Dr Geoffrey Copland - PRESIDENT

Geoffrey has been the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of Westminster since 1996. He studied Physics at Oxford University and has a doctorate in Solid State Physics. Two years as a post-doctoral researcher at Yale University in the USA were followed by eleven years researching and lecturing in physics at Queen Mary College and Queen Elizabeth College, both of the University of London. For six years from 1981, Dr Copland was Dean of Studies at Goldsmiths’ College. In 1987 he was appointed as Deputy Rector at the University of Westminster (then known as the Polytechnic of Central London). Dr Copland’s current affiliations include being Vice-President of UUK, Chairman of UCEA and a trustee of the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE).

Dr John Wilson - University of Central Lancashire, CHAIRMAN (jjwilson@uclan.ac.uk)

In 1988 John became a lecturer at Lancashire Polytechnic – now the University of Central Lancashire, in Preston. He first became involved with ASET in the early 1990s, through the UCSC committee [Universities’ Committee for Sandwich Courses] and in due course became Chair of that group. During this period he was instrumental in editing and helping to launch the ASET Code of Good Practice on the operation of Sandwich Placements [2001]. John is deeply involved in all aspects not only of sandwich placement but of work-related learning in general, and in 2000 was invited by CIHE [Council for Industry and Higher Education] to contribute to the work of a DfES-commissioned group, preparing a report which ultimately surfaced in February 2002 as the “Work Related Learning Report” .

Ms Sarah Flynn - University of Hertfordshire, VICE-CHAIR

Sarah works as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire in the Learning & Teaching Institute's curriculum design team. Her primary role is to support the academic staff of the institutions to develop curricula that includes both work based learning and employability for all undergraduate students. Sarah also teaches on the PgCert / PgDip / MA in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. She has experience of working on Foundation Degree programme including compulsory placements, work based learning projects, career management skills and employability modules. Prior to joining the University of Hertfordshire she worked in the Employability Unit at London Metropolitan University which supported students on STEP, summer placements and sandwich years.  She is a long standing member of the ASET Executive and was elected as Vice-Chair in September 2011. She also is a member of the Staff Development sub group and is responsible for Public Relations for ASET.

Miss Rebecca Evans - University of Leeds, TREASURER

Rebecca has worked as a Work Placement Project Officer at the University of Leeds Careers Centre since October 2005. Her role is to promote and support work placement and work experience activity across the University. This involves supporting academic colleagues with the preparation and debriefing of placement students, working with students both one to one and in groups and working closely with employers who wish to develop their placement offerings. Over the past few years she has also been involved in managing the delivery of Shell Step and the Social Science Workplace Experience programme across North and West Yorkshire and the development of internal work experience programmes for undergraduates and graduates of the University of Leeds. Within the ASET Executive, Rebecca is the Treasurer as well as being a member of the Staff Development sub group which organises the Annual Conference and staff development workshops throughout the year.

Dr Graham Busby - University of Plymouth

Graham is Associate Professor in Tourism Management at the University of Plymouth where he has worked since 1994; his PhD was awarded by the University of Exeter. For many years, he has been actively involved in the organisation of twelve month sandwich placements and their assessment. Besides research into various facets of the placement experience, he has published on heritage and film-induced tourism. He teaches on all levels of the undergraduate and Master’s awards besides currently supervising four PhD candidates, one of whom is examining the internship experience at a United States university. In 2009, he was selected as Mentor of the Year in the first Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.

Miss Gemma Ludgate - Regent's College London

Gemma is the Senior Careers Advisor in the Careers and Business Relations department at Regent's College, and is responsible for supporting students seeking placements as well as overseeing the developments and strategy behind placements across the university. Gemma is supporting students on both short- and long-term placements across a wide range of sectors including business, creative media and psychotherapy/counselling. Prior to joining Regent's College Gemma was a Placements Officer at London South Bank University. Within the ASET Executive, Gemma works alongside Sarah Flynn on PR issues.

Mr Richard Mendez - University of Leicester

Richard is the Work-related Learning Manager at the University of Leicester and has line management responsibilities for the Work-related Learning Team. His role encompasses teaching and assessment input on professional development modules within the School of Management, the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Criminology. Richard also manages central internship schemes and is the programme convenor for the award-winning Access to Employability; a bespoke employability training programme for students with disabilities. Externally, Richard is also an associate member of the Association for Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) and a member of the British Educational Leadership, Management & Administration Society (BELMAS). He is also a School Governor for an East Midlands secondary school. He is currently completing a PhD at the University of Leicester.

Dr Douglas McCulloch - University of Ulster, Chair of Practice and Research Group

Douglas graduated M.A. (Hons) Econ. from Edinburgh University in 1972. After two years at the Midland Bank, and teacher training, he joined the University of Ulster staff in 1975. His first area of research was computer-assisted learning, to which he made several contributions, publishing articles, and making a contribution to one of the first books in the field. The development  of an interest in health economics in the late 1980s led to the award by the University of Ulster of a PhD in 1998, and the publication of a book. He became Placement Tutor for Economics at the University of Ulster in August 2009, since when he has been an active member of ASET,initially as a co-opted member of the Executive,  and from 2010 a full member. Douglas now acts as Convenor of the ASET Practice and Research Group.

Ms Amanda Monteiro - London South Bank University, Chair of Staff Development Working Group

Amanda works at London South Bank University in the Centre for Learning Support and Development as the Placements and Work Experience Manager. Her role is to promote the placement service to students, academics and employers, as well as developing and promoting a wide range of employability initiatives to increase employment and placement opportunities. Within the ASET Executive, Amanda is Chair of the Staff Development sub group which organises the Annual Conference and staff development workshops throughout the year.

Dr Ray Wallace - Nottingham Trent University

Ray is Professional Placements Manager for the School of Biomedical & Natural Sciences at Nottingham Trent University. His interests range widely from good practice in industrial work placements, presentation skills through to icebreakers to enhance networking! In 1999 he was honoured by the Royal Society of Chemistry Education Division by the presentation of their Higher Education Teaching Award for, 'establishing the Diploma in Industrial Studies which gives formal recognition to the value of a period of sandwich training in industry and for subsequently promoting, at national level, the benefits of this aspect of learning.'

Ms Lisa Ward - University of Huddersfield, Chair of International Placement and Collaboration Network

Lisa is the Head of the Teaching and Learning Institute at the University of Huddersfield and a University Teaching fellow. The Institute supports teaching and learning staff in their professional development. She joined the university in 2005 to project manage ‘Student Employability and Good Practice in Placement Provision’, then became Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund Programme Manager. Lisa has been active in ASET since 2005, and the World Association for Co-operative Education (WACE) since 2007. She previously worked in manufacturing, IT, and the public sector in a variety of change, project, and line management roles.

Mr Tim Ward - University of Salford

Over eight years at Salford, Tim has experienced the work based learning needs of students from several angles, from working within academic Enterprise on student led projects with SMEs, to PDP projects within the Business School. He has been a Work Experience Advisor in the Careers and Employability Service since 2009 where he helped to design the graduate gateway which provides employability skills development, career management and placement opportunities to undergraduates and unemployed graduates. He is a keen advocate of encouraging students to use the widest range of technologies available to develop a personal branding, enabling them to stand out from the crowd in the highly competitive graduate job market. Tim is a member of the Staff Development sub group which organises the Annual Conference and staff development workshops throughout the year, and is also responsible forASET branding and marketing.

Mrs Debbie Siva-Jothy - Company Administrator

Debbie runs the ASET office and manages the organisation's operations. She started working for ASET in 2009 having previously worked in recruitment.