Please click to expand each speaker profile to read their biography. This page will be updated regularly.
Monday 22 June
Tuesday 23 June
Wednesday 24 June
Thursday 25 June
Your Summer School Host
Mark has worked in the Higher Education Sector at a senior leadership level since 1988 with a strong focus on the development of commercial, estates and facilities management services. He has chaired four different UK national sector bodies bringing together higher education professionals from a wide range of disciplines to share best practice and improve performance. He was appointed by UUK and GuildHE in 2022 as Chair of the UUK/GuildHE Governance Board for the sectors Accommodation Code of Practice. He is a member of the Committee of Management for the National Accommodation Codes of Practice operated by Unipol Student Housing. Mark has previously chaired international and national sector events and presented at leadership development programmes.
Mark has a master’s degree and is a graduate of the sector’s Entrepreneurial Leaders Programme delivered in partnership with Oxford University’s Siad Business School. He is also a graduate of the Work Foundation’s Oxford Balliol College Runge Effective Leadership Development Programme and a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership.
He was Chief Estates and Facilities Officer for Sheffield Hallam University between 2010 and 2020, one of the largest providers of Higher Education in the United Kingdom where he was responsible for its estates, facilities, commercial and academic timetabling functions. He delivered multi-million-pound campus developments including the RIBA award winning Heart of the Campus Social Sciences Building. In driving the sustainability agenda Mark lead the project which saw Sheffield Hallam gain the ISO for Environmental and Energy Management, a first for the sector.
He has throughout his career held a strong interest in education and training. His Directorate was the first in a UK University to be awarded Investors In People Gold and Recognised for Excellence from the British Quality Foundation. He opened the very first NVQ Centre for front line support staff in a UK HEI at Keele University in the 1980’s.
Mark is Vice Chair of DNColleges Group which is a dynamic education provider in South Yorkshire, Greater Lincolnshire, and the Humber Region, focused on transforming its communities through learning. The Group is the largest provider of Higher Education in Further Education and the largest provider of apprenticeships in the UK. He is a Trustee of Sheffield Town Trust the oldest non educational charity in the UK being established in 1297 and he is an active Associate of the Sheffield Mindfulness Centre.
He is a keen walker, mountain biker, runner, and ballroom dancer as well as spending time with his family and grandchildren.
Welcome from the University of Bristol
Evelyn Welch graduated from Harvard University, receiving her PhD from the Warburg Institute, University of London. She was previously Senior Vice-President for Service, People & Planning at King’s College London, and had been Vice-President (Arts and Sciences) and Provost (Arts and Sciences). She has taught at University of Essex, the Warburg Institute, and held leadership roles at University of Sussex (PVC Teaching and Learning) and Queen Mary, University of London (Dean, Arts and PVC Research and International). As Professor of Renaissance Studies, she has led major research programmes including ‘The Material Renaissance,’ and ‘Beyond Text: Performances, Sounds, Images’. She recently completed a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award for a project on ‘Renaissance Skin’ and has authored numerous books, including Fashioning the Early Modern: Creativity and Innovation in Europe, 1500-1800 (OUP 2017), and Shopping in the Renaissance (Yale 2005), winning the Wolfson Prize for History.
Session 1: Unlocking potential: tackling backlogs for a better campus experience
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Session 2: Responding to the evolving challenges in higher education facilities management
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Session 3: Digital transformation of the estate
As the Director of Estates at the University of Oxford, I play an active role in the strategic planning and operational delivery of the university's world-class estate. I have 28 years of Senior NHS estate management experience and 10 years of Russell Group HE Director experience. My role focuses on sustainability and innovation, with a commitment to net zero carbon strategies. I manage campus environments, from heritage sites to new builds, through asset management and IoT deployment, supporting world-class research. I have a focus on the digital estates and am responsible for a unique portfolio of heritage buildings, enhancing the university experience for students, staff, and visitors. I have significant experience in Campus Master planning. My career is marked by successful project delivery, efficiency improvements, and a dedication to excellence. I am also a Professorial Fellow and governing body member at Jesus College Oxford, a visiting lecturer, author and a trustee for a conservation charity, and a regular judge for various industry awards. My legacy includes the delivery of a £1bn capital program at the University of Birmingham, a photographic summary of completed projects can be seen at https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/campus and includes the planning and delivery of a new 50,000 student campus in Dubai and numerous award winning new build and refurbishment projects.
