Harrison is a researcher with a background in Political Science. He was born and bred in Nigeria, where he had his BSc (Hons.) in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Benin, and MSc degree in Political Science from the University of Ibadan.

He joined the Department of Political Science, University of Calabar as an Assistant Lecturer and rose to the position of lecturer before starting a PhD in Government and International Affairs (as a Commonwealth Scholar) at Durham University. Harrison’s research interests include critical approaches to security, militarisation and resistance in conflict-affected areas; the intersection of conflict and security in interstate relations; mainstreaming sustainable peacebuilding in post-conflict states, and governance in the global south (particularly in Africa).

Harrison has ample experience in student leadership and civil society engagements. He is passionate about supporting young people develop their socio-political and leadership skills. He was the president of Durham University Nigerian Society (2016/2017); President, Association of Graduate students of Political Science (AGSPOS), University of Ibadan chapter (2007/2008); and President, Secretary and Public Relations Officer, (2003/2004, 2002/2003 and 2001/2002 respectively) in the National Association of Political Science Students (NAPSS), University of Benin Chapter.

Harrison is a Christian; enjoys travelling and rendering humanitarian services. He is a volunteer with the Nigerian Red Cross Society, and since 2018, with the British Red Cross.

When away from work, you might find him watching football, attending church events, or analysing politics, etcetera. He is married to Mildred Ajebon, and they are blessed with two wonderful  boys. 

Mildred was brought up in Igarra, a lovely town in Edo State Nigeria with a vibrant cultural heritage. She graduated from the University of Benin with a degree in Geography and Regional Planning. She obtained two MSC degrees in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) subspecialties at the University of Ibadan and the University of Leeds respectively and then did a PhD in Geography at Durham University with the award of the Commonwealth Scholarships.

Mildred is currently a Lecturer in Quantitative Human Geography here at Durham. Her central research interest is on utilizing a mix of methods to the study of the social determinants of health risks at different spatial scales, from the international scale down to individual lived experiences of health inequalities.

She started her academic career as a Graduate Assistant in the School of Geography at the Federal University of Technology Minna in 2007 before returning to the University of Benin in 2009 where she rose to the position of Lecturer in Geography and Regional Planning before starting my PhD at Durham. Mildred was a Research Fellow in the Department of Health Sciences, University of York before joining Durham University as Lecturer in 2022.

Mildred shares a passion for student experience and mentorship with her lovely husband, Dr Harrison Chukwuma Ajebon. They have been involved in student leadership and student support for many years. Together, they like to share their culture and Nigerian food with people from diverse backgrounds. They are blessed with two amazing boys.

I was brought up in Ayr, Scotland. After completing a BA degree in History and Italian and a PGCE in Edinburgh, I taught at Steyning Grammar School in Sussex where I met and married my husband Chris.

We taught on a one year Fulbright Exchange in San Diego and then moved to Singapore where we worked at the United World College of SE Asia. Our daughter Caroline was born there in 1986.

We returned to Oxford for a year and then lived in Colwyn Bay, where my husband was headmaster of Penrhos College. When we moved to Durham in 1998, I became a College Tutor and then the Admissions  Secretary at Trevelyan College until 2017. In both roles, being part of the College community, getting to know the students and keeping a continuing connection with them has been something I particularly enjoyed. My interests are many and varied and included all aspects of classical and choral music, as well as Gilbert and Sullivan and musical theatre in general. I have an extensive knowledge all things royal!

I have been a Tutor at Chad’s since 2019 and I am currently the Tutors’ Representative on the College Governing Body.

I grew up in London and Newcastle. In 1988 I returned to live in the North-east and have now spent more than half my life here. I love it for the light and what I want to call the lived solitude of the landscape.

I graduated from Cambridge with a degree in Philosophy and English in 1971 and then did a PGCE at Sussex. Since then I have lived a double life following my two vocations of writing and teaching. I’ve published nine collections of poetry – the last one, wake, launched with a reading in Chad’s chapel in 2018. I’ve taught in Further and Adult and Higher Education and worked in schools as a writer. My two careers really came together when creative writing happened in the UK in the 1980s and I’ve never looked back. I’ve undertaken many community-based residencies, including working with women in the Orthodox Jewish Community in Gateshead and working, with Freedom From Torture, with asylum seekers in Newcastle and Stockton. I was awarded The Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2016. Meeting the Queen was a huge pleasure and privilege I never expected to enjoy!

I am really looking forward to tutoring at St Chad’s and will be working with my partner Tom Midgley.

My name is Dr Karis Baker, I currently work at Durham University as a project manager on two linked projects; Physics of Life and a Physics of Medicine. Both these projects aim to get researchers from the physical and the life sciences working together to try and tackle research questions which would benefit from interdisciplinary thinking.

