sparqs currently has a team of seven staff members plus one external consultant, all based in our office in Edinburgh, shared with NUS Scotland.
We also employ a number of Associate Trainers each year on a part-time basis, a team of students who mainly deliver course rep training for us.
If you wish to contact any of our team, please call the sparqs office on 0131 622 6599 or by the mobile numbers listed.
To email a member of staff use the following format: firstname.surname@sparqs.ac.uk
Main staff team
Director: Eve Lewis (she/her)
Mobile: 07813 014679
Normal work days: Monday to Friday (except Friday afternoons)
As Director of sparqs, Eve is responsible for managing the SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation) on behalf of the sparqs Trustee Board. She provides strategic direction and management support to the sparqs team, and maintains close links with other sector agencies in Scotland, across the rest of the UK and internationally. Eve took up her post within sparqs in July 2010. Previously, she was Education and Welfare Manager at Heriot-Watt University Students’ Association for eighteen years, managing their non-commercial activities including their extensive work on academic representation.
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Senior Development Consultant: Megan Brown (she/her)
Mobile: 07469 354245
Normal work days: Monday to Friday
Megan’s main area of work is supporting students to engage in national policy developments in learning, teaching and quality, most recently the development of Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework and the redevelopment of sparqs’ Student Learning Experience model. She supports student engagement and partnership in Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) and in institutions' quality enhancement activities. Megan facilitates sparqs’ Tertiary Quality Student Expert Group (SEG) and is the project lead for sparqs’ annual That’s Quality! training for student officers and students’ association staff. She is also the officer to the sparqs Tertiary Advisory Group (STAG). Megan oversees sparqs’ equality, diversity and inclusion work. She is a former member of QAA UK’s Student Strategic Advisory Committee and sparqs’ University Advisory Group (now superseded by the Tertiary Advisory Group). Megan is a graduate of The University of Edinburgh and the University of East Anglia and previously worked at Edinburgh University Students’ Association. Megan joined sparqs in September 2019.
Megan is the sparqs contact for the following institutions:
Colleges - Borders, Newbattle Abbey and all of the UHI colleges.
Universities - Dundee, Edinburgh, St Andrews, UHI and The Open University.
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Development Consultant: Chase Greenfield (he/him)
Mobile: 07701 273779
Normal work days: Monday to Friday
Chase's work areas are focused on supporting institutions and students' associations on their strategic partnership working; he leads a newly revamped interview series focused around student partnership. He will also be supporting projects around reward and recognition for student officers, and facilitating the development of a postgraduate research experience model. Chase holds a master’s degree from the University of St Andrews as well as two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Montana. During his studies, he served in a variety of student leadership roles, including as a Regent for the Montana University System. Chase has worked as a co-ordinator in students’ associations since 2018 before joining sparqs in January 2025.
Chase is the sparqs contact for the following institutions:
Colleges - Dumfries & Galloway, Dundee & Angus, Forth Valley, New College Lanarkshire and West College Scotland.
Universities - Edinburgh Napier, Glasgow School of Art, University of Glasgow, QMU and Stirling.
Development Consultant: Amy Monks (she/her)
Mobile: 07513 712586
Normal work days: Monday to Friday
Amy’s main areas of work will include the design and facilitation of the Student Engagement Staff Network (SESN) and the Buddy Scheme which aims to support students’ association staff in their roles. She will also be working closely with the sparqs team in design and delivery of Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) training for student officers, Lead Student Reps (LSRs) and students’ association staff. Amy will also be developing resources to support students’ associations with key themes affecting the sector. Amy has been a tutor group leader at sparqs’ That’s Quality! event for three years. Amy joined sparqs in August 2025 from Dundee and Angus College as the Team Leader of the students’ association, where she was also a student officer and Hair and Beauty student. She has also worked with Education Scotland as a Student Team Member (STM) and with QAA as a student reviewer.
Amy is the sparqs contact for the following institutions:
Colleges - City of Glasgow College, Glasgow Clyde, Glasgow Kelvin, NESCol and SRUC.
Universities - Aberdeen, Abertay, Robert Gordon, SRUC and UWS.
