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  Professor Paul Spencer's profile

 Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Head of the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering

  p.spencer@bangor.ac.uk

  +44 (0)1248 382738

  Bangor University

Professor Paul Spencer is Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) for Research and Innovation and Head of the College of Science and Engineering.

As PVC, Paul has responsibility for leading and implementing the University’s Research and Impact Strategy and doctoral training.

He also has oversight of the University’s commercialisation strategy and business engagement, including M-Sparc, Bangor University’s science park on Anglesey. He provides strategic leadership on external partnerships that have an impact on economic development and the North Wales wider skills agenda, and he is the academic lead for student employability.

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.

  Professor Sue Niebrzydowskis profile

 Dean of Postgraduate Research; Professor in Medieval Literature / Director of Research Postgraduate Studies

   s.niebrzydowski@bangor.ac.uk

Professor Niebrzydowski is a professor of medieval literature in the School of Arts, Culture and Language and one of the Directors of the Stephen Colclough Centre for the History and Culture of the Book. Sue specializes in medieval women’s engagement with literary culture and practice, topics on which she has published widely. Sue has successfully supervised doctoral candidates on topics as diverse as the erotic in Chaucer, medieval women’s use of mercantile language, the novels of Octavia Butler, dragons, and the liturgical celebration of the Feast of the Visitation.     

  Dr Saskia Pagella, Head of Integrated Research & Impact Service (IRIS)

   s.l.pagella@bangor.ac.uk 

Saskia gained her PhD in Soils and Environmental Sciences at Bangor University in 2010. She subsequently managed several research projects and pan-Wales research consortiums, as well as working as a senior lecturer on an MSc in Sustainable Natural Resources and Food. In 2016 she joined Bangor’s Research & Enterprise Office (now called IRIS) as part of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) team, managing the research impact and Research Council portfolio. Saskia took over as the Head of the IRIS team in 2022. As the PGR portfolio and Doctoral School moved in under the IRIS umbrella in 2023, Saskia and the wider IRIS team look forward to working more closely with the PGR community.

  Dr Alison Wiggett, Researcher and PGR Development Manager

    a.wiggett@bangor.ac.uk

Alison completed her PhD in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Surrey. She subsequently moved to Bangor University to take up a post-doctoral research position and was employed on a number of fixed-term research contracts over the next decade. During her time as a researcher, she joined Bangor University’s Researcher Development & Concordat Group as an ECR representative. This was the beginning of her involvement in, and change of focus to, researcher support and development. In 2016, Alison joined the Staff Development team in HR as the Athena Swan & Research Concordat Manager. She was appointed Researcher and PGR Development Manager in IRIS in 2025.

  Aashu Jayadeep, Researcher and PGR Development Officer

   a.jayadeep@bangor.ac.uk

Aashu joined Bangor University initially as a student to do her second Masters in Business Administration (MBA- Information Management). She got the opportunity to join the Research & Enterprise Office (now called IRIS)as part of the KESS project in 2014 and supported the management of KESS PhD and Research Masters projects before joining the Doctoral School. Her duties include co-ordinating the BU-wide Doctoral training programme and promoting the Doctoral School within Bangor University and beyond. She works with the Doctoral community (PGR candidates, academic supervisors, College & School PGR Directors) and also manages the Doctoral School web pages and social media presence.

Her background is in Higher Education IT and Management. After her first Masters in Computer Applications from the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET), India, she worked as a computer instructor in institutions in India and Oman. Aashu then worked for the Middle East College (MEC), Oman, a reputable Higher Education Institution affiliated to Coventry University (UK) as a Lecturer in Computer Science. While at the Institution, she also took up the role as Senior Officer for Quality Assurance & Policy Officer, co-ordinating and managing a variety of projects related to Audit and Quality Assurance in Higher Education. All these experiences helped her gain valuable insights related to higher education administration and management.

   Sian Shepherd, Research in Practice Co-ordinator for the Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS)

   sns18rzj@bangor.ac.uk

Sian recently joined the Doctoral School from the Careers and Employability Service, where she supported students in developing their professional skills and preparing for future careers.  Sian will be working closely with WGSSS PGR students, host organisations, and academic supervisors to ensure placements are impactful and aligned with the goals of the WGSSS.