Science and Stormont 2019

Angela Coe is Professor of Sedimentary Geology at the Open University. After graduating in Geology and Geophysics from Durham University Angela went on to work in research and obtain her D.Phil. from the University of Oxford. The substantive part of her professional career has been at the Open University where she has been at the forefront of developing innovative approaches to solve challenges in distance education and teaching practical science.
Over the past few years Angela has developed new strategies that are transforming both the production and delivery of online materials. Her methods of improving engagement and enjoyment for both staff and students have led to greater satisfaction, improved efficiency and deeper learning. She was given a University Teaching Award for Innovation in 2018 and contributed to the OpenScience Laboratory that was presented with a Times Higher Education Award in 2014.
Angela has published two popular and internationally acclaimed textbooks on how to apply geological techniques together with many scientific papers. She is a passionate field geologist and teacher and has trained many PhD students together with thousands of Open University students. She is a fellow of the Geological Society, London and an ex-member of council. She serves on the Geological Society of London’s Publication and Information Committee and the review panel for the accreditation of geology-related degrees in the UK and further afield. She is a member of the institution level TEF committee at the Open University.

Dr Marie Cowan MIoD PGeo is Director of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI), an office of the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland staffed by scientists from the British Geological Survey. GSNI scientists conduct applied research to provide evidence, advice and support on geoscience responsibilities and projects of NI government departments, local councils and its stakeholders. GSNI has collaborated on research, education and civic projects with 35 universities.
Marie is a member of the NI Assembly All-Party Group for Science and Technology, the NI Learned Societies and Professional Bodies Forum and the Royal Irish Academy’s (RIA) Geosciences and Geographical Sciences Committee. She introduced an MLA-Geoscientist Pairing Scheme in Northern Ireland, which led on to a TD-pairing in Ireland and was also a member the RIA’s Brexit taskforce.
Marie is a member of the Institute of Directors and works together with Directors of ten Geological Surveys in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Faroes Islands, Germany and Holland on research projects of mutual national strategic interest.
Marie is a Professional Geologist with the Institute of Geologists of Ireland and was previously an elected non-executive member of its board. She is a member of the Governance Board of the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences at UCD and chairperson of a Community Benefit Society.
Marie holds a 1st Class Hons. B.Sc. Geology and Ph.D. in Geology from Queen’s University, Belfast.

Justin Edwards has been Chief Executive of CCEA, Northern Ireland’s Curriculum and Qualifications body, since 2014.  CCEA provides curriculum advice and educational assessment.  It also provides over 90% of the GCSE and A-Level qualifications taken in Northern Ireland.

Prior to joining CCEA, Justin worked in Further and Higher Education. Justin was Assistant Chief Executive at Belfast Metropolitan College, Director of Curriculum at Southern Regional College and Director at the Learning and Skills Development Agency.  He has also worked as a lecturer at Queen’s University of Belfast and spent a period working for the Scottish Further and Higher Education sectors.

Justin is the UK representative to the European Commission Digital Skills Working Group, a member of the BBC Northern Ireland Education Broadcasting Council, a member of the British Computer Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is also a mentor for the Women’s Leadership Programme in Northern Ireland.

Stephen Farry has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2007 representing the cross-community, centrist Alliance Party. He is currently Deputy Leader, plus Economy and Brexit Spokesperson for the party.
 
Dr Farry served as Minister for Employment and Learning on the Northern Ireland Executive between 2011 and 2016, and had responsibility for Further Education, Higher Education, Apprenticeships, the European Social Fund, the Employment Service and Employment Law.
 
He has participated in Northern Ireland political negotiations since 1996, including high-level engagement with the UK and Irish Governments, alongside the European Commission and successive United States Administrations. He also holds a PhD in International Relations from the Queen’s University, Belfast and was a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, 2005-06.

As the Group Head of Education and Public Affairs of the Odyssey Trust Company and the regional contract holder for the STEM Ambassador Hub, Judith Harvey is responsible for the overall strategic direction and ongoing development of the educational aspects of Odyssey, including Northern Ireland’s Science and Discovery Centre, W5, ensuring that the charity remains relevant and sustainable going forward, from both a financial and a public engagement perspective.
 
She gained significant experience of research and manufacturing, working for ten years within the pharmaceutical sector before joining W5 as Head of Learning and Development, taking over as the General Manager in September 2014. She has worked on a wide range of projects aimed at public engagement with topical science and positioning STEM at the strategic heart of education and economic development in Northern Ireland.  She is also a founding Board member of the Northern Ireland Science Festival.

