sparqs currently has a team of eight 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
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
Twitter: @sparqs_Megan
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 our Joint Advisory Group (JAG). 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. 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: Justin Walker (he/him)
Mobile: 07880 192722
Twitter: @sparqs_Justin
Normal work days: Monday to Friday
Justin is heavily involved in Course Rep Training, including the development and dissemination of our introductory training materials. He also leads the training and preparation of our team of Associate Trainers. He has resumed our project related to Apprentice Voice, exploring representational structures for apprentices and work-based learners. Justin also coordinates sparqs’ support for the work of SQA, helping college students contribute to SQA decision-making, including decisions made in response to the circumstances of the pandemic. He also analyses the anonymous data we receive from course reps within our project Monitoring the Diversity of Course Reps, and continues to review our communications for course reps that were initiated at the start of the pandemic. He is also developing a set of metrics to monitor the progress of the Developing College Students Associations project, and liaises with sector partners in relation to Learning for and through Sustainability. Justin has a rich background in educational leadership and quality management, having served as teacher, headteacher and consultant in the UK, The Gambia, and Chile. He is a graduate of the University of Birmingham and the University of Sheffield. He also holds the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and the MSc in Development Management from the Open University. Justin joined sparqs in August 2019.
Justin is the sparqs contact for the following institutions:
Colleges - Ayrshire, Edinburgh, NESCol, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian.
Universities - Aberdeen, Abertay, Heriot-Watt, Robert Gordon and Stirling.
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Development Consultant: Gloria Laurini (she/her)
Mobile: 07513 712586
Twitter: @sparqs_Gloria
Normal work days: Monday to Friday
Gloria’s work areas focus on supporting all Scottish institutions and students’ associations in keeping up-to-date with the current quality arrangements for the sector, including leading on the Tertiary Enhancement Topic project. She oversees work around Student Mental Health and Wellbeing and is a member of the Scottish Government Student Mental Health and Wellbeing working group; she is also the co-ordinator of the Student Engagement Staff Network (SESN) and the National Education Officers' Network (NEON). Gloria has a background in student engagement in colleges, with focus on representation structures, in the capacity of Student Engagement Co-ordinator within Fife College Students’ Association. She is a 2022 graduate of the University of Winchester’s postgraduate MA in Student Engagement in Higher Education. Previously she worked as a trainer, delivering transferrable skills courses, mainly in the private sector, and has a degree in English and German translation and interpretation. Gloria started working for sparqs in September 2021.
Gloria is the sparqs contact for the following institutions:
Colleges - City of Glasgow College, Glasgow Clyde, Glasgow Kelvin, Dundee & Angus and Fife.
Universities - Strathclyde, UWS, Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
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 and Galloway, Forth Valley, New College Lanarkshire, SRUC and West College Scotland.
Universities - Edinburgh Napier, GCU, University of Glasgow, QMU and SRUC.
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Business Manager: Nicola Cameron (nee McIntosh) (she/her)
Mobile: 07785 626159
Normal work days: Monday-Thursday
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, database management and maintenance of the website and social media. 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 2024-25, we were delighted to have 8 continuing Associate Trainers from previous years, as well as 8 new trainers. The 2024-25 team brought a wealth of experience from their studies and course rep activity within their institutions.
You can find out more here about the Associate Trainer scheme generally and how it works.
We are currently recruiting student/apprentice Associate Trainers to deliver Course Rep Training (CRT) throughout academic year 2025-26. Please see the recruitment webpage for the post for all the details and how to apply. Closing date for applications: 9.00am on Monday 12th May 2025.
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2024-25 AT team
To email an Associate Trainer use the following format, unless noted otherwise: firstname.surname@sparqs.ac.uk.
Clare Hunter (she/her)
Clare is currently completing her Masters in Careers Guidance and Development at the University of the West of Scotland. She hopes to progress to PhD study this year, and has been a student at UWS for ten years. In this time, she has held the 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. 2023-24 is her eighth year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Finn Link (he/him)
Finn is in his third 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 is to create a productive space for students and lecturers where communication is key. This is his third year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Kirsten Koss (she/her)
Kirsten is in her fourth year at the University of Aberdeen, studying History and Politics. Kirsten previously graduated from North East Scotland College with an HND in Social Sciences. After serving as a course rep, Kirsten stood for election to the position of Depute President at her college’s Students’ Association. As a student officer, Kirsten had many responsibilities, including representing college students at the Scottish Parliament. During her time at university, Kirsten has been active in the Student Union, forming part of the fight to save language degrees from closure. The News Editor of The Gaudie Student Newspaper, she is also a keen student journalist. Kirsten is well versed in the student movement and strongly believes in empowering other students to become effective members of their communities. She is passionate about Scotland’s colleges and widening participation more generally. Furthermore, Kirsten also works as a Student Team Member at Education Scotland and is part of college inspections across Scotland. This is her third year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Beth Macphee (she/her)
Beth is in her first 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 is a returning sparqs associate trainer for the academic year 2024-25. 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 second 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 going into the second year of a Physics Master’s degree at the University of Strathclyde and hopes to become an astrophysicist. His long-term goal is to obtain a PhD in the subject and contribute directly to the field. He was a class rep for the Access to STEM course at Glasgow Kelvin College. 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 second year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Indre Lostyte (she/her)
Indre is from Lithuania and is in her third year of a Social Sciences degree at Glasgow Caledonian University. This will be her first year of university after obtaining an HND in Social Sciences from Glasgow Clyde College in 2024. She moved to Glasgow in 2017 and is a mature student who began her academic journey with Introduction to Social Science before progressing to her current degree course. Indre acted as a class representative for her course and was an active member of the college students' association. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she actively advocated for equal access to resources and learning inclusion, as Indre believes that every student, regardless of background, level, or type of study, deserves the best possible educational experience and the opportunities that education provides. Indre is excited for her second year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Madeleine Brown (she/her)
Madeleine is studying at the University of Strathclyde Business School, having previously obtained an HNC in Business from the University of the Highlands & Islands. She has been involved in the student movement for the past two years, being elected as the Perth Vice President of Activities & Welfare, before becoming HISA’s first ever Regional Vice President of Communities. Prior to her return to education, she had the privilege of serving as an MSYP for three consecutive terms (2014-19) and is a former national spokesperson for Girlguiding Scotland. This is her second year as an Associate Trainer for sparqs.