Prior to working on this project, I carried out a PhD and post doc in Durham Biosciences, where I analysed the ancient and modern DNA of animal populations to answer questions relating to population changes induced by human and environmental impacts. Part of this research has involved linking up with archaeologists to map movements of a species of deer, called the fallow deer, introduced by humans across the globe and through millennia. These movements have been used as a proxy to understand more about human trading patterns, cultures and ideologies through time and across space. I have also worked as a teaching fellow in the archaeology dept., teaching on bioarcheology courses about the use of ancient DNA as a tool in archaeology.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my young family and playing the occasional game of football and hockey (when time allows!)

Art history is my profession and my second passion my family are my first, which comprises of one very understanding husband Peter, 3 grown children Fergus, Flora and Ruari and the Labrador sisters Tess and Tig.  Durham is my third passion, I’m a Devon exile and a North East convert, I believe there is no better place in the world to live!

I work for an educational charity, Magic Lantern, using the visual arts to teach in such diverse settings as primary schools and prisons. I love the great outdoors whether walking, skiing or swimming, any artistic or heritage activity and spending time with family and friends.

I am Professor of Computer Vision and Head of Visual Computing in Computer Science at Durham, and also hold a professorship within the Department of Engineering. My research investigates Visual AI - how computers can make sense of images and the world around them - with applications ranging from driverless cars and robots to airport security. I have previously worked in industry and government across a variety of roles, including once being a robotics engineer within the civil service.

I studied for my PhD at the University of Edinburgh, where I worked on 3D computer vision. Since then, I’ve worked with students, colleagues and companies of all sizes on a range of practical challenges in visual artificial intelligence that have had an impact globally, in addition to acting as a government adviser in various capacities. 

As a tutor at St Chad’s, I’m looking forward to getting to know you and hearing about your interests, whatever subject you’re studying. I’m here to offer support and encouragement as you settle into university life and throughout your time at Durham—whether you’d like to talk something through or need help finding the right advice.

The Revd Canon Rosalind Brown BA, Dip TP, M.Div.

I have been a member of the SCR at Chad's since 2005 when I arrived at the Cathedral as its first female Residentiary Canon (i.e. resident clergy and member of the Cathedral Chapter) in its 900 year history. I had oversight of the public ministry of the Cathedral as well as its historic library and collections until I retired in 2018.

Having read geography at UCL, I qualified as a town planner and worked for 16 years in the south of England, then moved to the USA to join a small Benedictine Christian community of men, women and children living in a former steel town in the Rust Belt of Pennsylvania. The Community asked me to be ordained and I had three stimulating years at Yale Divinity School before becoming Priest in Charge in another Rust Belt town. I returned to the UK in 1999 and for six years trained people for ordination in Salisbury before moving to Durham. I'm author of a few books on Christian ministry and have several published hymns.

Retirement has meant more time for gardening, reading, theatre, exhibitions, sewing, knitting, concerts etc. I take services in churches where there is a need on a Sunday but otherwise worship at St Chad's Chapel.

I’m a Lecturer in Statistics at Department of Mathematical Sciences.

I arrived in Durham in September 2007 to start my PhD in Maths. I joined Chad’s in 2008 and have been part of the MCR/SCR since. I was then offered a 4-year post-doctoral position in the IHRR/Leverhulme Tipping Points project. After completing my post-doc, I was offered a lectureship here in Durham which I started in April 2015.

My main interests are maths, stats, real-world applications, board/card/PC games, and Lego.

I am the Academic Course Leader for Biosciences undergraduate degrees and lecture in areas related to physiology. I am particularly interested in exercise physiology and the biological effects of ageing. Prior to joining Durham in 1999 I worked for Oxford University carrying our research into the endocrinology of depression. My favourite holiday destination is the Greek Islands but so far  I have only managed to visit 25 out of the 227 inhabited islands.

Paul is a non-executive director of the Co-op Group and serves on a wide range of charity and social enterprise boards, including being Chair of Durham Cathedral Council and a non-executive director of the North East Ambulance Service.  From 2001-2012 he was CEO of Traidcraft, the pioneering fair trade organisation, and was President of the European Fair Trade Association; he remains a board member of the Fair Trade Advocacy Office in Brussels.  In his earlier career Paul spent nine years with Barclays Bank and from 1992-2001 was General Secretary of the Christian publisher and bookseller, SPCK.  Paul studied modern history at Oxford and has an MBA from Henley Management College. He is a Lay Canon of Durham Cathedral, a Fellow of St Chad’s and is also Vice Chair of Governors and Treasurer of St Chad's.

Sarah has been a Chad’s tutor since 2004.

Sarah is a GP, working in Chester-le-Street. She lives in Durham with her husband, Paul,and three daughters - Jo, Kate and Emma - and an assortment of animals.

