Mary is a professor of Biomedical Sciences at Ulster University and has held several leadership roles at Ulster University: placement tutor, Course Director, Head of School Health Sciences (2011-17) member of Senate (2018-2020 & 2023-), interim Provost Jordanstown (2016) and Dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (2023-to date).

My commitment to EDI is evidenced by my role as Ulster Universities Athena SWAN (AS) Champion (2012) which is a gender equality initiative in higher education run by Advance HE. I have overseen the successful University Bronze and Silver applications and School Gold, Silver and Bronze applications as Chair of the University Athena SWAN Committee 2014-to date. While the focus on AS is gender equality intersectionality is also very important (such as disability and race) and in this area Mary has worked to deliver the Universities Disability Action plan, developed and supported the Staff Disability Network and achieved Disability Accreditation from Employers for Disability.

Mary was promoted to the first Dean of Equality, Diversity (EDI) and Inclusion at Ulster and is leading on the EDI strategy. In her role as Dean Mary has developed the existing EDI team to include three news sections they are:

• Gender and Sexual Orientation
• Race and religion
• Disability and Age.

I have been a committed Aurora Champion at Ulster University since 2014, when the university first joined this leadership scheme. In that role I engage with Advance HE in securing places for colleagues at Ulster and acting as a mentor to several colleagues over the years. I had the opportunity to be a “Role Model’ at Aurora events in Dublin and Birmingham, which I greatly enjoyed.

In addition, have extensive external experience of the evaluation of learning, teaching and assessment in other institutions. I was appointed External Reviewer (2016) to the National Periodic Review of the School of Clinical Therapies, UCC, appointed as an external expert for QAA (2019 to date), a member of the QAA benchmarks review group for Health Studies in 2016, updated in 2019 and, designed and delivered new programmes in line with the Department of Health Modernising Scientific Careers Agenda (2014-17), Healthcare Science Programmes. I Chaired the QAA, subject benchmark review of biomedical science, this role I lead on the update of the current benchmark standards to bring them in line with current educational and health sector needs specifically in the area of EDI and supporting students with additional needs.