Thelma Adaeze Munonye (she/her) [email format: thelmaadaeze.munonye@...]
Thelma is a dedicated fourth-year PhD student at the University of Stirling, where she is researching the intricacies of workplace bullying. Her commitment to academic excellence and depth of understanding in her field positions her as a knowledgeable scholar, a trait that extends to her role as the Faculty Officer for the Stirling Management School. Thelma's impressive academic journey traces back to the University of Bedfordshire, where she served as the course representative for International Human Resource Management students, demonstrating an early penchant for leadership and student representation. Her rich experience in HR further adds a practical dimension to her academic pursuits, enhancing her understanding and analysis of workplace dynamics. Known for her dedication, Thelma continues to contribute significantly to academia and the wider HR field, leveraging her knowledge and skills to foster a better understanding of contemporary workplace issues. Thelma looks forward to embracing her second year in the role of an Associate Trainer with sparqs.
Calum Campbell (he/him)
Calum is currently in his third year studying BA (Hons) Education & Social Services at the University of Strathclyde, where he has been a rep for the past year and a half. He has a keen interest in education, community development, social policy, and a passion for activism and is dedicated to ensuring that the diverse student population within Scotland is represented across all further and higher education institutions. This is Calum's first year as an Associate Trainer.
Ellie Birchall (she/her)
Ellie is currently undertaking a master’s in Health Psychology at the University of Stirling and hopes to contribute to research on chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis. She graduated with her undergraduate Psychology and Sociology degree from Queen Margaret University in 2024 where she was also a class rep, society president, PALS leader and student champion. Throughout her time in these roles, Ellie has been able to communicate the student voice to academic and senior staff and strongly advocates the importance of being a class rep (or similar). She is looking forward to her first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Katie Gethings (she/her)
Katie is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Psychology at the University of Stirling. She has been a part of the course rep system at Stirling since her first year, when she volunteered to be a module representative. She previously served as the Vice President of Education at the University of Stirling Students Union. During this time, Katie continually developed the Course Rep Training and ongoing support for course reps at Stirling. She is passionate about the course rep system and believes students should be empowered to be active partners in their learning and development. This is Katie’s first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer and she is excited to train other passionate students.
Takaaki Iwai (he/him)
Originally from Japan, Takaaki is a third-year student of MA (Honours) Mathematics and Russian at the University of St Andrews. From September 2024, he is going to start PDA: Data Science at Fife College too. Takaaki has an extremely multicultural background, having lived in Japan, Russia, Switzerland and Scotland and also has a wide experience in student representation. He was a course representative for music in 2022-23 and for Russian in 2023-24, as well as the Student Ambassador in 2023-24. In the future, he aspires to become a general insurance actuary and a researcher of Russian cultural studies, focusing on art and music of 1850-1945. In his free time, Takaaki enjoys art history, classical music, Japanese calligraphy and learning languages. This is his first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
Uchechi Abaraji (she/her)
Currently an MBA student at the University of the West of Scotland and former Student President, Uchechi brings a wealth of experience and a passion for mentoring. Outside of her studies, she volunteers with the UK Help to Grow programme, providing mentorship to people looking to grow and start their businesses. She also volunteers with UN Women UK, advocating for women's equality. This is her first year as an Associate Trainer for sparqs, and she's excited to share her skills and enthusiasm to help course representatives become rockstar champions for positive change in their courses!
Sonique Noreiga (she/her) [email format: sonic.noreiga@...]
Sonique is currently studying Advanced Biochemical Studies at Glasgow Kelvin College. She has been 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 first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer and she is super pumped for the role!
Hope Anderson (she/her)
Hope is currently studying Paramedic Science at Queen Margaret University and is in her second year. She has acted as a representative during that time. Hope has returned to study after a career change and this is her first year as a sparqs Associate Trainer.