Sarah studied medicine at Oxford and Guy’s hospital in London, and tropical medicine in Liverpool.  She worked for several years in inner city practices in London and specialised in providing medical advice and support to overseas aid workers and missionaries.

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I’m a Durham graduate, and I have lived and worked in Durham City for more than thirty years. As an undergraduate, I studied Theology, and I then started postgraduate studies in Philosophy, at another university, but only completed my PhD after returning to Durham University. I taught for some years in the Department of Theology and Religion, but then chose to focus on academic management, and in later years I worked as a Deputy Head of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and as the Director of the Liberal Arts programme. Through my work in recruitment and admissions, I visited many schools around the world, and I developed a particularly strong interest in China and South-East Asia. I have provided academic support and guidance to generations of students, working especially closely with  international students, and I hope to continue to help students in various ways through my role as a college tutor.

I’m now self-employed, and combine my work as a Higher Education Consultant with other projects, both professional and personal. My interests include philosophy, religious studies, music, literature, and the arts in general, but also cooking, gardening, and travelling. I’m married to Kathryn, another Durham graduate, and an Educational Psychologist, and we have two grown up children.

Born and bred in Durham City, Sophie holds a BA and MPhil in Theology from Trinity Hall, Cambridge University. Following her degree and a brief stint in a theological publishing house, Sophie moved back to Durham where she worked at the University for ten years managing a range of strategic corporate and research projects for the Executive Team, including a Commission on Creativity and Education with Arts Council England, the Scottish Soldiers Archaeology Project, and the pan-University Covid Lateral Flow Testing programme. In 2021, Sophie left Durham to become Head of Operations at Mindfully Wired Communications, a multi award-winning, Bristol-based communications consultancy focused on issues of environmental sustainability, particularly in the marine sphere. Having worked remotely for almost three years, Sophie returned to Durham for her current role of Senior Project Manager for the Reimagining Governance for a Flourishing Research Culture project funded by the Wellcome Trust.

In her spare time, Sophie is a trustee for Cap-a-Pie, an educational theatre charity which co-creates theatre focused on societal issues with disadvantaged children in the North East and academic researchers. She is also a trustee for Durham-based Multi-Academy Trust Providence Learning Partnership. She is mother to two rambunctious house bunnies (Rufus and Rosie), enjoys delicious food, walks in the countryside, and choral singing. She is delighted to be a member of St Chad’s SCR and a College Tutor.

I was ordained in Durham Cathedral in 1988 and have spent my whole ministry in the diocese. I have served as a University Chaplain (Sunderland) and as Diocesan Social Responsibility Officer, and am currently the Team Rector of Durham North Team of Churches. I am passionate about combatting Climate Change and issues of racism and equality. (I was in the first group of woman to be ordained priests) I love cycling, swimming, walking and cross-stitch!

Once a Chadsian, forever a Chadsian! I joined St Chad's College in 2010 as an international MA student, and I have remained part of the Durham community ever since. After completing my PhD in Education, I have worked as a Lecturer and Postdoctoral Research Associate in Durham University's School of Education, contributing to major education research projects funded by organisations including the Department for Education, alongside teaching undergraduate students.

Beyond my academic work, I am a trained pianist, keen florist, enthusiastic cook, and passionate traveller. Durham—and the North East more broadly—has become my second home. I also have a close connection with Durham Cathedral, where I serve as an acolyte and support the life of the choristers. I look forward to helping students make the most of their time at Chad's, whether that's navigating university life, celebrating successes, or working through the inevitable challenges along the way.

My name is Michael and I currently have the joy of serving as Vicar of Stanley, South Moor, and Tanfield, in the North-West of County Durham. Having grown up in Dorset I studied for Ministry on the Bailey at Cranmer Hall. Even though I returned to Dorset after training, Durham has a funny habit of pulling you back. Before wearing a dog collar I spent most of my career working in education having graduated with at the time the number one Mickey Mouse degree (according to the Times) in Outdoor Adventure or as I like to call it 'messing about in boats'! I have an enduring love of the outdoors but am equally happy in the workshop making something! I am married to Kate and we have an adorable (if somewhat opinionated) miniature schnauzer called Maisy.

I am an Astronomer working in the Physics Department.

Having obtained a Physics degree from York and a PhD in X-ray Astronomy from Leicester, I worked in Cambridge and Munich before moving to Durham in 1998. I have a long running connection with St Chad's through Joe Cassidy and am greatly looking forward to working within the college.

Sam first came to Durham in 2008 to study for a degree in Mathematics. After moving to Sheffield for a year and obtaining his PGCE, he returned to Durham in 2013 to complete a Ph.D. in mathematics. Since completing his Ph.D., Sam has worked in the Durham mathematics department, first as a Teaching Fellow, and now as an Assistant Professor of Teaching. Outside of work, Sam is a keen climber and can often be found at the Durham Climbing Centre. Aside from this, he's interested in computing, technology and video and board games.

