The Vice-Chancellor chairs the University Executive Board, which includes:
Vice-Chancellor
With a career dedicated to higher education and the pursuit of academic excellence, Professor Burke has held senior positions at the University of Nottingham, University of Stirling, Queen Mary University of London as well as, most recently, at the University of Leicester. He has a distinguished international research profile in Operational Research. His research investigates intelligent decision support methodologies in complex environments and lies at the interface of Computer Science and Mathematics. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and President of the Operational Research Society.
As an institutional leader, he has demonstrated strategic vision and operational effectiveness by driving new initiatives, managing complex programmes of change and generating significant and sustainable growth.
Senior Executive Assistant, Kelly Goswell-Parry k.goswellparry@bangor.ac.uk
Professor Oliver Turnbull is Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University and is responsible for the planning process (including resource allocation and capital planning) academic performance through line management of the Deans, the engagement with Campus Trades Unions, the art collection and archives, sustainability, and input into the delivery of the North Wales Medical School via line management of the Dean for Human Sciences. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor also deputises for the Vice-Chancellor when necessary.
As an academic, Professor Turnbull is a neuropsychologist with an interest in emotion and its many consequences for mental life. His interests include: emotion-based learning, and the experience that we describe as 'intuition'; the role of emotion in false beliefs, especially in neurological patients; and the neuroscience of psychotherapy. He is the author of a number of scientific articles on these topics, and of the popular science text 'The Brain and the Inner World'. He remains an active researcher and lecturer, and leads the University’s Visceral Mind Summer School, where he specializes in teaching neuroanatomy, particularly through anatomical drawing and brain dissection.
Executive Assistant: Heather Roberts heather.roberts@bangor.ac.uk
Professor Nichola Callow is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education & Student Experience).
As Pro Vice-Chancellor she has strategic responsibility for teaching & learning, the student experience, student employability and providing academic contribution to student recruitment. She also has a key leadership role for the delivery of the North Wales Medical School.
Nichola graduated with a BSc degree in Physical Education and Psychology, a PGCE in Outdoor Activities and Science and a PhD in Sport Psychology from Bangor University in 1991, 1992 and 2000. She received a Personal Chair in 2012.
Nichola is a British Psychology Society Chartered Psychologist with an international reputation for her research related to imagery for sport performance and she also conducts research in the areas of leadership, group dynamics, and resilience. Her research has a translational focus (theory to practice) at an elite and professional level and she has secured significant research funding from City Football Services whose portfolio includes Manchester City Football Club.
Executive Assistant, Donna Williams d.l.williams@bangor.ac.uk
Professor Andrew Edwards is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Welsh Language, Civic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships).
As Pro Vice-Chancellor, Andrew has strategic responsibility for Welsh language and culture, public engagement, the skills agenda, equality diversity and inclusion, health and wellbeing, maintaining and building civic engagement with local, regional and national partners and partnerships with local FE colleges and sixth forms.
Andrew joined Bangor University in 1994 as an undergraduate student in History. He was awarded an MA in Labour History in 1998 and completed his PhD here in 2002.
His first academic post was as a Lecturer in Modern History. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2011 and awarded a Bangor University Teaching Fellowship in 2012 for outstanding contribution to the teaching environment. He was awarded a Personal Chair in 2015. His research focuses on political change in Britain after 1945, the history of Welsh devolution and social change in post-war Wales.
Andrew is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Higher Education Academy.
Executive Assistant, Karen Williams karen.williams@bangor.ac.uk
Professor Paul Spencer is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research).
As Pro Vice-Chancellor Paul has strategic responsibility for improving research quality and preparing for the next REF, increasing research and industrial grant income, maintaining and building the University’s industrial research network, maintaining and building research partnership networks, the University’s innovation portfolio and the North Wales Growth Deal.
Paul received a B.Sc. degree in Applied Physics and a Ph.D. degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath in 1990 and 1994. He was a research assistant on several EPSRC funded research projects at the University of Bath before moving to a lecturer post at Bangor University in 1996. He became a senior lecturer in 2003 and received a Personal Chair in 2006. In 2007 he was appointed Head of the School of Electronic Engineering, a post he held for seven years. In 2009 he was appointed Head of the College of Physical and Applied Sciences and in 2017 he was appointed Dean of the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering.
His main research interests are semiconductor laser dynamics, optical feedback effects, pulse propagation, and optical waveguide properties of optoelectronic devices. He has been an author on more than 100 journal papers and 140 conference papers and is a regular reviewer of archival journals. In 2000 he won the Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) best engineering award and he is also a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.
Executive Assistant, Heather Roberts heather.roberts@bangor.ac.uk
Professor Paul van Gardingen FRSA has been appointed to the new role of Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) for Global Engagement at Bangor University.
In this new role at Bangor University, Paul will be the academic lead for the development and implementation of international partnerships in education, recruitment and research linked to priorities in Bangor’s Strategy 2030.
“I’m delighted to be joining Bangor University at this stage of its development and ambition” commented Paul. “Throughout my career as a natural and social scientist I’ve collaborated with colleagues in Bangor and I’m really looking forward to building on that experience as a member of the Bangor team.
“My academic career has been inspired by research on global development, environmental sustainability and innovation and I’m excited to support Bangor in delivering sustainable and resilient growth of its global activities through an integrated approach linking teaching, research and stakeholder engagement.
“Together with my new colleagues and our international partners we will co-design and build strategic high-value global partnerships to support business growth and delivery. These will also enhance student recruitment, reputation, revenue and research activity while enabling Bangor staff and students to make a difference in the world.”