Elaine Lennox has been an Education Manager in CCEA, Northern Ireland’s Curriculum and Qualifications body, since 2011.  Her area of responsibility is GCSE and GCE Chemistry as well as GCSE Double Award Science, managing the production and delivery of over 90% of the GCSE Chemistry and Double Award Science and A-Level Chemistry assessments taken in Northern Ireland.

Elaine manages the content of the specifications that are delivered by teachers for the subjects she has responsibility for as well as the production, marking and grading of the associated exam papers and practical assessments.  She is also responsible for supporting teachers with their delivery of the specification and creates support materials as well as providing subject-specific training.

Elaine studied at the Queen’s University, Belfast for an Honours Degree in Medicinal Chemistry and recently returned to do her Masters in Education with her research focusing on the importance of assessing practical skills in Science.  Elaine was a Chemistry teacher and ended her teaching career as Head of Chemistry in Hunterhouse College, Finaghy before taking up her position in CCEA.
Elaine is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and has sat on the National Curriculum and Assessment Working Group for the past 5 years.  She also has her ASE (Association for Science Education) CSciTeach Chartered Science Teacher mark that recognises excellence in Science teaching and learning.  Elaine represents CCEA on the All Party Group on STEM.

Recently retired from position as Head of Regulation at the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).  Previously was Senior Professional Officer with the Northern Ireland Curriculum Council (NICC).  Began career as a science teacher and was Head of Chemistry in Ballyclare High School, County Antrim.  A past National Chair of the Association for Science Education (ASE).  Awarded MBE for services to education in Northern Ireland in 2012
 
Responsibilities within CCEA included the regulation of all qualifications taken by learners in Northern Ireland.  In addition, had responsibility for developing advice to the Department of Education (DE) and the Department for the Economy (DfE) on all matters to do with qualifications/curriculum development, including qualifications in support of Apprenticeship and Traineeship programmes in Northern Ireland.
 

Professor Carol McGuinness is now professor emeritus at Queen’s University in Belfast.   She is a graduate from University College Dublin and has spent most of her professional life at Queen’s, where she gained her PhD.  She is a cognitive and developmental psychologist whose research is on the applications of psychology to education at all stages, from early years to higher education. 

Her specialism is on the development of students’ thinking skills and key competences related to educational achievement, and she works directly with teachers and schools developing and researching classroom practices.   During a secondment to CCEA (2003-2005), she led the team who developed a Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities Framework which became a statutory requirement for NI schools in 2007.   Such frameworks are now a common innovation in other countries across the world, for example, in New Zealand, Australia, Finland, and Singapore. 

She is an active member of the All-Party Stem Group at Stormont as a representative of the Northern Ireland Branch of the British Psychological Society.  More generally she has a long standing interest in gender issues in STEM education and was a member of the QUB team who was awarded a Royal Society Athena Award in 2003 (the award that preceded the Athena Swan Awards). 

Colin Turner is Professor of Engineering Education in the School of Engineering at Ulster University where he served as Head of School from 2010 to 2018. He obtained his degree in Pure and Applied Mathematics and his PhD in Mathematics from Queen’s University Belfast in 1993 and 1997. He then joined Ulster University as a lecturer in Mathematics, Computing and Statistics and undertaking Cardio Vascular research with the Royal Victoria Hospital and NIBEC (Nanotechnology and Integrated Bioengineering Centre). He is the President of the Engineering Professors’ Council (EPC) – the voice of engineering in UK Higher Education.

Colin’s education interests are Engineering Mathematics and Software development for Engineers – and also in reforming curricula to improve retention, while building student led initiatives to transform student learning. He has experience in designing and building award winning enterprise software solutions for learning support with national impact, especially in the area of employability.

Professor Turner is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET), a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (FIMA), a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) and a National Teaching Fellow (NTF). He is a member of the advisory group of Learned Societies and Professional Bodies for the All-Party Group for Science and Technology at the Northern Ireland Assembly and an Executive Committee member and Trustee for ASET, the UK body for placement professionals.

Peter Weir, MLA for Strangford and DUP Education Spokesman. Formerly member of the Northern Ireland Forum 1996-98,  an MLA since 1998  having previously worked as a Barrister. Former member of North Down Borough Council, also served as President of the Local Government Association. In the Assembly has served on a number of Committees- Education, Environment, Employment and Learning, Justice, Finance and the Business Committee, as well as 5 years on the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Chair of the Education Committee 2015-16, Minister of Education 2016-17.