Julian Fowell left St Chad’s in 1985 with a degree in Applied Physics and Electronics.  Following 2 years as an engineer at British Aerospace, and a spell in the Territorial Army he joined the RAF in 1987.  For the next 20 or so years, he did various jobs including flying and captaining the Nimrod MR2 at Kinloss, and the Orion P3-C with the Royal Australian Air Force in Adelade.  The RAF also helped him obtain a masters degree at St Andrews.  He is a relatively experienced flying instructor, having taught to fly the Tutor elementary trainer at 6 different units.  He undertook 2 ground tours as a pilot poster and a flight trials leader on the ill-fated Nimrod MRA4.  His last tour, in the rank of wing commander was spent in command of a middle-east air base.

He left the RAF in 09 to fly corporate jets, but his timing was very poor and he had to return to the RAF as a reservist within 18 months following the economic downturn.   He is now the Chief Flying Instructor at Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron.   He is married to Heather and has 3 children.   His free time is spent in 2 pipe bands, a brass Band, as an Easingwold town councillor and as a magistrate.  He also likes to imperil himself daily on his motorbike.  Every so often, he also enjoys the supreme pleasure of fast-taxiing Nimrod MR2 XV250 at the Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington.  Although he realises his accomplishments are modest in comparison to the other tutors at Chad’s, he is considered by many observers to be the best table football player of his generation.

Hi, I'm Robbie. I’m 24 years old. I spent 4 years at the University of St Andrews studying geography, completed a PgDL at the University of Law and now I’m studying for my SQE exams and an LLM Legal Practice before starting a training contract in September 2027. When I’m not working, you will find me on a golf course and a cricket pitch in the summer months. I also enjoy travelling and spending time socialising with family and friends.

I came to Durham as a student, in the 70s, and stayed. After graduation, I trained and was employed as a social worker and later returned to the university to complete a PhD and then worked on the Master of Social Work programme before retiring. I have three adult children, who also chose to stay in Durham. I live with my husband and fellow tutor, Neil Griffin. We have had many years’ experience as tutors/ mentors and host families, including to international students. We are animal lovers but do not currently have any pets. We are kept busy looking after the dogs and cats of family and friends.

Mike Huxtable studied Philosophy and English at the University of York and has obtained Masters degrees in both subjects. He completed a doctorate in 2008 in Durham on the phenomenology of colour and its perception in medieval literature. Mike's research interests include medieval philosophy, theology and the history of ideas; the semiology of medieval art and culture (in particular heraldry), and the influence of visuality on literary creativity.

Professor Joyce Liddle has a distinguished academic background in the fields of urban and regional development, public policy, entrepreneurship, leadership and management. Much of her research and consultancy work has been undertaken in North East England, addressing economic and social policy issues.

Joyce was educated at Durham University in politics and sociology, studied for a PhD at the Local Government Centre, Warwick University and went on to hold the position of Course Director in postgraduate Management Studies at Durham Business School. Subsequently, Joyce held Professorial, management and research posts in seven UK Universities.

Her international reputation is reflected in advisory roles for ministers and civil servants in Italy, Finland, the West Indies and China as well as holding Visiting University Chairs in six countries. She also developed education and training programmes for public and civil servants in South Africa, Bahrain, France, Kazakhstan, Brazil and Ethiopia.

Joyce is currently taking forward her work surrounding Devolution in the North East and related public policy and management issues in collaboration with members of the Policy and Practice research group at St Chad's. 

Probably my greatest area of expertise is drinking coffee and sitting in cafés.  Beyond that, I’m currently doing a PhD in theology, where I’m looking at how people in the Bible handled risk and uncertainty.  But it’s been a journey to get there, since my first degree was in physics and the history and philosophy of science.  After that, I worked as a consultant in the energy industry, became a maths teacher, and worked in a bank before finally going ‘back to school’ to study theology.  One of my favourite things about all of those jobs has been helping people have the information and confidence to make the decision that is right for them.

My parents are American, but I grew up in London and Geneva, and so far have lived in eight countries on four continents.  I love maps, although I still sometimes mix up my right and left, so it’s best not to ask me for directions.  I’m a keen runner, and generally enjoy being outside, ideally in the mountains: walking, skiing, or cycling with my husband.  Indoors, I can be found doing cryptic crossword puzzles, cooking, playing bridge (card game) and being involved at church.  
 

Born in the North East, John studied Law at Durham and was a student at Chads between 1985-8.  After qualifying as a solicitor, he spent 28 years based in the North East (and operating more widely around the UK) as a commercial litigator.  He progressed to the Board of his firm, latterly as Senior Partner, then became Vice Chairman of the new firm created following its merger. 

