To see more information about the academic staff of the Institute for Access Studies, plus their brief CV, recent publications and projects, go to the staff page of the Institute for Education Policy Research where more information is provided
Professor Nick Adnett
E-mail: n.j.adnett@staffs.ac.uk
Phone: (01782) 294078
Nick is Professor of Economics at Staffordshire University Business School. His research background is in labour economics with a particular interest in policy analysis. His work in the economics of education concentrates upon developing an economic analysis of schooling market behaviour to complement the existing UK reliance upon a sociological analysis.
Emma Berndt - Clerical Assistant
E-mail address: e.berndt@staffs.ac.uk
Phone: (01782) 295731
Emma is the new clerical
assistant within the Institute for Access Studies.
Emma handles the administration duties of the Institute, including care
of finance and record-keeping.
Professor Peter Davies
E-mail: p.i.davies@staffs.ac.uk
Phone: (01782) 294273
Peter is director of the IEPR. His current research focuses on economic and access issues in education policy and disciplinary contexts for assessment for learning. He is currently directing an FDTL5 project on 'Embedding threshold concepts in undergraduate economics'.
Heather Eggins - Visiting Professor
E-mail: h.eggins@staffs.ac.uk
Phone: (01782) 295731
Heather is Visiting Professor at the Institute for Access Studies. She is also Editor of Higher Education Quarterly and Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde. Her career has spanned teaching in schools, in colleges of education and in universities both in the UK and abroad. She was until recently Director of the Society for Reseach into Higher Education.
Her research interests are in higher education policy and strategy and she has edited a range of books, examining aspects of these topics, notably Restructuring Higher Education (Open University Press), Arts Graduates, Their Skills and Their Employment (Falmer), Women as Leaders and Managers in Higher Education, and, in December 2003, Globalization and Reform in Higher Education (both Open University Press).
Since joining the Institute Heather has become a Fulbright New Century Scholar 2005-6, 'Higher Education - the Global Challenge'. The research topic she proposed is closely linked to the interests of the Institute, entitled 'An Examination of the Effectiveness of Government-inspired Strategies to Widen Participation in Higher Education'. The research will be carried out at the Institute and at Boston College, Boston, USA, where Heather will be working for a period in 2006.
Details of Heather's Fulbright Scholarship
Noshin Flynn - Research Scholar and part-time Research Officer
E-mail address: n.flynn@staffs.ac.uk
Phone: (01782) 294908
Noshin graduated
in 1987 with BA (Hons) Combined Studies, (Sociology, Law, Psychology),
and completed an MA (Criminology) in 1990. She has worked for the past
thirteen years in the local Voluntary Sector for a variety of service
providers.
Noshin is funded to work part-time for the Learning Brokers Project, an
LSRC-funded project examining the role and strategies of 'intermediaries'
in building bridges between learners and learning providers. She is also
studying for her PhD the field of lifelong learning.
Chris Howard - Research Scholar and part-time Research Officer
E-mail address: c.d.howard@staffs.ac.uk
Phone: (01782) 294908
Chris completed a BSc in Psychology at the University of Wales, Swansea (2002), before completing an MSc in Health Psychology at Staffordshire University. (2003).
A post-graduate student, Chris is funded by the HE Full circle project based in Lichfield to carry out extensive research, which aims to widen participation into Higher education for people in Staffordshire and then support graduates into employment through specialised business development.
John D. Noble - Research Scholar and part-time Research Officer
E-mail address: J.D. Noble@staffs.ac.uk
Phone: (01782) 294908
John joined Madeley College of Higher Education in 1973 following a 12
year engagement in the RAF and graduated from Keele in 1977 with B.Ed
(Hons). He then went on, in 1984, to do a part-time MSc in Education Management
(CNAA). John joined the Institute for Access Studies in January 2004 following
a 26 year teaching career.
John is working on the Joseph Rowntree Project, researching reasons why students leave higher education courses before completion.
Kim Slack - Research Fellow
E-mail address: k.b.slack@staffs.ac.uk
Phone: (01782) 294270
Kim Slack is a Research Fellow in the Institute for Access Studies. She is currently undertaking a part-time PhD in the field of widening participation, which adopts a life history approach to examine young people's decision-making in relation to opportunity structures. She has worked in the Institute since its inception, and has been involved in the majority of the research conducted in the IAS. She has also worked extensively with young people locally. Her recent projects have included work for HEFCE examining partnerships to widen participation, The Learning and Skills Research Council, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Universities UK and the DfES.
Katy Vigurs – Research Scholar and part-time Research Officer
E-mail address: k.vigurs@staffs.ac.uk
Phone: (01782) 295741
Katy has a BA in English Literature and Cultural Criticism (First Class Honours) from Cardiff University and an MProf. in Leadership for Sustainable Development from Middlesex University. She is currently completing her PhD at Staffordshire University, which focuses on informal partnerships and community interventions.
Katy acted as part
of the Learning Brokerage Project research team (completed December 2004),
and is currently project managing a research and development initiative
for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. This latter project is looking to
promote community dialogue and facilitate intergenerational understandings
by employing community arts methods in a village context and is due to
be completed in September 2005.
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