Editorial Team

Dr Alicja Syska, University of Plymouth (Co-Lead Editor)

Alicja has been leading the JLDHE since 2019. She is a Learning Developer at the University of Plymouth where she also lectures in History and Education. She is an Advance HE Senior Fellow (SFHEA) and an ALDinHE Certified Leading Practitioner (CeLP). She is interested in writing development, the act of publishing and public scholarship, as well as the issues involved in working in Third Space and its impact on professional identity. She co-hosts the Learning Development Project podcast. 

Prof. Gita Sedghi, University of Liverpool (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 and National Teaching Fellowship of Advance HE. 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, The Open University (Technical Editor)

Katharine is an interdisciplinary Research Fellow, Lecturer and Educational Technology Consultant. She is Fellow of the HEA, RSA and Co-Chair of the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab Education and Digital Skills E-Team. Research activities are in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL), learners' experiences and uses of technology in learning, mobile learning environments, computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL), learning in virtual, augmented and mixed reality.

Dr Craig Morley, University of Salford (Reading Club)

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.

Dr Eleanor Loughlin, Nottingham Trent University (Reviewers)

Eleanor is a Researcher Development Consultant at Nottingham Trent University and has been on the editorial board for the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education since 2019. Previously she was the Manager of the Academic Skills Programme at Durham University, providing training and support on developing the skills students and researchers need to succeed at university. 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. 

Dr Carina Buckley, Solent University 

Carina leads the learning design team at Solent University, with responsibility for supporting the development of active and inclusive learning. She is an Advance HE Principal Fellow (PFHEA) and an ALDinHE Certified Leading Practitioner (CeLP), and she convenes ALDinHE's Leadership Community of Practice. Her interests include professional identity and the role of writing and publication in that, and she co-hosts the Learning Development Project podcast. She joined the editorial board of the Journal in 2022.

Dr Lee Fallin, University of Hull

Lee works as a Lecturer in Education Studies 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 Learning Practitioner. Lee is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Microsoft Certified Educator and a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. Lee has an EdD in Education, a PG Cert in eLearning and is working towards his PG Cert in Academic Practice. His research interests focus on the intersections between education and geography, inclusive of physical and digital spaces. His current research interests include learning spaces and communities, inclusive digital practice, research methodologies and geographies of place. 

Tom Lowe, University of Portsmouth

Tom 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.

Amy Sampson, Falmouth University 

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 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

Dr Chad McDonald, Manchester Metropolitan University

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 JLDHE’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.

Dr Maggie Scott, University of Salford

Maggie 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.