In 2017 he stepped down and took on a number of Chair, Non-Executive and Trustee roles across the North East.  These include Believe Housing Limited, North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust,  North East Chamber of Commerce, Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, Destination North East England, Newcastle United Foundation and William Leech Investments Limited.  He is also Vice Chair of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust.  He is a regional ambassador for the King's Trust and a Lay Canon of Newcastle Cathedral.

John has served as both a Tutor and a Governor at St Chads and so stepping into this role he knows the College well.  He lives in Northumberland with his wife Alison and they have two children.

Alison is an Associate Professor at Durham University, where much of her work centres on teaching and supporting students on the Foundation Programme as they make the transition into undergraduate study. She has a particular interest in widening participation and in helping students from a wide range of educational backgrounds develop confidence, curiosity and a sense of belonging at university.

Her academic interests are eclectic and interdisciplinary, spanning literature, museums and material culture, heritage, and the ways in which objects and texts can help us understand culture, identity and the past.  Her PhD research centred on the Brontes and gothic fiction written by women. She is particularly interested in active and creative approaches to teaching and in encouraging students to become confident, independent researchers.

Away from work, Alison is an enthusiastic reader and can rarely resist a second-hand bookshop. She loves travelling, cooking and good food, and spends as much time as possible in Portugal, where she is renovating a house with her husband, Eamon. She is also frequently accompanied on walks by Penny, her fox-red Labrador.

David is a Chad's alumnus (2011-2017) having studied for a BSc in Mathematics and an MA in Education whilst training to be a maths teacher. He has recently returned from Cambridge after studying Psychology and Education, with a particular interest in mathematical anxiety, and is proud to be reuniting with Chad's as a tutor. 

Outside of teaching, David can be found in the theatre, St Cuthbert's church or running a local pub quiz. He enjoys reading, gaming and baking as part of his downtime but always enjoys an excuse to get to Esquires for a latte! Interests within Chad's look to outreach programs and finding engaging ways for younger pupils to realise their potential, both in their mathematical and general aspirations.

I am an Occupational Therapist in NHS. I have lived and worked in Durham for the last 25 years having been born and brought up in Kenya.  I am married to Remi, who is a hospital Chaplin and we have two grown up children, Marilyn and Jonathan as well as a grand-daughter Zara.

I originally become involved with Durham University via St John’s college where I worked as an Academic Administrator for 5 years before leaving to retrain in Occupational Therapy.  In my spare time I enjoy yoga, Pilates, cooking which allows me to try recipes from different countries and learn about different cultures as well as musicals.   Lately I have started to enjoy walking!

I remember fondly my time in St John’s college and looking forward to being involved in St Chad’s college community as a tutor.

I've lived In Durham since 1994, having moved from London where I was born.  Prior to coming to Durham I spent my early years in Nigeria which is my country of origin. After graduating in 1989 from the University of Jos with a Bachelor of Arts in History, I taught briefly in a secondary school. My teaching experience in Nigeria led to my undertaking a Postgraduate Certificate in Education the University of Durham In 1996.

In 2007 I was ordained as a Priest in Durham Diocese as a Non Stipendiary Minister. I combined this role with my full-time job as a Project Manager, and later as a Pre-Corurt Officer with the County Durham Youth Offending Service. In January 2014 I took up a new role with the now South Tyneside & Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. I'm currently a Hospital Chaplain based at the Sunderland Royal Hospital.   I took up this position after qualifying as a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor having trained at the Northern Guild for Counselling and Psychotherapy in Newcastle.   I am married to Margaret an Occupational Therapist and we have two children, and a grandchild. My interests include Karate and cycling.

I moved to Durham in 2021 during the pandemic as I have family here. However, I have known and loved the County for many years, so in lots of ways it felt like coming home! I have three sons and a daughter. My middle son studied for both his undergraduate and PhD while a member of St John’s College here in Durham and has never moved away. These days he teaches sciences at an Academy in Darlington.

I am a qualified land use planner and achieved my PhD at Sheffield University in partnership with Doncaster Council’s Housing Services Department in 2004. My research become a part of the evidence based which enabled the Council to transfer their housing to ‘Arms Length Management’ and a Housing Association. Following this I lectured on both the planning and housing courses at the University of the West of England in Bristol for a few years before becoming a Civil Servant.

My Civil Service career developed across some interesting spheres. Initially I worked in a specialist housing unit on the south coast of England within a small team that provided Ministers with the housing demand and need figures for England. However, I moved to London in 2010 to develop my career, with periods working in Planning Casework where I advised Ministers on cases relating to wind turbines and Gypsy and Traveller sites across England and Wales and latterly as a Pension Manager for the Local Government scheme. This is a very large scheme which provides pensions for over six million mainly local government staff across England and Wales. Last year I retired from paid work so now have more time to concentrate on volunteering - something I love and have done for many years.

