Meet our tutors and advisors

Here at the University of Stirling, we have a dedicated team committed to your academic success. Contact us by email: sls@stir.ac.uk.

Rhea smiling

Rhea Swinson Fitzpatrick

Head of Student Learning Services

Rhea’s background is rooted in developing and supporting educational opportunities in the USA, Ireland, Scotland, and the Middle East. Her career includes community education, international development education as well as working as an academic teaching research methods, history and academic skills to undergraduates.  She also developed and taught the Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at Bahrain Polytechnic. With a History BA, a Masters in Community Development and a Doctor of Education, Rhea is committed to capacity building for students of all backgrounds and at all stages in their educational journey.

As a Senior Fellow of Advance HE, her role as Head of Student Learning Services at the University of Stirling, includes providing strategic and operational oversight of the service while also providing tutorial support, staff development and input into institutional projects and policies. Her teaching and learning interests include educational transitions, learning development, and critical pedagogy.

Ruth Watkins

Ruth Watkins

Deputy Head of Student Learning Services

Ruth’s background is in earth sciences and paleoecology. She started her academic career as a geology/environmental science lecturer working in Ireland, Australia and Scotland. After taking a PGCert in Teaching (HE) and an MRes in Educational Research, she now works as Head of Student Learning Services at the University of Stirling.  The role includes the strategic and operational oversight of the service, a contribution to staff development, teaching and input to institutional projects and policies. Her interests are in academic literacy, assessment and feedback, access to HE, and student transitions and retention.  Ruth is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and won a National Teaching Fellowship award (2018) for her outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession.

Meghan Bowling-Johnson

Meghan Bowling-Johnson

Academic Skills Tutor

Meghan is an academic skills tutor within Student Learning Services and her main role involves helping students improve their academic writing and thrive within academia. Meghan's own academic background lies in childhood studies and more recently a master’s degree in teaching English as a second language, hence why she is also involved in developing language provision for Student Learning Services. Before coming to work for Stirling, Meghan worked for the University of St Andrews as part of their pre-sessional language programme, and for Studiosity as part of the team delivering academic writing feedback to students around the world. Meghan's own educational background allowed her to see the difference education can make to an individual’s life and this is why she works to help students achieve their academic goals here at Stirling.

Jamie Macpherson

Jamie Macpherson

Academic Skills Adviser - Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Jamie earned a BA (Hons) in History from Stirling, an MSc (Edinburgh) and a PhD in eighteenth century history (2020). He has taught students across three institutions in history, politics and academic writing and worked as an Academic Skills Support Officer at Stirling (2021). His interests are working with international students and postgraduate researchers. Jamie was appointed as an Academic Skills Adviser in August 2021. This current role rests on supporting student progression and retention, developing resources, working closely with programme directors across the university and enhancing the student experience. Jamie is currently the named contact for the faculty of Arts and Humanities for the Student Learning Services.

Fiona Mayling

Fiona Mayling

Student Learning Services Coordinator

Fiona is the Student Learning Services Coordinator and has worked at University of Stirling in different admin roles since 2004 and for Student Learning Services since 2017.

Jeff Meadowcroft

Jeff Meadowcroft

Academic Skills Adviser – Stirling Management School

Jeff gained a BA (Hons) in Modern History from the University of Leicester in 2004, before going on to complete an MPhil in Central and East European Studies (2005) and a PhD in 19th and early 20th century Russian Labour History (2011) at the University of Glasgow. Jeff has previously taught and coordinated modules at UG and PG-levels in Social Sciences, Politics, Management and Academic Skills at Glasgow International College, as well as teaching at the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Leicester.

Across his career, Jeff has contributed to research projects on Student Voice, Academic Literacies, Team Teaching and Learning Technologies. His current role focuses on supporting and enhancing academic skills provision within the Stirling Management School, and he is the named contact within the Student Learning Services team for the SMS Faculty.

Ann Russell

Ann Russell

Academic Skills Advisor - Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport 

After studying as a mature Access student at Stirling, Ann has remained here ever since.  Following undergraduate and postgraduate study Ann started working in a variety of student support roles within the university. Working as a Study Skills Tutor with Student Learning Services and the Accessibility and Inclusion Service has given Ann a unique opportunity to work with students from every discipline at every level on both an individual level and in group teaching. Latterly it also included working as an Assessor of Needs for the Accessibility and Inclusion Service which has enhanced the support Ann can provide to students. Areas of specific personal interest are widening access to university for non-traditional students, transitions into and within HE and improving the student experience.

Joshua Thorpe

Joshua Thorpe

Academic Skills Advisor - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Faculty of Social Sciences

Joshua has been involved in academic support and development since 2008, working for several universities in both Canada and Scotland. He holds a BFA and MA in Fine Art, is a Certified Practitioner of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education, and is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching. Josh works primarily with the Faculties of Social and Natural Sciences, aiming to bring eclectic, student-centred, and experiential teaching principles to the teaching and support of academic literacies. Josh has a number of interests in both research and practice, including accessible teaching design, creative approaches to writing and academic work, and writing as a social and material practice (any of which he will happily discuss further if prompted).

David Tiseo

David Tiseo

Academic Skills Tutor

David has worked as an Academic Skills Tutor for Student Learning Services for two years. As well as this role within SLS, he also works within Accessibility & Inclusion as a Study Skills Tutor, Personal Learning Assistant, and Proof Reader. As a Study Skills Tutor he works one-to-one with students with learning difficulties and disabilities; having this experience of knowing how to personalise tutorials and communicate with students with a variety of needs has really helped in SLS. Likewise, as a Personal Learning Assistant, David gets to attend classes with students, getting the opportunity as a ‘fly on the wall’ to appreciate what the learning environment at the University of Stirling is for students in practise – an insight that has proven truly beneficial in his SLS work. David’s background is in creative writing, with a BA in Scriptwriting for Film & TV from Bournemouth University.