Adam is a Digital Development Editor specializing in Criminology.
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Adrian Steele has been studying part time towards The Open University’s Natural Sciences degree for seven years, and will graduate in October 2019. Adrian is 51 years old, which shows that it’s never too late to start studying!
Dr Aisling Third is a Research Fellow in the OU’s Knowledge Media Institute, where she specialises in ethics and empowerment in AI and the Web. Her background is in Maths and Philosophy, with a strong focus on the nature and logic of language and meaning, which she has applied to computer understanding of human language. She is currently investigating technical and social solutions to major global concerns about equality, exploitation, and misuse of personal data, with models where individuals assert and control their own digital lives, applied to education, healthcare, and human-data architectures.
Alan Shipman is a lecturer in economics at the Open University, with a background in economic and social forecasting. His latest publication is The New Power Elite (2018, Anthem Press). Twitter @AlanShipman
Alessandro Saroli is a Lecturer, Student Experience Manager and Open Media Fellow with the Faculty of Business of Law at the Open University. He teaches on core modules of the degree (Hon) in Business and Management at UG level, and the MBA at PG level. As Open Media Fellow he looks after the contribution of faculty’s academics to the development of open educational resources and co-productions with the BBC. His research interest focus on the development of study and professional skills as part of academic qualifications and their embedding in learning design and assessment. Prior to joining the Open University, Alessandro had a career in financial services and management consultancy. He holds a UG degree in Business Economics from Bocconi University in Milan (Italy), a UG (Hon) degree in European Studies from the Open University, an MBA from London Business School and a PG Diploma in Online and Distance Learning from the Open University.
I’m an experienced Careers and Employability Consultant having worked in this role for thirty years. Prior to the OU I have worked as a Careers Adviser in schools and FE colleges in Scotland and England, The College of Law in Chester and Curtin University in Western Australia. As you can see I enjoy travel :D but I’ve been settled at the OU now for over ten years and am passionate about supporting our students to reach their full potential!
Alex Tickell is Senior Lecturer in English, Director of the Postcolonial and Global Literatures Research group and Chair of the new MA in English Literature A893 (part 1 of the MA degree).
Alex is a critic and literary historian of global literatures in English and is especially interested in South Asian and Southeast Asian fiction in English - in 2005 he rediscovered the lost 1835 text of the very first fiction written in English by a South Asian author.
Alex has written about contemporary South Asian writers for OU modules (A233, A335) and authored material on Anita Desai for A893; he is also the author of books on Arundhati Roy and contemporary Indian fiction and is editor of the Oxford History of the Novel in English Vol. 10 (OUP, 2019).
Alex is interested in literary representations of Indian megacities and holds a Leverhulme Research Fellowship for his current project, ‘City Fictions of the New India’.
Alex is a member of the Sport and Fitness team in the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport. His specialist area of teaching is focused on coaching and how coaches learn and develop their practice. Alex is a qualified football coach and in his spare time he coaches an u13 boys academy team at Portsmouth FC. Alex is also a tutor and mentor for the Football Association. One interesting fact about Alex is that he is a member of the Institute of Advanced Drivers and helps others to prepare for the advanced driving test.
Alex joined the OU in October 2016 as a Degree Apprentice straight from sixth form. Whilst looking for an alternative to traditional campus-based university, Alex found information online about degree apprenticeships in professional roles, and is the first of his peers to undertake a degree apprenticeship.
Throughout his time at the Open University Alex has helped raise the awareness of degree apprenticeships through various marketing campaigns including a national Channel 4 social and television advert; along with various visits to parliament to discuss apprenticeships with various MPs.
Ali is the Head of Internal Communications and has been at the OU for nearly two years. The day job consists mainly of planning strategic, operational and tactical communications, working particularly closely with colleagues from HR, as well as managing a team of people who amongst other things are responsible for managing OULife, writing Inside Track and supporting units and teams who needs communications advice or support.