In the past I have volunteered for Oxfam working in a bookshop in Dorset, for the National Trust as a historic house guide in London and here in Durham I am currently a Cathedral Bedesman. Bedesmen support the vergers at the Cathedral during services and often provide a listening ear to the many and varied visitors. But I am thrilled to have been appointed a tutor at Chads and really look forward to meeting my tutees and getting to know them.

I am the college Librarian and very proud of the wonderful collections that I am privileged to care for and develop. Before coming to St Chad’s I worked as Reference Librarian running Middlesbrough Reference Library service for many years and specialising in local & family history, rare books and special collections. I have collaborated in the writing of a number of local history books and articles relating to Middlesbrough. Working in a library environment has allowed me to indulge my interests in so many fields, particularly history and archaeology.

Outside the library I can be found pursuing my absorbing passion for British archaeology all over the north east of England. I am currently running a project to evaluate and excavate the site of a Roman camp and nearby settlement at Newsham on the River Tees.

I graduated from Durham so coming to St Chad’s has been like a homecoming

Kat is delighted to be part of the St Chad's community as a tutor. She works as a civil servant, leading a small policy team.

She believes that university is about much more than academic achievement. Some of the most important learning happens through friendships, new experiences and discovering what matters to you. As a tutor, she enjoys helping students think through challenges, celebrate successes and make the most of their time at Durham.

Kat is proud to be Durham born and bred, and to have studied at St Chad's. Having lived in London and the North West while building her career, she was delighted to move back to Durham with her family and feels very fortunate to be part of both the city's and the College's communities. When not working, she can usually be found reading or making plans to explore the North East.

Andrew is an alumnus of St Chad’s having read Maths at Durham in the 1990s. He stayed on to do a PGCE and then embarked on a career in teaching, working for twenty years in London and the Home Counties. He now works across Prebends Bridge at Durham School, as Deputy Head and Maths teacher, as well as coaching rowing on a Wednesday afternoon. Andrew was delighted to see the Mr Kipling out on the water recently, having rowed in that very boat over twenty five years ago.

Andrew moved to Durham with his wife, Jenny, and two sons in 2017 and cannot stop taking photos of the cathedral at sunset (or sunrise, or when the leaves on the riverbank turn autumnal…) as it’s a lot more attractive than the Lewisham skyline!

Enid studied medicine, including doctoral research in fetal and neonatal physiology, in Oxford.  She specialised in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and spent most of her career as Consultant at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne, looking after women’s health in that great city. She also worked abroad in USA, Tanzania, Uganda and New Zealand. On retirement, she fulfilled a long-held ambition to study Classics and Ancient History, graduating from Durham University in 2017, and completing a Masters in 2019. Her own experience of the supportive environment for students at St Chad’s has provided the motivation to become a College tutor.

Anne read Engineering at Van Mildert College from 1989 to 1992. During her time at Durham, she was awarded a Full Palatinate for hockey and served as Vice-President of the Durham University Athletic Union. After graduating, she spent a year volunteering before completing a two-year Master’s degree in Town Planning at Newcastle University. She went on to build a career as a town planner with several local authorities, and now focuses on caring for her family.

Anne and Ian live in the city centre, where they have raised their three children, who still live at home. Between them, they enjoy walking, cycling, food, and literature. They bring more than twenty years of experience as tutors at St John’s to their role at St Chad’s College.

Ian read Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at St John’s from 1990 to 1993. Following graduation, he spent a year working voluntarily for the church before completing a PGCE. He then taught Science at a school in South Shields for seven years. Ian now works full-time as a Pastor at Emmanuel Church.

Anne and Ian live in the city centre, where they have raised their three children, who still live at home. Between them, they enjoy walking, cycling, food, and literature. They bring more than twenty years of experience as tutors at St John’s to their role at St Chad’s College.

Naomi first learned about St Chad's College whilst working at St Chad's Primary School in Witton Park, Bishop Auckland, and was excited to be involved in the school/college link with the exchange of ideas and skills, and the raising of aspirations.

Following a Geography degree at UCL, a PGCE from Lincoln and a MEd in Education and Development from Bristol University, Naomi has spent her career in education in the UK, Sierra Leone and Jordan, working in schools and in the charity sector.

Naomi is now most likely to be found in the botanical hotspot of Upper Teesdale, raising awareness of the unique and declining flora, or at the warehouse at REfUSE in Chester-le-Street diverting good food from landfill towards plates.

Oliver is a Geography and Water Resources graduate, but in latter years has spent most of his time working in the world of recycling. Oliver works mainly in the charity and public sectors and including some projects abroad in Jordan, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Kyrgyzstan and the Republic of Georgia.