Development Consultant: Shona Agnew
Mobile: 07880 192722
Normal work days: Monday to Friday (except Wednesday afternoons)
Shona's work areas will be confirmed in due course but one of her initial areas includes responsibility for sparqs' social media. Shona is a passionate advocate for inclusive education and lifelong learning, with a rich and varied academic and professional background. Her educational journey began at the Scottish School of Forestry, studying Forestry and Conservation, before transitioning to Social Sciences at Inverness College, where she earned an HNC and Dip(HE). She later completed a BA (Hons) in Social Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University and an MSc in Social Work at Robert Gordon University in 2012. Committed to continuous learning, Shona has pursued a range of informal and formal studies, including the SFC-funded Upskill Programme (2021–2025), and is currently undertaking a Data and Innovation (DDI) course at Edinburgh College. Professionally, Shona has worked extensively in youth and community development across Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Her work has focused on supporting disengaged school leavers to re-enter education, training, or employment, delivering both accredited and non-accredited youth awards and collaborating with local institutions to support transitions into college and outreach programmes. More recently, she has worked with social housing tenants and landlords to strengthen tenant participation, helping to establish formal and informal groups - including tenants’ and residents’ associations - to improve housing and local services. She joined sparqs in August 2025.
Shona is the sparqs contact for the following institutions:
Colleges - Ayrshire, Edinburgh, Fife, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian.
Universities - GCU, Heriot-Watt, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Strathclyde.
Business Manager: Nicola Cameron (nee McIntosh) (she/her)
Mobile: 07785 626159
Normal work days: Monday-Friday
Nicola manages the Central Support Team, which involves ensuring everything in the office runs efficiently and effectively. She also monitors the finances and deals with recruitment and human resources. Prior to sparqs, Nicola has worked in the finance sector and the civil service. She has worked with sparqs since 2006.
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Communications Co-ordinator: Ali McDade (she/her)
Mobile: 07585 969882
Normal work days: Monday to Friday
Ali's role includes data management and communications, including sparqs' publications and resources, database management and maintenance of the website. She is also responsible for co-ordinating attendance at sector committees for sparqs, NUS Scotland and student reps. Ali is a graduate of Edinburgh Napier University and her background is in learning and development co-ordination and project co-ordination. She joined sparqs in November 2010.
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Central Support Team Co-ordinator: Sarah Davidson (she/her)
Mobile: 07585 969881
Normal work days: Monday to Thursday
Sarah is responsible for the sparqs Course Representative Training bookings system. Managing events and processing finances are also other key areas of her role. Before joining sparqs, Sarah worked in the finance sector. She is our longest serving employee, having been with sparqs since its inception in 2003.
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Associate Trainers
In 2025-26, we are delighted to have 8 continuing Associate Trainers from previous years, as well as 11 new trainers, making up our largest team to date! The 2025-26 team bring a wealth of experience from their studies and course rep activity within their institutions. Their bios can be read below.
You can find out more here about the Associate Trainer scheme generally and how it works.
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2025-26 AT team
To email an Associate Trainer use the following format, unless noted otherwise beside their name: firstname.surname@sparqs.ac.uk. (names including hyphens have been clarified).
Clare Hunter (she/her)
Clare is currently finalising her dissertation to complete her Master’s in Careers Guidance and Development at the University of the West of Scotland. She hopes to be undertaking further research studies later this academic year, with aspiration of PhD study. Clare has studied at UWS for eleven years, and has completed degrees in specialisms of Business and New Media Art. In that time, she also held the sabbatical post of Vice President Student Development with SAUWS for two years. Her career goal is to become a lecturer in HE/FE and she feels that her role as an AT adds to her already varied skills and employment experience. Clare has also worked as a student guide, a student mentor and as a registry assistant, so she is very student orientated, with a particular interest around widening access and articulation. This is her ninth year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Finn Link (he/him)
Finn is in his fourth year of his Game Design and Production studies at Abertay University, where he was course rep during his first and second years. His main focus and passion in his studies are 2D character and gameplay design. He is secretary of the committee of Abertay's Pokétay society, and has been since his first year. His main goal as a course rep has been to create a productive space for students and lecturers where communication is key. This is his fourth year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Beth Macphee (she/her)
Beth is in her second year at Edinburgh Napier University, studying International Tourism Management at 2nd year entry. She previously studied NQ, NC & HNC Travel & Tourism at the City of Glasgow College and was a dedicated and enthusiastic Institutional Associate Trainer at the college during academic year 2021-22. She embellished her passion for student representation by exploring a variety of student movement positions. She was the volunteering officer in the student parliament team. In her first year of studying, she was a devoted class rep, and her determination did not go unnoticed when she was acknowledged as class representative of the year in 2021. She has also attended conferences in relation to her parliamentary role and excelled her skills by engaging in volunteering opportunities both within the travel industry and Girlguiding Scotland as a unit leader and advocate. This is Beth’s third year as a sparqs Associate Trainer and she is thrilled to be a part of the journey again, which she feels will enhance her passion for teaching and resilience skills as she aspires to become a lecturer in the future.
