Our governance and advisory groups – the Evaluation Advisory Group, the Research and Evaluation Committee, the Finance and Risk Committee, and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group – provide TASO with guidance on methodology and approaches to evaluation.
The members play a vital role in shaping TASO’s work by producing timely, rigorous and appropriate evidence of what works to support young people’s journeys into and during higher education.
Evaluation Advisory Group
The Evaluation Advisory Group brings together sector representatives with experience in evaluation to build a comprehensive understanding of the current state of evaluation in the sector. The group recommends the most effective ways to disseminate evaluative findings to practitioners and assesses TASO’s research and evaluative output by prioritising accessibility, comprehensibility and applicability of findings for the wider sector.
Members
- Dr Antony Aleksiev, Head of Development and Innovation, Applied Inspiration
- Bilal Hazzouri, Impact and Evaluation Manager, Anglia Ruskin University
- Fiona Cottrell, Evaluation and Data Manager, University of West of England
- Dr Jake Anders, Professor of Quantitative Social Science, University College London
- Jack Walker, Monitoring, Evaluation & Student Data Officer, University of Manchester
- Jenny O’Hare, Programme Manager, Strategic Review of Mental Health Provision, University of Cambridge
- Jonathan Schulte, The London School of Economics and Political Science
- Dr Julian Crockford, Student Experience Evaluator and Researcher, Sheffield Hallam University
- Nina Jentl, Research Manager, Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT)
- Natalie Aldridge, Evaluation and Impact Manager, Go Higher West Yorkshire
- Dr Rebecca Siddle, Research and Insights Manager (Access and Participation), Nottingham Trent University
- Dr Sophie Homer, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Plymouth
- Vanessa Dodd, Head of Impact and Evaluation, Goldsmiths
Research and Evaluation Committee
The committee consists of nationally recognised experts in evaluation and methodology, particularly in the areas of education and higher education. They assure that TASO’s Research and Evaluation activities are carried out to a high standard.
Members
- Dr Susannah Hume, Director of Evaluation at the Policy Institute, King’s College London
- Professor Katherine Woolf, Professor of Medical Education Research, University College London Medical School
- Professor Simon Burgess, Professor of Economics in the School of Economics, University of Bristol
- Dr Sonia Ilie, Professor of Education, University of Cambridge
- Professor Billy Wong, Director of Research and Evaluation, University of Reading
- Professor Gabriella Cagliesi, Professor of Economics, University of Sussex
- Professor Anna Mountford-Zimdars, Professor of Social Mobility and Social Justice, University of Exeter
- Dr Nikki Shure, Professor of Economics and Social Policy, University College London
- Professor Denise Hawkes, Professor of Economics Education, King’s College London
- Dr Susila Davis, Education Research & Evaluation Lead, University of Oxford
- Ryan Shorthouse, Founder and Executive Chair, Bright Blue
- Grace Simpson, Portfolio Lead, Purposeful Ventures
- David Woolley, Director of Student and Community Engagement, Nottingham Trent University
- Dr Paul Campbell, Associate Professor in the Sociology of race and inclusion, University of Leicester
Finance and Risk Committee
The Finance and Risk Committee focuses on the financial health of the organisation and ensures TASO’s internal controls are effective. This includes financial oversight, risk management, and compliance with statutory/regulatory frameworks.
Members
- Jackie Njoroge, Chief Strategy and Data Officer, University of Salford
- Grace Simpson, Director, Nous Group
- Rebecca Hollington, Director of Student Recruitment, Birmingham Newman University
- Josh Smith, Public Affairs Manager, Ufi VocTech Trust
- Chris Knell, Vice Principal, Finance and Performance, South Bank Colleges
- Isabel Geerlings, Assistant Director of Financial Operations, University of the West of England
Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group focuses on both policy and practice in student mental health and wellbeing in support of three projects:
- Randomised controlled trials to evaluate wellbeing interventions prompted by analytics
- The evaluation of mental health and wellbeing interventions using theory-based methods
- The evaluation of mental health interventions using quasi-experimental designs
The group will discuss key themes and ideas relating to the projects and inform TASO’s broader thinking in student mental health.
Members
- Ali Coleman, Student Support & Wellbeing Manager, Northern School of Contemporary Dance
- Sara Gallagher, Head of Student Wellbeing Services, Bath Spa University
- Francesca Coleman, Head of Programmes at Student Minds
- Jonathan Dempsey, Service Operations Manager (Interim), Imperial College London
- Jane Harris, Co-Director of Student Welfare and Support Services and Head of Counselling, University of Oxford
- Celia Johnson, Student Support Manager, Arts University Bournemouth
- Professor Deborah Johnston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, London South Bank University
- Dr Simon Merrywest, Director for the Student Experience, University of Manchester
- Dr Gary McGladdery, Disability Services Manager, Nottingham Trent University
- Ronald Mutambirwa, Psychotherapist and Facilitator, University of Sheffield