Alongside his current work for REfUSE diverting food otherwise destined for landfill, he is a trustee of a bike recycling charity in Newcastle, volunteers with the Durham Wildlife Trust and is a mentor for asylum seekers in Darlington.

Oliver’s three children have now grown up and fled the nest leaving him more time to work in the garden growing vegetables and experimenting with pickling and preserving. Oliver enjoys food, live theatre, environmental conservation and the great outdoors generally (but nothing too strenuous).

I'm an engineer with my career roots firmly in motorsport and automotive, having spent time at outfits including M-Sport Team Bentley, ARRIVAL and Singer Vehicle Design, working across everything from GT3 endurance racing to electric vehicle development. Durham is where it all started for me — I read General Engineering at St Chad's before going on to an MSc in Advanced Motorsport Engineering at Cranfield.

More recently I've moved into Solutions Architecture, working with new clients across a range of industries, and I'm enjoying applying the discipline of delivering complex, deadline-driven projects to a different kind of challenge.

Outside of work I'm usually found somewhere with an engine involved — track days, karting, or tinkering with engine calibration on my own car — and I get out into the Lake District hills whenever I can. I live in the Newcastle area with my partner.

I am a teacher of French and German. My previous career was in PR and marketing in the defence industry and energy derivatives trading; working in London, Europe and the USA.  I have also been a researcher and policy advisor in the UK Fire and Rescue Service.

I am a graduate of Durham University (MA in Social Research Methods and Social Policy) and London University (BA History).

My interests outside the education sector include travel, learning languages, modern history; particularly German history and art.

I am passionate about helping those studying at any age to achieve their potential and enjoy being part of a College Community.

I was born and brought up in Co Durham and then returned to Weardale 20 years ago with my husband Simon and our three daughters, now aged 18, 20 and 22. We live on the edge of the moors with various sheep, dogs and chickens where I can indulge my love for all things outdoors.

I read Philosophy at St. Hild & St. Bede from 1991-1994 and thoroughly enjoyed my time at Durham!

Before having children I worked in Financial PR in the City of London for Buchanan Communications. Since moving back up here I have held a variety of voluntary roles including Chair of Governors at our local school. I am currently a Trustee at The British Red Cross where I am particularly interested in volunteer development and youth engagement.  I have also worked with small charities acting as spokesperson for local and national media campaigns.

Fred Robinson is a Professorial Fellow at St Chad’s College.

Fred is an expert on social and economic development and the role of public policy in North East England. Over the past few years he has been involved in several regeneration projects across the region; has worked with Durham County Council on the transfer of community buildings to local social enterprises; and has critically examined democracy, accountability and representativeness in the North East’s public institutions. He is currently working as independent evaluator of The Auckland Project, a regeneration scheme centred on the development of Auckland Castle as a major visitor attraction in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

Fred also has a strong interest in mental health:  for more than 25 years he has served as a volunteer and chair of Waddington Street Centre, a community mental health resource in Durham City. Fred likes walking (he doesn’t drive a car), reading newspapers (The Guardian and the Northern Echo) and eating well (he’s a vegetarian).

I was born in Essex and studied materials science at university before a career as a research scientist and manager in the process industries in the North of England and Canada.  I have had a range of jobs including project manager and sales manager.  I also trained as a secondary science teacher and have trained science teachers. My current role is Senior Business Development Manager for Advanced Technologies, developing partnerships between Durham University academics and industry with a focus on the Space Industry Sector. My two children have now graduated from university, one in Earth Sciences and the other in French and Arabic.

Richard is a professor in accounting at Durham University Business School and served as Head of Department for Accounting 2016-2019. Richard joined Durham University in 2012, having previously been professor in accounting at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University. Richard Prior to his academic career, Richard, a graduate of St Andrews University, worked at Price Waterhouse and is a qualified chartered accountant. His core research examines the usefulness of accounting information, to capital market users such as equity investors and analysts. Further, Richard is interested in the way information is presented portrayed  by companies, such as the use of the visual. Outside of academic life, Richard is a club runner with South Shields Harriers, plays Real Tennis and enjoys mountain walking in the UK.

My name is Sam and I’m a singer-songwriter and artists facilitator living in Durham. I graduated from Durham with a PhD in Human Geography in 2018, having studied my undergraduate also in Geography. I regularly write, record and perform music, most of which is linked to themes of community, geography, people and places. Aside from the music, I enjoy hiking, wild swimming, crafting model railways, (attempting to…!) grow food with my partner and hosting community dinners and informal creative gatherings. We live in Durham with our two girls, Robyn and Phoebe and love spending time in the city and visiting the County Durham and Northumberland coastline!