Outside of work, Ali can usually be found either watching F1 (and if she’s lucky actually there and not on the TV!) or bopping around in her wellies at various music festivals or concerts. She has eclectic taste when it comes to music, so is fair game for going to see most artists or bands at least once.
Alice Mansfield works as part of the University’s MarComms (Marketing and Communications) unit, and supports the Pro Vice Chancellor (Students). Before Alice joined as a member of staff she was an OU student, studying English and Classics (both post-graduate, both at the same time, and both while working!). She has clear memories of how hard it was to balance everything and not to give up – but says that the destination was definitely worthwhile.
Alison Fox is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies at The Open University and currently holds the role of Associate Head of School for Research and Knowledge Exchange in the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport. Her personal research has been about early career teachers and their development, including their support networks and how this contributes to their retention in the profession. She has been supporting practitioner researchers for over 20 years. She is pathway lead for the Learning and Teaching Pathway and has led the production of a new Masters Multidisciplinary Dissertation module: Education, Childhood and Youth.
Allan is Emeritus Professor of Faculty in Arts and Social Science at The Open University, where he is based in the Geography department, and has worked on more courses than he cares to think about! He’s, at various times, been a student, associate lecturer, dean, pro-vice chancellor, and head of department. His work is currently focused on the politics and policies of cities and regions, including the ways in which they have been framed by the practices of the European Union. His current area of interest is how the Brexit vote reflected divisions between the regions and nations of the UK, and the extent to which Brexit may serve to reinforce them.
Allan Jones is a Senior Lecturer in the School or Computing and Communications. He has mostly worked on communication modules and chaired the production of TM355 Communications Technology. Most recently he contributed to T312 Electronics: Signal Processing, Control and Communications. He has also contributed to modules on music and, outside the University, has published articles on music (for which he uses his full name Allan Clive Jones to avoid confusion with the rock journalist Allan Jones). He is a member of the Open University Orchestra, in which he is the timpanist.
Amanda Closier is a Learning and Teaching Librarian who joined the OU Library in 2012. She's one of the team which supports students via the Enquiry Service. You can often find her delivering online training or supporting Library events. Outside of work she's under the paw of her cat and loves ancient history, travel and gaming.
Dr Amanda Goodrich is a lecturer in the History department, specialising in British eighteenth-century and early nineteenth-century history of political ideas (including popular radicalism, attitudes towards monarchy and radical ‘citizens of the world’ in the 1790s). She has just completed a book on the colonial radical Henry Redhead Yorke.
An ex-CPS prosecutor and trainer, Amanda has been an OU Law School tutor at levels one and two since 2009. During that time, she has discovered the pleasures and pitfalls of being an OU student by studying for an MA in Online and Distance Education, worked as an Educational Advisor, written tutorial, skills, and research materials, and been an Employability Champion promoting the use of the FutureYOU personal development planning tool. She currently supports other tutors in using Adobe to provide effective and inspirational tutorials and is a keen researcher on the use of digital badges in supporting employability and on the use of reflection.
She sees study as 20% knowledge and 80% knowing what to do with it, which underlies her passion is ensuring students have the necessary skills to succeed with their studies
In her (very little) spare time she can be found walking the hills, tending her garden, travelling Italy, ballroom dancing and knitting to keep warm!
Dr Amber Fensham-Smith is a Lecturer in Childhood and Youth Studies (ECYS) and the Student and Voice and Wellbeing champion for the Childhood and Youth studies Programme. Amber is a module team member of E232. As a Sociologist, Amber’s research interests lie in alternative education and informal learning. Through new approaches, she is passionate about and interested in the variety of ways in which students and staff can collaborate to build and extend democratic and equitable spaces, networks, and learning communities.
Twitter: @AJFenshamSmith
Ana has worked at the Open University and worked in Assessment Credit and Qualifications for almost 15 Years, helping process and deliver students work. When she is not working, you will find her either running a marathon or climbing a mountain.
Anactoria is a staff tutor and lecturer in English Literature, as well as being an Arts associate lecturer, specialising in classics and English literature. Her research interests include the Gothic, and mythology, particularly centaurs.