Session 4: Navigating the diverse challenges faced by directors
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Stephen Wells is an experienced Director of Estates and Facilities with more than 20 years’ leadership experience across the full estates and facilities portfolio, including capital development and commercial services within the Higher Education sector. He has held senior estates roles across a range of institutions, including Russell Group, Wesley Group, and post-1992 universities.
Stephen is currently Director of Estates and Facilities at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich.
He is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Building and holds a degree in Project Management for Construction, along with an MBA. Prior to joining the Higher Education sector, Stephen held comparable senior roles within the NHS.
In addition to his executive responsibilities, Stephen undertakes a number of non-executive roles. He serves as a co-opted member of the Resources and Employability Committee at the University of Bedfordshire. Stephen was Chair of the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) from 2020 to 2022 and continues to lead AUDE’s Special Interest Group on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). AUDE is the representative body for estates and facilities management in UK higher education.
Session 5: Why should we adopt a sustainable campus approach?
Roddy is a sustainability expert with ideas and vision. He leads the University's Climate Change and Social Responsibility work. He is a Project Sponsor for scalar climate and social responsibility projects across all University assets, including the award winning Climate Neutral Districts Vision. He is a strong and well-connected network builder who brings people together to enable climate action.
Roddy advises a number of boards related to sustainability including: West Dunbartonshire Energy Company LLP; Clyde Climate Forest Programme; Monklands Replacement Hospital Committee;
Roddy is a Trustee of the Friends of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
Roddy is an EAUC Fellow and an ISEP Fellow.
Session 6: Building the future together: collaborative approaches to master planning
Harvey Dowdy is a Chartered Surveyor who has worked in the private, public and charity sectors in most parts of the country. She is currently on her 4th University in a senior leadership role as interim Director of Estates at NTU - and on her 6th Vice Chancellor.
When not in an HEI – she is a Lay Canon (non-executive director) at Lincoln Cathedral where she supports the Executive Team with the endless challenges of the cathedral fabric.
Session 7: The dark art of space managementWhy should we adopt a sustainable campus approach?
Helen has been exploring the dark art of space management for more than 25 years (yes, she’s a little surprised by that number herself!). From her early days at DEGW—a renowned design and think tank firm—through to her current role as Assistant Director of Estates at the University of Exeter, Helen has tackled the complexities of managing space in government, the commercial sector, and higher education.
She’s juggled motherhood, navigated a return-to-campus strategy post-Covid, and spent a decade at the University of Exeter shaping everything from Design and Strategy to Learning Environments and Digital Estates. Helen has also worked closely with AUDE, serving as Chair of the Space Management Special Interest Group, developing guidance and collaborating with partners to support best practices.
Whether it’s designing flexible learning spaces that embrace new teaching technologies or diving headfirst into the challenges of agile workplaces, Helen loves nothing more than a good puzzle. Recently, she’s been geeking out about the promise of digital estate technology and has establish a small team of specialist to rethink Exeter's Information Management. She believes this could transform the way we plan, operate, and measure our environments. In her talk, she’ll shed light on why space management feels so mystical (and sometimes downright tricky!), offering insights from her own experiences on how to make it work in real-world contexts.
Evening speaker
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Session 8: Managing institutional risks together: how estates, facilities, and finance leaders Unite
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Session 9: Compliance made practical: safeguarding your estate operations
Over the past three decades, Anita Edson has cultivated a career that reflects a profound commitment to the advancement of academic environments through strategic estate management and development. Beginning her career as a Quantity Surveyor and moving into Project Management, Anita has ascended through various leadership roles, each offering unique challenges and opportunities to influence the physical landscape of education.
Her role as Director of Estates & Campus Facilities at Cardiff University marks the pinnacle of this journey, where her strategic vision and passion for sustainability are driving significant improvements in campus facilities and infrastructure.
Anita's career is highlighted by a series of successful projects that not only enhance the aesthetic and functional aspects of campus environments but also contribute positively to the academic community and the wider society.
Session 10: How to hold a room
Louisa Clarke is a consultant, facilitator, mentor and speaker specialising in verbal communication and interpersonal dynamics.
She began her career as a voice, speech and text coach with actors and broadcasters before moving into the psychology and social science side of communication.
Louisa now supports teams and leaders in values-led organisations to communicate with impact in those higher stakes settings; powerfully kind leadership, communicating change effectively, boundary and expectation setting without relying on dominance, and holding a room with impact and integrity.
She holds an MFA in Voice and Verbal Communication, is certified as an Advanced Restorative Facilitator, and is currently a Transactional Analyst in training.
Session 11: Future-Proofing Higher Education: Operating Under Uncertainty
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Full speaker bio coming shortly.
