Senior Education Leadership

The Senior Education Team and wider Senior Education Leadership Group bring together people and skills from across the university to enable UCL to deliver the Education Strategy.

See members of:

Senior Education Team

The Senior Education Team (SET) meets regularly to provide information, updates and support to the Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience), Jennie Shaw.

Professor Jennie Shaw

Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience)

As Vice-Provost, Professor Jennie Shaw works collaboratively with UCL’s outstanding staff and talented students to deliver educational excellence, interdisciplinary innovation and a distinctive and exceptional student experience, representing these priorities within UCL's senior leadership team.

Before joining UCL in September 2025, Jennie held various leadership positions in Australian higher education institutions. At the University of Adelaide, she was Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic), following eight years as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (later the Faculty of Arts).

Jennie's other roles have included serving as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the University of New England and as Head of School and Associate Dean of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at the University of Sydney.

Jennie's academic background is in both music and law. Known for her research in the field of historical musicology, Jennie has published widely on composer Arnold Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School.

Assistant: Jodi Feakes.

Professor Parama Chaudhury, PFHEA

Pro-Vice-Provost (Education - Student Academic Experience)

Email: p.chaudhury@ucl.ac.uk | Parama's website

As Pro-Vice-Provost, I play a pivotal role in supporting faculties and departments across the institution through their education planning processes, with the aim of improving student outcomes and satisfaction for all taught students. I work closely with academic units to address challenges highlighted by student data, particularly in areas such as Assessment & Feedback and Teaching Quality. My responsibilities include providing strategic oversight of internal and external undergraduate and postgraduate taught surveys and other student feedback mechanisms, as well as playing a leading role in national benchmarking exercises like the Teaching Excellence Framework.

In addition to my leadership role, I am a Professor (Teaching) in Economics and Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning Economics (CTaLE). My research focuses on closing ethnic and other gaps in higher education access and academic outcomes, enhancing student experience in large cohorts through learning technology, and developing collaborative teaching and learning models.

Assistant: Jodi Feakes.

Professor Kathryn Woods

Pro-Vice-Provost (Education - Student Academic Engagement)

Email: kathryn.woods@ucl.ac.uk | Tel: 02031082231 Ext: 52231

I provide academic leadership for all aspects of education and student experience that support student engagement at UCL. My particular areas of responsibility include partnership with Students' Union UCL, digital education and student experience, curriculum quality enhancement, learning environments, extra-curricular opportunities, and student academic support.

I currently lead the Programme Excellence Project (PEP) and I am co-owner of the Student Life Strategy. I am Business Owner of the Education Change Portfolio that supports digital transformation at UCL, including the Curriculum Information Management project (CIM). I chair the Student Partnership Sub-Committee (SPC) and the Digital Education and Student Experience Sub-Committee (DESC).

I have a PhD in 18th century history from the University of Edinburgh. I have previously held education and student experience leadership roles at Goldsmiths' College, University of London, and the University of Warwick. I am a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. My research spans early modern British history and historical and contemporary pedagogic practice.

Assistant: Jodi Feakes.

Karen Barnard

Director, UCL HEDS Institute

Email: k.barnard@ucl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 3549 5909 (Ext: 65909)

I lead the UCL Higher Education Development and Support (HEDS) Institute, which encompasses UCL Careers and UCL Arena.

My team in HEDS provides expertise in staff, curriculum and programme development, supporting excellence in students’ holistic education experience and graduate outcomes. We facilitate responsive and collaborative professional development in higher education pedagogies, for staff who teach or support education, as well as pathways for recognition of practice. The HEDS team also works closely with students as co-creators, empowering them to enhance UCL’s education provision and supporting them in developing their leadership capabilities.

In addition, my team leads on the support for employability development, providing careers guidance and work-related learning activity for all students, and graduates up to three years after course completion. To support this, we work with employers and recruiting bodies across all sectors, to facilitate co-curricular employability activity, as well as ensuring UCL’s education is labour market informed.

Assistant: Angela Tuffuor-Williams

Sarah Cowls

Executive Director of Student Services and Registrar

Daniel Farrell

Director of Student Operations

Email: daniel.farrell@ucl.ac.uk

I am responsible for the delivery of UCL’s central operational services for student administration. I lead a team of senior colleagues in Student & Registry Services who contribute to UCL’s ambitions to provide an outstanding and compliant educational experience for our students and staff. Together, we support many strategic activities of the Senior Education Team, often in tandem with SRS Education Services.

As a business change catalyst, I sponsor a range of student-focussed transformations through my membership of portfolio leadership groups (both Student Lifecycle and Education). My approach and delivery are informed by my experience in programme governance, data quality, business consolidation and sustainable digital working practices.

I have a broad and extensive background of leading data-driven institutional change in Higher Education. Before starting at UCL in June 2023, I worked in Admissions, Academic Registry, and IT Services at the University of St Andrews.

Tom Flynn

Head of Education Projects & Planning

Email: tom.flynn@ucl.ac.uk

I work across the Senior Education Team with responsibilities for planning, monitoring and reporting on our work. I ensure our activities are well-planned, coordinated and delivered. I also support delivery of some ongoing projects as and when required.

Zak Liddell

Director of Education Services

Email: z.liddell@ucl.ac.uk

As the Director of Education Services within Student & Registry Services, I have overall responsibility for the development and management of UCL’s academic regulation and policy framework, ensuring excellence in education standards, student experience, and compliance with the Office for Students ‘B conditions’.

Education Services encompasses several teams and functions that provide both institutional leadership, and support for faculties and departments within these areas:

Academic Policy, Quality and Standards
Registry Compliance (OfS)
Student Casework
Student Immigration Advice and Compliance
Student Success
Student Welcome.

I also work alongside other members of the Senior Education Team to embed and operationalise the educational priorities and strategies of the University.

Sally Mackenzie

Associate Director (Student Engagement & Experience)

Email: sally.mackenzie@ucl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 3108 6509 (internal: 56509)

I work as part of the Senior Education Team to enable the successful delivery of the Strategic Education Projects, leading on projects and workstreams as well supporting colleagues across other initiatives.

Prior to this role, I led Student Engagement at UCL and I now use my knowledge of this area to ensure student perspectives inform the approach to our education priorities. This includes using the rich student data and insights to develop reports, shape recommendations and influence decision-making.

Joanna Stroud

Director of Digital Education

Email: j oanna.stroud@ucl.ac.uk

I am the Director of Digital Education, based in the Information Services Division (ISD). I work with the Senior Education Team to ensure our digital services and infrastructure support UCL’s educational ambitions.

Digital Education delivers a range of platforms, tools, training and guidance to support staff in development of blended and online learning experiences, media capture and production, and digital assessments. We also offer digital skills training for students and staff, promote inclusive and accessible digital practices, and explore the rapidly changing AI landscape from an educational perspective.

I am the ISD lead for the Education Change Portfolio which oversees institutional investment in education-related digital technology and change, and runs a set of agile product teams to develop and enhance our education platforms.

Assistant: Juliet Aghion

Molly Brown

Senior Communications Manager (Education)

Email: molly.brown@ucl.ac.uk

I work with the Senior Education Team to enhance education and the student experience through engaging and effective communication. I support and advise on strategic education projects and lead areas of student and staff communications within the Office of the Vice-President (External Engagement).

I previously managed student and staff communications at the University of Sussex.

Senior Education Leadership Group

The Senior Education Leadership Group (SELG) is a wider network of education leaders across UCL, comprising the Senior Education Team, the senior education leadership of each Faculty, and representatives from the Students' Union. The network communicates regularly and meets termly to consider and discuss significant items affecting UCL education.