Executive Assistant, Jaci Pennington j.pennington@bangor.ac.uk
Enlli Thomas is Interim Pro-Vice Chancellor/Head of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. In her role, she is responsible for providing strategic and academic leadership, vision and direction to the College, working collaboratively as a member of the university Executive to deliver on institutional priorities and strategy.
Prior to this role, Enlli was Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Welsh. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, and is Chair of the Coleg’s Academic Board. She is a member of Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Partnerships Council – an expert advisory board that provides advice and feedback to the Minister with responsibility for the Welsh language.
She is a Professor of Education Research, and has been a Visiting Professor at Umeå University, Sweden since 2018. Her main research interests and expertise span psycholinguistic approaches to the study of bilingual language acquisition, including children’s acquisition of complex structures under conditions of minimal language input, bilingual assessment (psychometric), and education approaches to language transmission, acquisition and use.
She is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Learned Society of Wales (LSW) Hugh Owen Medal for outstanding educational research in Wales, and became an elected Fellow of the LSW in 2023.
As Interim Pro-Vice Chancellor/Head of College of Science and Engineering, Morag is responsible for providing strategic and academic leadership, vision and direction to the College and to lead on strategic developments which align with the overarching university strategy. As a member of the University's Executive, Morag works collaboratively with the other College PVCs and the wider Executive on institutional priorities and the delivery of Strategy 2030.
Morag has an undergraduate degree in Agriculture and Environmental Science (Newcastle) and a PhD in Forestry (Edinburgh). This was followed by post-doctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia, Canada before joining Bangor University in 1991. In the period 1992 – 1998 she was based at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. After returning to Bangor, she continued an international research career with broad interests in the impacts of anthropogenic and natural disturbance on tropical forest ecosystems. She a Commissioner and Deputy Chair for the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK; a Practitioner of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment; a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Mr Martyn Riddleston is Chief Finance Officer and has strategic responsibility for all aspects of financial performance, planning and management, the development of the University’s financial strategy, oversight of the pensions strategy, representing the University as employer in respect of the Bangor University Pensions and Assurance Scheme, the relationship with banks and lenders, oversight of the procurement strategy and the University’s subsidiaries and joint venture companies.
Before joining Bangor University, Martyn held senior roles at the University of Leicester including Chief Financial Officer, Director of Finance and Chief Operating Officer.
He is a chartered accountant and began his career with KPMG working with audit clients and on corporate transactions in the UK and Europe. He has worked in the Higher Education sector for 20 years.
Away from the University Martyn is a trustee of a charity and is a member of a national pensions group.
Executive Assistant, Bethan Nelson b.nelson@bangor.ac.uk
Mrs Tracy Hibbert is Chief People Officer, and has strategic responsibility for providing advice, guidance, and leadership across the University on all key areas of Human Resources, people operations, wellbeing, organisational development, staff recruitment and retention, and providing advice on equality, diversity and inclusion.
Tracy is currently Chair of Universities Human Resources (UHR) Wales, the professional organisation for Human Resources practitioners in the higher education sector and is a member of the UHR Executive. She is also the Chair of the Universities Advertising Group (a consortium of 39 Universities working together to procure cost effective recruitment advertising for the sector) and is a Fellow of the CIPD (the professional body for HR).
Tracy Hibbert has extensive experience of working in the higher education sector, prior to which she worked for the Home Office.
Executive Assistant, Rhian Roberts rhian.roberts@bangor.ac.uk
Mr Mike Wilson is Chief Strategy and Planning Officer and has strategic responsibility for the preparation and monitoring of the University’s strategic plan and related sub-strategies, business planning processes and monitoring, risk assurance, business intelligence, statutory returns (e.g. HESA / HEFCW / SLC) and Tuition Fee Policy. Mike also oversees the Integrated Research and Impact Service (IRIS) and leads on research and impact support and delivering support for strategic partnerships and projects.
Michael has worked in Higher Education for over twenty years with significant experience of working closely with senior management teams across all aspects of the strategic and business planning portfolio.
Executive Assistant, Jaci Pennington, j.pennington@bangor.ac.uk
Executive Assistant, Ms Bethan Nelson b.nelson@bangor.ac.uk
Mr Michael Flanagan is the Chief Operating Officer at Bangor University.
Michael has strategic responsibility for the leadership of a coherent professional service (including Canolfan Bedwyr, Digital Services, Estates & Campus Services, Human Resources, Marketing, Recruitment & Communications and Student Services), as well as for health, safety and emergency management and oversight of key University licences.
A surveyor by profession, Michael was previously Director of Estates and Digital Services at the University of Leicester. Prior to this he was a member of the Executive team at the University of Greenwich and a former director and advisor to the London Legacy Development Corporation on master planning and viability for mayoral regeneration priorities. He led estates and facilities management of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Olympic stadium and has led on integrated digital and infrastructure in two London councils.
Mrs Gwenan Hine is the University Secretary and has strategic responsibility for all aspects of the governance of the University including oversight, advice and support for the Council, the Senate, the Court, the Executive Board and the Council Sub-Committees (Finance & Strategy Committee, Audit & Risk Committee, Nominations & Governance Committee, Welsh Language Affairs Committee and People & Culture Committee). In addition Gwenan leads on the delivery and effective operation of a strategic Vice-Chancellor’s Office, the provision of legal services, contracts and information compliance, safeguarding and Prevent, student conduct and complaints, research governance and ethics and ordinances, regulations and policies. Gwenan oversees the University’s Honorary Degrees process, and the National Honours Nominations Committee.
Gwenan has spent almost all of her career working in the higher education sector, prior to that she worked for the BBC in London and for Harper Collins publishers. Gwenan received a BA in Education from the University College of North Wales in 1986.
Executive Assistant, Karen Williams karen.williams@bangor.ac.uk