Rachel Bowden (Co-Chair) is Head of the Evaluation and Policy Department at the University of Brighton (2020 conference host). Rachel joined the University a very long time ago as a Research Assistant in the University’s Education Research Centre supporting the then Vice-Chancellor, the late Professor Sir David Watson, with his research in higher education policy and practice. She has worked in a number of roles in strategy and planning and was Deputy Director of the Strategic Planning Office for over 10 years. She has also led the University’s engagement in a number of national institutional research projects, including What Works?, Student Retention and Success Programme (with Advance HE), and the HEFCE-funded collaborative Postgraduate Support Scheme – Postgraduate Experience Project. She is a member of a number of sector groups, including the AGCAS Data Insights Group.
Matt Hiely-Rayner (Co-Chair) Director of Strategic Planning & Change, Buckinghamshire New University Matt is Director of Strategic Planning & Change at Buckinghamshire New University where he is developing a more data-driven approach to strategic change: including the introduction of predictive analytics to increase student prospects of success. With a particular interest in HE metrics that approximate the student experience, he previously worked on using value added scores to illustrate the unexplained gaps in degree classifications between student groups, and was previously at Kingston University overseeing the University’s institutional research function that evaluated the success of the University’s efforts to address its attainment gaps. The value added metrics derive from Matt’s other occupation: which is compiling the rankings for the Guardian’s University Guide. His first attendance at the HEIR annual conference was the 2014 conference at Oxford Brookes and has enjoyed increasing involvement with the network ever since.
Steve Woodfield, International education policy and research specialist at the British Council
Steve is Associate Professor in Higher Education Policy and Management, and Head of Research, in the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre (LTEC) at Kingston University. Steve undertakes externally-funded research projects, consultancy, and institutional research projects on a range of higher education topics; but particularly related to management and leadership and internationalisation. His work is focused on assisting policy makers, higher education practitioners, and university leaders to understand and assess the implications of strategic change in tertiary education and to design and implement strategies that can assist agencies and institutions to engage with changing political, economic, social, and technological contexts. He is also the author of the chapter on institutional research in the UK and Ireland in the 2015 book ‘Institutional Research and Planning in Higher Education: Global Contexts and Themes’
Aisling McKenna, Director of Quality Promotion and Institutional Research, Dublin City University (2010 conference host)
Aisling is the DCU Director of Quality Promotion and Institutional Research at Dublin City University. Her work is focused on promoting, supporting, and facilitating continuous quality improvement activities across academic and administrative units throughout the University. Her office also leads the university’s approach to applying an evidence informed approach to institutional planning, strategy development, and quality enhancement at Dublin City University. Aisling has worked within the higher education sector since 2007 and, previous to her current role, was Institutional Research and Analysis Officer for Dublin City University.
Professor Phil Gravestock, Dean, College of Learning & Teaching at University of Wolverhampton (2019 conference host)
Phil joined the University of Wolverhampton in 2015 as Dean of the College of Learning and Teaching. He is a Professor of Inclusive Practice, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Leadership Foundation in Higher Education, and a National Teaching Fellow. Phil’s current role includes responsibility for promoting and enhancing academic development, technology-enhanced learning, and the development of inclusive curricula. He has been involved in several national institutional research projects relating to student inclusion, attainment, and success
Gráinne McDonagh, Head of Insights & Planning, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (2018 conference host)
Gráinne is the Head of Insights & Planning at RCSI. She has over 20 years experience working in the Irish higher education sector. The Insights and Planning Office (IPO) works collaboratively across RCSI to provide strategically relevant information and analysis to help the decision-making with senior management align with: institutional strategy, opportunities to further the academic and research reputation, performance, and capability of the university. More recently, the IPO team have developed a new stakeholder engagement system which includes taking responsibility for the management of university stakeholder data and plans for international engagement and global and societal impact. Gráinne joined RCSI in November 2000 and has held various management and project executive roles in professional (surgical) training, higher education (university), and transnational education related activities. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience managing projects relating to the strategic and operational development of the university.
Dr. Gerald Prescott, University of St. Andrews (2021 conference host)
Gerald has a 12-year track record as an educator and strategic leader in teaching and learning change and enhancement at the University of St Andrews. He has served as Director of Teaching and Deputy Head of School within the School of Biology and as the Enhancement Theme Institutional Lead. He is currently Associate Dean for Education (Faculty of Science) serving as a member of a wide range of senior university committees, including: Learning and Teaching Committee, Strategic Curriculum Approval Group, Academic Monitoring Group, and he leads institutional-wide workstreams (including those on ‘Assessment’ and ‘Upskilling’). He is also the founder of the university’s Community for Evidence-Led Practice in Education (CELPiE). Externally, Gerald leads a European University Association Thematic Group on ‘Wellbeing in Staff and Students’, acts as an academic reviewer for QAA Scotland’s institutional Quality Enhancement and Standards Review (QESR) process, and is a member of the Scottish Funding Councils ‘Upskilling Strategic Reference Group’.
Nigel Page, Director of Learning and Teaching, Kingston University London
Nigel joined Kingston University in January 2006, where he currently oversees the strategic direction, planning and oversight of learning, and teaching within the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy, and Chemistry. Nigel undertakes a broad range of higher education institutional research projects including those related to diversity and inclusivity, commuting students, attainment, and enterprise and employability. Nigel has been an active contributor to the HEIR annual conferences since 2015.
Kirsty Bryant, Senior Institutional Research Analyst – University of Westminster. Kirsty is the Senior Institutional Research Analyst at the University of Westminster overseeing the University’s institutional research. She has worked in Higher Education for over 15 years in research and insight, delivering qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research projects. Kirsty has pioneered qualitative insight at the University of Westminster, establishing the Student Experience & Opinion Panel in 2019 as a mechanism for the Student Voice, and more recently introducing innovative AI analysis tools. Kirsty has also presented globally at external conferences and published articles on the university’s sector-leading use of AI for analysis.
Matthew Abley, Institutional Research Analyst – University of Westminster. Matthew joined the University of Westminster in 2023 from the Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes (TASO). Most of Matthew’s career to date has seen him working in the third sector, implementing and evaluating data-driven approaches to enhancing students’ academic success through tuition and mentoring, as well as addressing inequalities in access to higher education.
Matthew’s current institutional research sees him involved in a broad spectrum of work to inform the continuous development and improvement of the student experience from myriad perspectives. Notably, Matthew oversees the National Student Survey, working to drive change with insight-informed action at all levels of the institution.
Scott Rawlinson, Institutional Research Analyst – University of Westminster. Scott joined the University of Westminster in 2022 from a Widening Participation role at the University of Cambridge where he supported the Network for East Anglian Collaborative Outreach’s delivery of Uni Connect programming. Prior to this, Scott in worked local government (St Albans), as well as domestic and foreign policy (Phnom Penh). These experiences have shaped Scott’s interests, which broadly cover enhancing the experience of groups traditionally underrepresented in Higher Education, such as student carers, as well as the HE experiences of international students in the UK. Scott’s personal educational journey has also led to an interest in the transition into and experiences of postgraduate research students.
Past/founding members:
Obinna Okereke
Steve May
Aoife Flanagan
Maura McGinn
Ian Scott
Marthie Cronje
Lee O’Farrell