In her spare time, she loves reading and going out for walks with her dog – probably more than he does! Her favourite thing about the Open University is its commitment to lifelong learning, and how it helps students to get the most out of their studies.
Anca started her Open University journey in 2005, when she completed two modules and gained her Certificate in IT and Computing. The aim was to complete a BSc in IT and Computing, but her final goal changed and she is now registered for the new Combined STEM Degree. She is currently studying MT365 Graphs, Networks and Design.
Andrea describes herself as an HR professional with a proven track record of delivering results, a transformational leader who works well under pressure and thrives on change. She is one of those fortunate people who thoroughly enjoys their role and she has experienced some great opportunities in her professional life.
I’m Professor of Astrophysics Education at the OU, where I’ve worked since 1992. My research has mostly focussed on stellar astrophysics, but in the past decade or so I’ve also worked on exoplanets as part of the SuperWASP project.
My teaching has involved the whole range of the astronomy (and physics) curriculum, at all levels from introductory to advanced courses. Most recently I’ve written material for our space science Masters course and I’ve chaired the production of our Level 1 module, Physics and Space.
I was co-author of the OU’s “60 second adventures in astronomy” videos and have also written over a dozen online articles for the OU’s OpenLearn website and for the Conversation website, on topics ranging from the science of Dr Who and Star Trek to exoplanets, supernovae, and black holes. A few years ago I had a fully illustrated book for young children published about exoplanet science.
Andrew joined the OU as an Associate Lecturer in 2014, and then as a Staff Tutor in 2018. Before that, he taught maths as a teacher in a secondary school and as a lecturer in a college of Further Education. Andrew is passionate about maths and is keen to make maths accessible and enjoyable for everyone. He is now acting as the School of Maths & Statistics external engagement lead, bringing fun maths puzzles and games to science festivals and schools across the country.
When he is not doing sums, Andrew can be found singing in a choir, learning British Sign Language or catching up on his studies as an OU student of A275 Reading classical Greek.
Andy has been an Associate Lecturer with Open University since 2010, having completed both the MBA and an MSc in HRM with OU, and as a former OU student he has an acute understanding of the competing pressures of family, work and study.
Andy O'Cain is lecturer in politics, staff tutor and deputy chair of the new level 1 social science module 'D113 Global Challenges- social science in action' . As its name suggests, D113 engages with three big global challenges - looking at how social science helps us understand and respond to the climate crisis, the legacies of colonialism and enslavement, and the challenges posed by digital technology. He has worked on a number of POLIS and social science modules including DD103, DD211 & DD316.
I live in Falkirk, have two sons and am studying for a degree in Humanities with Music, of which I have already graduated with a Diploma.
I write poems, four of which have been published, and am currently writing songs as well.
Angeliki Lymberopoulou is Senior Lecturer in Art History at The Open University. She is currently Qualification Lead for Art History and chairs the L2 Art History module A226 Exploring Art and Visual Culture. She has contributed two chapters in the first book of the module (Art and Visual Culture 1100-1600 Medieval to Renaissance), one on Crusader Art and one on El Greco, and she is the main editor of the module’s Reader (Art and Visual Culture A Reader). She specializes on Byzantine art and archaeology; her publications focus on the artistic production of Venetian Crete (1211-1669). In June 2020 her most recent research on the representations of Hell in the wider Mediterranean, will be published in two volumes by Cambridge University Press:
I am a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow in the School of Physical Sciences at The Open University. I did my undergraduate MSci degree in Physics at University College London (1996–2000) and my PhD in the Molecular Physics Lab at University College London (2000–2003). I then joined the Astrochemistry Group at The Open University as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (2000–2006). I then embarked on a career break with the arrival of my first child in 2007 and had a 6-year break becoming a mother to three children (2007–2013).
