Welcome and Higher Education Overview
Martin Gibbons – Deputy Director of Admissions (Access and Widening Participation). After graduating from St Andrews in 1999 with a degree in International Relations and Modern History, Martin undertook his PGCE at Northern College of Education. Following a twenty-year career in Scottish secondary schools where he worked in a variety of roles from classroom teacher to Depute Headteacher, he recently joined the University to work in Admissions supporting the development of our Widening Participation agenda.
Degree programmes in the Faculties of Arts, Divinity and Science
Associate Deans for Students
The Deans of Arts and Science are supported by a team of Associate Deans and Pro Deans who have responsibility for a range of learning and teaching matters.
Dr Stephen Tyre – Associate Dean, Students (Arts and Divinity)
Full biography
Dr Graham Kirby – Associate Dean, Students (Science)
Full biography
Applying to the School of Medicine
Professor Lindsey Kent graduated in Medicine from Aberdeen University in 1989. After basic General Medicine and Psychiatry training, she obtained her PhD from the University of Birmingham in 1998. After completing a Welcome Trust Fellowship in Psychiatric Genetics, she moved to the University of Cambridge in 2003. She was appointed to the University of St Andrews in 2007 and promoted to Professor in 2009. Her research programme investigates the biological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders. She is Deputy Head of the School of Medicine and the School Director of Admissions. Until recently, she also worked in the General Adult Psychiatry service in NHS Fife.
Pamela Forbes has worked in the School of Medicine for one month as an Admissions Officer. Previous to this, Pamela worked as a Senior Policy/Analysis Officer for the Scottish Funding Council, where she managed the strategy and funding bids for national schools engagement initiatives within the Access team. Pamela is not new to St Andrews and worked for over four years in the Admissions Office as an Education Liaison Officer, and co-lead of the Outreach portfolio; including helping to consolidate and expand the portfolio of school engagement initiatives, and creating the universities corporate parenting plan.
Contextual Admissions
Laura Houston is an Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of St Andrews where she was a student, graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry in 2015 before going on to work as part of the Admissions team. Laura’s main responsibility is managing our Admissions Decision Making across all cohorts. Laura was educated at Buckhaven High School in Fife and had the opportunity to participate in some of the widening access programmes offered by the University as a school pupil, encouraging her to apply and go on to attend the University of St Andrews in later years.
College Sector
Joanna Fry has worked in the University of St Andrews Admissions and Access Team since 2008, and her current role is Access Manager: Lifelong and Flexible Learning. She gained her MA (Hons) English in 2013 after six years, studying in the evenings, part time and latterly full time, at the University of St Andrews. She went on to complete a PGDip in English Studies, awarded in 2016, again through St Andrews. She is currently working towards an MEd Inclusive Practice with the Open University, with a particular focus on Adult Learners. She has worked within the Access Team at St Andrews throughout her studies. Her current remit covers advice, recruitment, admissions and transitional support for students entering St Andrews through one of our Supported Pathways programmes.
Scottish Schools
Vicky Torrance has worked in Admissions at the University of St Andrews since 2006. Vicky works within the Access and Widening Participation team on the First Chances Foundation programme, recruitment and admissions as well as co-coordinating the Teachers Together Conference. She trained as a primary school teacher in Wales before moving to Scotland and taking up a career initially in further education and then on into higher education.
Jessica Dalby has worked in Higher Education for a number of years in a variety of Widening Participation, Student Recruitment and Marketing roles, she has been with St Andrews since 2016. Jessica is currently the Reach and First Chances Senior Officer at the University of St Andrews, looking after outreach coordination in Fife, supporting around 450 S4-S6 pupils on these projects. She also supports the Sutton Trust Summer School, engaging with an additional 170 outreach pupils from across the UK.
Michelle Sinclair is the Access Manager for Schools Outreach at the University of St Andrews. She oversees all access and widening participation school engagement projects (First Chances Fife, Sutton Trust Summer School, Reach and Access for Rural Communities). Michelle joined the Access and Outreach team after spending over ten years working as a scientist within the NHS and the private sector. Coming from a care experience background, Michelle is passionate about access and widening participation programmes and helping young people achieve their full potential. She is the named contact for care experienced pupils and young carers when applying to the University of St Andrews.