professor Chris Hughes
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education)
Chris holds responsibility for maintaining and enhancing excellent standards of teaching and learning across the broad spectrum of the University’s foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate provision. He leads our commitment to widening participation, to employability and to continuing to improve student satisfaction.
Professor David Lamburn
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education)
David works closely with Professor Chris Hughes to lead our academic governance and quality assurance arrangements to ensure high quality and standards continue to be developed and upheld in support of our overall student experience. David has been closely associated with teaching quality assurance and enhancement work for a number of years, and chairs the Academic Quality and Standards Committee (AQSC).
Professor Gwen van der Velden
Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor (Student Learning Experience)
Gwen has responsibility for Warwick’s student learning experience, student engagement and educational enhancement. She leads the Warwick International Higher Education Academy. Together with the Students' Union Officer (Education) she co-chairs the Student Learning Experience and Engagement Committee (SLEEC). Gwen also chairs the Office for Students (OfS) National Student Survey (NSS) subgroup.
Gwen is a trans ally (pronouns she/her).
Dr Chris Twine
Academic Registrar
Chris leads the senior team responsible for: Student Recruitment, Outreach & Admissions; Teaching Quality; Student Careers & Skills; Academic Office; International Students’ Office; Student Complaints; and Degree Apprenticeships.
Roberta Wooldridge Smith
Deputy Academic Registrar
Roberta leads the Teaching Quality team of the Academic Registrar’s Office. The team works closely with members of the Education Executive on institutional and faculty quality assurance and enhancement activities and projects, and servicing institutional and faculty academic governance frameworks.
Katharine Gray
Senior Assistant Registrar (Teaching Quality)
Katharine Gray is Senior Assistant Registrar (Teaching Quality) with the Teaching Quality team in the Education Group. She is Secretary to Education Committee and Academic Quality and Standards Committee and supports preparations for TEF and work on quality assurance and education policy development.
Professor Andy Clark
Academic Director (Undergraduate Studies)
Andy leads on championing undergraduate studies across the University, helping to strengthen and innovate in our programmes, and working to support joint and interdisciplinary degrees.
Professor Colin Sparrow
Academic Director (Graduate Studies)
Colin champions postgraduate studies across the University. Working closely with the Graduate School, he seeks to ensure our postgraduate programmes, research, and training continue to meet the highest international standards. He supports departments in improving student engagement and in developing new opportunities for postgraduate study.
Dr Kirsty Hooper
Deputy Chair, Graduate School
As Deputy Chair of the Graduate School, Kirsty works closely with Colin Sparrow and the Graduate School team. Her particular responsibility is to provide strategic oversight on Warwick's portfolio of taught postgraduate programmes, working with staff and students to support and enhance the Warwick PGT experience.
Professor Louise Gracia
Dean of Students
Louise heads up the Dean of Students Office, providing strategic leadership of personal tutoring. Engaging closely with colleagues across the University, and more widely within the UK academic tutoring space, she works to ensure that academic pastoral support at Warwick is sector-leading, supporting both academic outcomes and the wellbeing of students.
Professor Pat Tissington
Academic Director (Employability and Skills)
Pat will lead the development and delivery of an employability strategy across the University, working in close partnership with academic departments, central service teams such as Careers and Skills and the Students’ Union. This will include leading strategies for the embedding of employability and skills across departmental curricula, expansion of placement-learning and internship opportunities, and enhancing employer liaison activity.
Dr Will Curtis
Academic Director (Partnerships)
Will leads on the development of new and existing external partnerships, and regulatory and governance arrangements to ensure our teaching partnerships deliver excellent student experience and an inclusive curriculum and enhance our academic reputation. As Chair of Partnerships Committee, Will is responsible for the approval and review of the breadth of University collaborative provision, ranging from Degree Apprenticeships to international exchange programmes.
Larissa Kennedy
Students' Union Education Officer
Larissa's role is to make sure students' education experience at Warwick is the best it can possibly be. She works with staff and students across the University to ensure that the student voice is heard, and that student interests are at the centre of everything the University does. Larissa supports and collaborates with Course Reps and Part-Time Officers to achieve real, positive change, and leads campaigns tackling the education issues at Warwick and beyond.
Professor Jo Angouri
Strategic Lead: Internationalisation
Jo Angouri has been appointed this year as project lead for the internationalisation component of the Education Strategy. She will be working with the Education Executive and in close partnership with the International Students' Office, academic departments and the Students' Union. Jo will lead on the development of existing and new mobility schemes with strategic partners and on the intercultural experience on and off campus, to ensure Warwick delivers an excellent student learning journey which is international, interdisciplinary and inclusive.
Angela Gibson
Senior PA to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education)
Angela works in the University Executive Office as PA to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education), and is Secretary for meetings of the Education Executive team.