Ann is a qualified social worker having initially qualified as a nurse. Last year Ann transferred from her role as a development manager to a safeguarding children board to the OU. Ann has also worked as an associate lecturer for ten years on the foundation to social work module. She is now a staff tutor for social work, general Health and Social Care modules and holds other responsibilities e.g. a member of the K216 Applied social work module team and the Quality Assurance of AL Activities and Support Processes Group. Ann recently took on further management responsibilities as a part-time locality lead for the nursing and social work programme in London and the south east of England.
Anna Brooks joined The Open University in 2005 as an Educational Adviser. She is based in the Access and STEM Student Support Team where she works part-time as an Educational Adviser role providing support and guidance to students. In addition to her Educational Adviser role, Anna also works as Regional Manager in the OU Students in Secure Environments Team providing support to students in prison and secure hospitals. She has a BA (Honours) Historical Studies from Manchester Metropolitan University and an NVQ Level 4 in Guidance.
She loves to spend her time listening to music, cooking and baking. She has two badly behaved tuxedo cats and lives in the beautiful Peak District.
Anna Edgley-Smith has been an editor at The Open University for 14 years, working mainly on STEM modules with a particular focus on engineering. She was also an OU student for several years, completing her MSc in Maths in 2009.
Outside work she is mostly kept busy by her two young children. In her non-existent spare time, she writes fantasy novels, three of which have been published by HarperCollins.
Dr Anne Campbell started work at The Open University as an Associate Lecturer on 1st January 2000. Over the years, she has taught various modules at Levels 1 and 2, covering Astronomy, Physics and Planetary Science and foundation Science, and she got to know many wonderful students and colleagues. Her role within the OU now is as an educational developer, writing and running online professional development for ALs, as well as getting involved in scholarship projects which look at tuition and learning.
Anne is studying towards a BA (Hons) in English Literature; a goal that she has wanted to pursue for a very long time. Currently undertaking 120 credits in her first year, Anne has thoroughly enjoyed the broad curriculum at Level 1 and found it an excellent stepping stone into the arts and humanities. Fairly sure that she will be an eternal student, Anne hopes to follow up her BA with postgraduate study but is happy to take things one level at a time. Alongside her study, Anne is a student ambassador for Student Hub Live and a volunteer with the OU Students’ Association (OUSA). As a central committee representative, Anne remotely attends meetings with faculty staff where she represents student views. She also moderates some student forums and has participated in several student consultation sessions.
As a female engineer and long-time member of staff, I have a particular interest in the engagement of women in engineering. My biggest passion outside of work is board games. I am a member of a board games group in Ampthill and particularly like cooperative games like Elder Sign and Pandemic. I am also a zombie movie fan and go to the cinema twice a week on average.
I am also a recent OU graduate myself having completed a BSc. Open degree and am hoping to attend graduation in September.
Annette has been with the OU for four years, having spent the previous 30 years working as a career guidance professional and manager focused on delivering services that support young people and adults into education, employment and training opportunities. She has a lot of experience in developing services and provision to help support people with engaging and becoming successful in learning opportunities.
Since joining the OU, Annette has managed advice services focused on both new enquirers and students, and works closely with academic leads to help improve our support for students.
Outside of the OU, amongst other things she is keen on cooking and is known locally as the ‘queen of puddings’!
Her favourite thing about the OU so far has been attending a degree ceremony - seeing so many delighted students and families celebrating their wonderful achievement really put the day job into perspective.
Dr Anthony Howell, BA (Wales), MA (Bristol), PhD (Wales), is a Staff Tutor based at the Open University in Wales and a Lecturer in English at the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. He joined the Faculty in 2011 and has served as Associate Dean for Regions & Nations for the Faculty (2015-2016) and Director of Student Support for the School of Arts & Humanities (2016 – 2020).
Dr Howell is Module Team Chair for the current MA in English (modules A815 & A816) and has also worked as Associate Lecturer in addition to his Faculty role, contributing to direct teaching since 2009. His research specialism is the field of Romanticism. He has contributed teaching material to OU modules A334 (English Literature from Shakespeare to Austen) and is currently writing for the forthcoming MA in English (A893).