Chris Sparks joined the Durham based Atom Bank in October 2015 as Chief Risk Officer and retired in July 2022. Prior to joining Atom Chris had spent over twenty years in financial services working for HSBC, RBS, GE and Virgin Money both in the UK and abroad where he held a variety of senior roles in Risk and Finance. Chris started his career in academia lecturing at De Montfort University and The University of Birmingham in Information Systems and Operational Research respectively. Chris was educated at the Universities of Sheffield, Southampton and Birmingham where he studied Mathematics and Operational Research and most recently at the Open University where he turned his hand to Humanities. Chris is a Professor in Practice within the Departments of Mathematical Science and Computer Science, conferred in March 2021 for three years. He is a member of the Research Advisory Board at the Credit Research Centre at Edinburgh University Business School and the Computer Science Advisory Board at Durham University. He is also the Chair of governors at Durham Trinity School and Sports College and a member of the Senior Common Room and college tutor at St Chad’s College, Durham University since October 2019. Chris is married with three grown up children and lives in Durham.

I grew up in Fife, Scotland and graduated from the University of Aberdeen in the last century. My degree was in French and German and I worked using these languages nearly every day as the manager of the local authority's international team. In this role, I organised a wide range of educational projects and programmes with schools, universities and Education Ministries across the world. Helping people discover new languages and cultures has always been my passion. Now retired, I support some university outreach, the regional languages festival and colleagues at The British Council.

I was made Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French Government for services to the promotion of French culture.

I have acted as a college tutor in three Durham colleges over the last 25 years and enjoy meeting and supporting students ; often accompanied by my Lakeland terrier, Franke. Always happy to meet over coffee to discuss university life, the latest cinema releases, a good read or how to make most of your time in Durham.

Filip is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Automation at Durham University, which he joined in 2025. Before Durham, he lived in Poland (Krakow), Cambridge, London, and Liverpool. Filip’s research combines laboratory automation data-driven approaches to accelerate the discovery and development of functional molecules and materials. 

Outside the lab, Filip enjoys travelling, hiking, food (eating, cooking, growing), and wine. He has been seen combining his interests through talks on wine chemistry and competing in blind wine tasting around the world.

I came to Chad’s to study history in 1982 as the first in my family to attend university. (I then didn’t return for twenty years until the 2004 centenary celebrations, when I joined the SCR, later serving on Governing Body until 2022.). After graduating in 1985 I started a career in marketing but realised after six months that I wanted a career using my degree subject. I retrained as an archivist, taking a vocational Master’s at Liverpool University, where happily I also met my future wife. Moving south, in 1990 I became the Archivist for London Transport, establishing the Corporate Archives from scratch. In 1994 I moved to the newly-privatised railway as Head of Records & Archive for Railtrack with a similar remit.  Appointment as Senior Curator at the National Railway Museum in 1998 allowed us to move back to my home town of York, and in 2009 I became York City Archivist, raising £2.5m to build a new city archive and setting up an staff co-operative to run the library & archive service. Subsequently a portfolio career of freelancing and writing a book allowed me time to care for my parents.

Tom is an incoming Assistant Professor in International Relations at the University of Sussex, and an Associate Instructor on various IR modules through the University of London/LSE for their online programme. His research covers the war in Yemen, Saudi-Iranian relations, propaganda, visuality, the women's movement in Iran, and Saudi sportswashing in the North-East of England. He received his PhD from the University of Durham in 2023, where he currently holds a Visiting Fellowship. He has published articles with Digest of Middle East Studies, Global Policy, and Discourse & Society. Tom's biggest passion in his career is teaching and working with students. He also has experience of teaching at Durham's School of Government and International Affairs, as well as hosting conferences and talks at their Institute for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.

He is a Chadsian through and through, having joined the college as an undergraduate in 2014. He did all three degrees at Chad's. Viewing the college as an inclusive, diverse space in which people can pursue their interests and unlock their creativity, he really enjoys building communities with students to help them enjoy everything the university experience has to offer. 

Tom enjoys music, literature, politics, Leicester City Football Club, nature, walking, running, film and television, video games, and the North-East comedian Bob Mortimer. He is particularly obsessed with music, and some of his favourite bands at the moment are The Cure and Black Country, New Road. Tom is fascinated by all things Eastern philosophy, especially Buddhism and Taoism. He loves the North-East and always looks to encourage students to get out and see more of the region. He lives ten minutes from Durham in Coxhoe with his fiancée Zoe. While he has no pets of his own (yet), he is very enthusiastic about his parents' two golden retrievers, Bonnie and Ruby, whom he credited in his PhD acknowledgements. He is also fond of his neighbour's cat, Larry, who often hops over the fence and sits on his sofa. He is of Irish and Welsh heritage, and is passionate about the art, literature, culture, and sport of both. While born in Leicester, he grew up in Alice Springs in Central Australia, and is an Australian citizen. He is very interested in Aboriginal culture, belief, and justice, as well as social justice more broadly.