Duncan Weatherston (he/him)
Duncan is in the third year of a Physics Master’s degree at the University of Strathclyde, where he is a course rep and has been elected to the committee of the Physics Society as the Social Media manager. He was also previously a course rep for the Access to STEM course at Glasgow Kelvin College. Duncan hopes to become an astrophysicist and his long-term goal is to obtain a PhD in the subject and contribute directly to the field. He’s very approachable and can explain almost anything in easy-to-understand terms. He enjoys fantasy, sci-fi, video games, and writing. This is Duncan’s third year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Madeleine Brown (she/her)
Madeleine is in her second year studying Economics & Business Enterprise at the University of Strathclyde Business School. She has been involved in the education sector for several years, having served as a Local and Regional Student Officer for the Highlands and Islands Students’ Association and is currently an Outreach Mentor for the University of Strathclyde’s Widening Access Department. This is her third year as an Associate Trainer for sparqs.
Calum Campbell (he/him)
Calum is a fourth-year BA (Hons) Education and Social Services student at the University of Strathclyde. He has worked in student support services and community learning and development at a further education college. Calum currently works with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), contributing to quality enhancement reviews and as a strategic adviser to the QAA Board. Alongside this, Calum works for a UK-wide poverty organisation within the policy and campaigns, supporting their parliamentary engagement and advocacy work. He is particularly interested in social policy, community learning and development, social justice, and equity in education. Calum is passionate about ensuring all learners have a voice in shaping their educational experience. This is his second year as an Associate Trainer with sparqs
Takaaki Iwai (he/him)
Originally from Japan, Takaaki is a final-year student of MA (Honours) Mathematics and Russian at the University of St Andrews, and Professional Development Award in Data Science at Edinburgh College. Takaaki has a multicultural background, having lived in Japan, Russia, Switzerland and Scotland, and also has a wide range of experience in student representation. He was a course representative for music in 2022-23 and for Russian in 2023-24 at the University of St Andrews, as well as for data science in 2024-25 at Fife College. Following these roles and a year at sparqs, he will serve the European Students' Union as a Quality Assurance Student Expert for 2025-26, representing the United Kingdom. Takaaki also has rich experience in academia, and his research into the history of mathematics in Russian and Soviet fisheries is especially well-recognised. In the future, he aspires to become a general insurance actuary and a researcher of Russian cultural studies, focusing on the interaction between the art and music of 1850-1920. In his free time, Takaaki enjoys art history, classical music, Japanese calligraphy and curling. This is his second year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Sonique Noreiga (she/her) [email format: sonic.noreiga@...]
Sonique is currently studying Advanced Biochemical Studies at Glasgow Kelvin College. She was a class rep for two years and was the Student President of Learning and Teaching at Glasgow Kelvin College. She loves building Lego and collecting Hot Wheels. She is quite resilient and very easy to talk to. This is her second year as a sparqs Associate Trainer and she is super pumped for the role!
Aidan Houston (he/him)
Aidan is studying Business at Ayrshire College where he was the representative for the class and hopes to be the class rep for his second year. He hopes to eventually own his own businesses to help develop inspiring minds to collaborate together and bring back a strong sense of community. In his spare time, Aidan likes to play guitar for people and create business plans, he is easy to talk to and loves a good sense of humour. This is his first year as an Associate Trainer where he is "honoured" to be a part of the team.