At 53, Arabella has just completed her BA(Hons) Degree in Criminology. Arabella is a FASS Students Representative for the Careers and Employability Services, and part of the Mental Health Action Group (MHAG). Arabella has been involved in several extra-curricular projects, including the Emotional Resilience Toolkit and the EDI Module Review. She is outspoken and has a strong sense of fairness. She is passionate about putting mental health issues and neurodiversity at the top of the agenda. Arabella lives with her dog, Peaches and three cats in Wales.
Arabella Nock is a Careers Consultant for learning and teaching in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), working closely with module teams when modules are in production and on central careers projects that are open to all students. Arabella is motivated by the drive to help students at any stage of their studies to find or progress in a career pathway that not only suits their circumstances, but that they are also inspired by. She joined the OU in 2018, after a two-year stint working with physics students at Queen Mary University in London. So far, she has found her current role challenging but very rewarding. Outside of work, she enjoys a number of outdoor activities, from scuba diving to skydiving and bungee jumping.
Aramide is a Senior Advisor in the Proactive Student Support Team at The Open University and primarily works with the Maths and Stats school. The team's aim is to contact students at various stages within their academic journey to ensure that they are prepared for their modules, on track for successful completion and they are supported throughout their studies. Aramide has been working at the OU for just over a year and is very passionate about helping students in higher education
Prior to coming to the OU, Aramide was a student at university and is now a STEM graduate. When she is not working at the OU, Aramide enjoys writing, travelling and watching anime.
After studying Classics at Oxford, Harvard and Cambridge, Arlene qualified as a teacher. She taught for more than a decade in a range of schools in the UK and internationally, leading departments and assuming school-wide responsibilities. She holds a doctorate in Classics education and is a specialist in educational research, policy and practice.
Arlëne Hunter is the Head of School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, within the Open University Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). She is also one of the STEM Faculty Academic Conduct Officers (ACOs), a role she has been doing for approximately 10 years.
Armando Marino received an MSc in Telecommunication Engineering at the Universita’ di Napoli ‘Federico II’ in 2006, then joined the High Frequency and Radar Systems Department (HR), German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Oberpfaffenhofen. In 2011, he was awarded a PhD degree from the University of Edinburgh, (School of Geosciences), and his thesis was awarded ‘Best PhD Thesis 2011’ by the RSPSoc (Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society) and ’Outstanding PhD Thesis’ by Springer Verlag, which published the thesis in 2012.
After working at the University of Alicante, Institute of Computing Research, in Spain, from December 2011 to May 2015 he was a postdoctorate researcher and lecturer at the ETH Zürich, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Switzerland. His main research interests include:
Arosha is a Professor of Software Engineering at the Open University whose research and teaching focuses on software engineering for adaptive systems. He has a particular interest in techniques for building adaptive security and privacy mechanisms for ubiquitous, Internet of Things systems. He is currently the Head of the School of Computing & Communications and is also the lead educator for the OU’s successful “Introduction to Cyber Security” MOOC. He completed his PhD at Imperial College London, UK in 2005, prior to which he worked as a software engineer at Sapient Corporation, USA.
Arosha is also a governor of a primary school and enjoys volunteering with his local music and performing arts trust, where he (occasionally) plays the ukulele.
Ash became an Associate Lecturer with the Open University in 2015. Prior to this he studied for his LLB in law at Lancaster University, and then completed the Legal Practice Course with the College of Law (London). Following this, he worked for city law firms in commercial and intellectual property litigation.
Avril works in the Procurement Team in the STEM Deanery. In her spare time, she sings in a gospel choir and wrangles her two boys, aged 8 and 11!
Azumah Dennis is relatively new to the Higher Education sector. She has several years’ experience working as a teacher and manager in Further Education (FE) colleges, and enjoys working with adult students.
Azumah returned to study as an adult student after years of working in FE colleges, and started her Masters thinking she wouldn’t be able to manage a whole qualification, but was able to study a module or two. She enjoyed it so much that she completed the Masters and still wanted more. That was over ten years ago, and she hasn’t stopped since!
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