The current committee is (term dates shown in parenthesis):

The committee meets on a quarterly basis, and the Annual General Meeting of GeogEd is held on/around the time of the RGS Annual Conference (August/September time). If you wish to raise an item or idea for discussion, please get in touch with the Chair or Secretary.

Niall

Chair – Dr Lynda Yorke

Lynda is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, and Degree Programme Director for Geography at Bangor University. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AdvanceHE), and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. She has a strong interest in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She mentors new lecturers (on teaching and scholarship) within and beyond her institution. She is an assessor for the postgraduate certification in teaching in higher education in her own institution, and assesses applications for the Associate Fellow, Fellow, and Senior Fellow HEA (now AdvanceHE). Lynda delivers the RGS with IBG ‘New to Teaching’ workshops annually. She is an editor for Routes – The Journal for Student Geographers.

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Secretary – Harry West

Harry is a Graduate Tutor at the University of the West of England, Bristol, in the Department of Geography & Environmental Management. A physical geographer by degree, Harry is a GIS specialist supporting the teaching across the provision of the department. Alongside his GIS research, he is an active pedagogic researcher. Harry is a firm believer in the value of staff undertaking teaching/learning/assessment related inquiry, and as a result has been an active member of GeogEd (formerly HERG) since 2015. To date Harry’s research has focused on enhancing and embedding graduate attributes, students as partners and researchers, and methods of providing effective and innovative assessment experiences​.

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Deputy Chair – Dr Alan Marvell 

Dr Alan Marvell is Academic Course Leader for the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) and a Senior Lecturer in Events Management at the University of Gloucestershire. He has passion for teaching and research and was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by Advance HE in 2021. He is a Chartered Geographer, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He served as an Elected Member of the Geographical Association Governing Body (2011-2018) and was presented with a GA Distinguished Service Award in 2020. Alan is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education, the Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education and the multidisciplinary journal Geographies, Planning and Tourism Studios. He is a Senior Fellow of The Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Tourism Society and a member of the Association for Events Management Education.

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Education Officer – Dr Naomi Holmes

Naomi is a Lecturer in Environmental Education, based in both the Environment and Geography and Education Departments at the University of York. Naomi enjoys teaching students about and in the environment, and working with students to support them to succeed. Naomi’s research focuses on geography pedagogies in higher education (particularly around assessment and engagement, digital technologies, and outdoor and experiential learning), accessible and inclusive fieldwork and outdoor learning, and environmental change. As well as being an academic Naomi is an outdoor learning practitioner and has successfully integrated applied outdoor learning opportunities into her university learning, teaching and assessment activity.

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Website Manager & Member – Dr Kristofer Chan

Kris is a lecturer in Physical Geography (Education) with a specialism in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). Kris is based in the Geography Department at King’s College London, where he has taught since 2014. He currently co-leads the Environmental Science for Sustainability MSc and convenes the GIS and Spatial Data Science and Earth Observation and Remote Sensing for Sustainability Masters’ modules. Kris’ pedagogical focuses are on achieving Equality, Diversity & Inclusion through the use of TEL and experiential learning methods. He is currently exploring immersive virtual fieldwork delivery through virtual and augmented reality, 360° media, and interactive web mapping. Kris has completed the PGCAPHE and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Kris is behind the redesigned GeogEdRG.org

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Rhianna Garrett

EDI Officer – Rhianna Garrett

Rhianna is a Geography and Environment PhD researcher at Loughborough University, investigating the underrepresentation of racialised minority staff in UK higher education, with a focus on the career trajectories and experiences of space of PhDs and early career researchers. Within her CITHEI centre of doctoral research, she explores the concept of unequal academic citizenship, and the relationships between space, place, and race from an interdisciplinary, intersectional lens. Prior to working in the field of geography, her background rests in schools of education and history, specifically in equitable and engaging pedagogies. Her multiple award-winning research and advocacy in anti-racism has created a number of successful initiatives such as Loughborough University’s Freedom School, BAME PhD pathway events, and decolonisation projects.  

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Niall Majury headshot

Ordinary Member – Dr Niall Majury

I am an urban and economic Geographer on an education track appointment at Queen’s University Belfast.  My SOTL related research interests include: the negotiating the transition between school and university; forms of authentic learning; civic engagement & the curriculum; work-integrated learning; and assessment through digital storytelling.  I am currently a member of the RGS’s accreditation panel and contributed as a panel member to the most recent QAA Subject Benchmark Statements for Geography (2022) and Area Studies (2024).   A keen advocate for study abroad and cross-cultural learning, I pioneered within my faculty at Queen’s its first COIL course, Remaking Cities (2021/22), co-developed and co-taught with Dr Michael Glass, Urban Studies, University of Pittsburgh.  I hold a Senior Fellowship with the Higher Education Academy (2016). 

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Ordinary Member – Dr Ruth Healey

Ruth is an Associate Professor in Pedagogy in Higher Education at the University of Chester.  Ruth has taught human geography at the University of Chester since 2009.  She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and in 2017 became a National Teaching Fellow.  In 2016, she also joined Healey HE Consultants.  Her wide range of pedagogic research interests include teaching for social transformations, debates, ethics, and students as partners.  Ruth is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education and is one of the inaugural Co-Editors of the International Journal for Students as Partners.

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Ordinary Member – Dr Matt Finn

Matt is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Exeter. He explores changes in the contemporary conditions of education, and works to understand how childhood and young people’s lives vary globally. He brings this to his scholarship of geographical learning and education which is informed by a participatory action research ethos. He is a member of the Geography Education Research Collective (GEReCo), Education Officer for the RGS-IBG Geographies of Children, Youth & Families Research Group and a member of the RGS-IBG Geography and Education Research Group committee. He is part of the editorial collective of Geography – the Geographical Association’s international journal for lecturers, teachers and students in post-16 geography.

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Vicky Johnson

Ordinary Member – Dr Vicky Johnson

Vicky is a Senior Lecturer in Geography and Environmental Studies at the Open University. Her teaching and research focus on the value of elements the environment, such as sea water quality, and how society reacts both to the generation of these values and their uses. Vicky is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. She undertakes a wide range of pedagogic research with particular focus on the Open University teaching approach. Prior to returning to academia, Vicky worked for a range of organisations including the Countryside Commission, Government Office (North West) and New Deal for Communities. Her research and industry background provide the basis for her geographical teaching.

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Ordinary Member – Dr Matej Blazek

Matej is Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Newcastle University. He is Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and his main pedagogic interests include mental health, wellbeing and inequalities in higher education, subjects he is pursuing in his work with GeogEd. Matej’s research focus includes geographies of children and young people, emotional geographies and geographies of race and migration. He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Children’s Geographies.

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Early Career & Postgrad Rep – Alice Lacsny

Alice is a Learning, Teaching & Scholarship (LTS) lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Glasgow. Her research explores the experiences of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) in the higher education context, with respect to the development of teaching identity and graduate attributes. My current scholarship also investigates the role of active learning practice in the development of inclusive learning environments.

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