Amy McLoughlan (she/her)
Amy is an Honours-year Social Sciences student at the University of the West of Scotland. She served two terms as Student President at New College Lanarkshire, representing students across multiple campuses and contributing to national quality enhancement activity. She has also been involved in QAA student review training and wellbeing initiatives. This is her first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Aryan Aggarwal (he/him)
Aryan is studying for a BSc in Computing at Abertay University. He has been actively involved in student representation, having served as a class representative for his course and as a student senate representative at his institution. This is his first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Ciara McCarthy (they/them)
Ciara is a first-year Social and Public Policy student at the University of Glasgow, with a strong background in student activism. They spent two years at City of Glasgow College Students’ Association, first as Vice President of Diversity and Wellbeing and then as Student President. During that time, they worked with sparqs and got heavily involved in the wider student movement. Ciara is also a disability activist and content creator, using their platform to speak up for disabled students and push for more inclusive education. This is Ciara’s first year as an Associate Trainer.
Maliha Tasnim (she/her)
Maliha is in her first year studying her LLB in Law with English Law and European Legal Studies at the University of Aberdeen. She has served as a class representative for two consecutive years and was the Community Executive Officer at North East Scotland College in her final year. With aspirations to become a solicitor, Maliha is particularly excited about how her work with sparqs aligns with her legal studies and interest in working with people, including those on the front line of legal services. This is her first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Marlene Asare (she/her)
Marlene is a student at the University of the West of Scotland Paisley campus, studying Social Science and going into her third year. She is an active student in her role as course rep, where she has helped her classmates with different things, such as information on class changes or communicating with lecturers. Marlene is also engaged in Union activities, joining many societies as well as creating them. One of the societies she has created is the K-Pop society, which won best new society and is doing well. Additionally, Marlene won volunteer of the year helping the Freshers’ welcome week at Paisley/Ayr/Lanarkshire, creating memorable moments for new students starting university. This is Marlene’s first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer and she’s very excited to work with everyone and hopes to help as many people as she can.
Mateusz Bryczkowski (he/him) [email format: mati.bryczkowski@...]
Mateusz is currently studying HNC Legal Services at City of Glasgow College, having previously completed an NQ in Law and Criminology at New College Lanarkshire. He served as a course rep during his time in Motherwell and is keen to continue learning about student engagement and representation. With a strong interest in access to justice, education policy, and equality, Mateusz hopes to pursue a future career in law that allows him to advocate for others and create meaningful change. This is his first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Molly Keane (she her)
Molly is completing the final year of her Biochemistry BSc Hons degree at the University of St Andrews, where she has been involved in local, national, and international student representation for three years. Her experience ranges from accommodation training and course-level quality assurance at university to the economic and political education on international student mobility at the European Students Union. Molly is keen to expand her knowledge and skills to improve professional development and wellbeing efforts for course reps around Scotland during her first year as an Associate Trainer at sparqs.
Nika Fabrio (she/her)
Nika is a Croatian student at the University of St Andrews. She is currently entering her second year studying Psychology. She is a student ambassador, and was the EDI representative for one of her courses. Having grown up in China, Nika’s international background has taught her the importance of collaboration in any sorts of spaces. Throughout her academic life, she has made equity and acceptance a priority to be achieved and maintained for all students from a young age, starting an EDI committee in high school. In the future, she hopes to continue her studies into forensic psychology before venturing into a career in the field. This is Nika’s first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Rufus Hornyold-Strickland (he/him) [email format: rufus.hornyold-strickland@...]
Rufus is in his third year at the University of St Andrews, studying Geography and International Relations. A few of his key interests include geopolitics, the development of countries, diplomacy, and sustainability. Rufus was one of the second-year Geography reps and during this role he took part in a large review of the department, which involved critically assessing all aspects of the School. Outside of academics, Rufus is a keen musician, singing and playing both the trumpet and bagpipes, along with being a committed rugby player! In his first year as an Associate Trainer, Rufus is looking forward to coaching and helping others to achieve their leadership potential.
Sarah Al-Hajj (she/her) [email format: sarah.alhajj@...]
Sarah is in her third year at the University of St Andrews studying English Literature and Psychology. Her main interests within her subjects are Old English poetry and the impact of bilingualism on autobiographical memory. Sarah was a class representative in Comparative Literature for her first two years at St Andrews and was the recipient of the Outstanding Class Rep Award for Arts and Divinity in 2025. In her free time, she enjoys singing, writing and eating chocolate. This is her first year as an Associate Trainer with sparqs.
