Careers Teachers' Summit 2024

Professor Ruth Fee

Interim Dean of Academic Business Development

Professor Fee is a Professor of Public Services Education and began her career at Ulster University in 1992 as a researcher in public procurement and has recently completed a five-year term as Associate Dean for Education within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Professor Fee takes an active role in learning, teaching and civic engagement within Ulster University that includes access to Higher Education and widening participation, accreditation of prior and work-based learning, and working with a range of collaborative partners of Ulster University including the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Northern Ireland Prison Service, Health and Social Care Trusts and regional colleges.

Professor Fee is currently Director of Policing at Ulster University and is the lead agent for educational partnerships with the Police College NI. At an international level she has designed programmes with a range of providers and has established relationships with a number of US and Canadian institutions including Rider University and the University of Guelph-Humber.

Professor Fee has a worked on a series of European Commission projects within the security domain contributing to the development of social, ethical, legal and privacy framework across a diverse portfolio of projects encompassing policing, counterterrorism, cyber security and digital forensics. Projects within the H2020 portfolio include INSPEC2T, ASGARD and GAP.

She is currently a member of the independent ethics/advisory boards within ITFLOWS, APPRAISE and RESCUER. Professor Fee is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a member of the UK Higher Education Forum for Policing and the associated Research Hub. She is a member of the QAA Advisory Group for the first Subject Benchmark Statement for Policing.

Susan HayesCulleton

The Positive Economist

Susan HayesCulleton, CFA, “The Positive Economist” is Managing Director of the Hayes Culleton Group, with clients across Europe and the USA. The businesses include Active Peers AI; a tech platform that optimises mentor matching programmes including admin, algorithmic matching, tight feedback loops and effective interactions all in one space. Also, Savvy Teens which offers work experience facilitation in corporate organisations. Susan acts as MC at hybrid conferences all over the world.

Susan is a six-time author including “Money Matters”, a financial literacy textbook that is now in every secondary school in Ireland with the support of CFA Ireland. She has twice co-authored “Positive Economics”, the market-leading Leaving Cert economics textbook in Ireland, and she is the author of two books published by Penguin, “The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom” and “The Savvy Guide to Making More Money”. Susan is co-founder of The Positive Economist, and Associate Lecturer at Ulster University. Susan holds a Chartered Financial Analyst charter, MSc Executive Leadership, BSc Financial Maths and Economics and a Diploma in Taxation.

Dr Laura Wells

Lecturer in Hospitality Management (Marketing)

Dr Laura Wells is a Lecturer in international hospitality management (marketing) in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Laura studied Consumer Studies at Ulster University (2003) and completed her PhD in 2006. Working alongside a major UK food retailer, her PhD research explored the power of brand identity and customer segmentation in food marketing communication.

Following her PhD completion, Laura managed and delivered a diverse sponsorship and events portfolio for a leading financial institution for six years. During this time, she worked across several high profile arts, sports and business sponsorships. Upon her recent return to academia, she has successfully completed her Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Laura’s main research interests include hospitality marketing, consumer behaviour and sponsorship. Her current research project is investigating the role of big data in hospitality marketing.

Laura is also engaged with pedagogic research and is presently part of a cross-departmental research project focusing on undergraduate research skills.

Her main teaching responsibilities at undergraduate level include Services Marketing Management, Marketing for Services and Management. While at postgraduate level, Laura delivers Strategic Marketing and Bidding for Success. She works alongside a number of hospitality companies, facilitating workshops which allow students to generate new marketing ideas and develop business solutions to current industry projects. One example is the naming of the Baltic Bar, part of the recently opened Bullitt Hotel owned by the Beannchor Group. In addition, Laura is part of the teaching team who work with the Hastings Hotel Group to deliver a Management Ambassador Programme.

Professor Ioannis S. Pantelidis

Head of The Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management

Professor Ioannis S. Pantelidis SFHEA, CMBE, FIH, FAHMA, is a Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management. He is the Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, at Ulster Business School. Prior to that, he was Director of Help to Grow and Lead Academic for Knowledge Exchange for the School of Business and Law. He was also the Director of Doctoral Studies for Brighton Doctoral College. He sits on the Advisory Board for Be Inclusive Hospitality, is in the current executive, and is a Past Chair (2018-21) of The Council for Hospitality Management Education, Director of The Association of North America Higher Education International.

Previously he was the Academic Leader for widening participation projects and Head of Admissions, Marketing, and Recruitment Tutors at the School of Sport and Service Management (SaSM). Before that, he was the Programme Centre Leader for Postgraduate Courses for SaSM and was a founding member of the European Hospitality Academy.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Certified Management and Business Educator. He has served on the Executive Boards of The Institute of Hospitality, Tourism Concern, and Cavendish Academy.

Judith Owens MBE

CEO TBL International Ltd | CEO Titanic Belfast

Judith is Chief Executive at TBL International Ltd (TBL), the parent company to the award-winning Titanic Belfast, SS Nomadic and the TEC. With experience spanning over three decades, unrivalled knowledge of the tourism and events industry and an exceptional track record, she is one of UK’s the most experienced and established management professionals. Currently serving on the board of Visit Belfast, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) and as chair of the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance (NITA), as well as being a co-founder of Hospitality and Tourism Skills (HATS), a collaborative network set up to attract and retain talent in the sector, .Judith is passionate about her ambassadorial role in driving the tourism sector and its valuable contribution to the NI economy.

Judith’s leadership, commitment and expertise has seen Titanic Belfast go from strength to strength, welcoming over 7.5 million visitors from 145 countries, winning ‘World’s Leading Tourist Attraction’ at the World Travel Awards and seeing the attraction contribute £430m in additional spend back into the NI economy in its first 10 years. Having recently spearheaded an ambitious £4.7m transformation of the Titanic Experience, Judith has led the team in creating a rich and immersive visitor experience cementing Titanic Belfast’s place as a world-class, ‘must-see’ global visitor attraction for years to come.

Prior to her role as Chief Executive at TBL, Judith as Operations Director oversaw the daily operations and strategic planning for all three of TBL’s venues ensuring a consistent and seamless five-star service. Judith also managed the Waterfront & Ulster Hall for 14 years and worked in UTV, one of Northern Ireland’s largest broadcasting houses.

Ciaran Doherty

Head of Regions & Investment at Tourism NI

Ciaran develops capital investment programmes for the tourism industry, collaborates with councils across NI and delivers cross border initiatives.
Prior to joining Tourism NI Ciaran spent nineteen years with Tourism Ireland and led trade and industry activity, air and sea access and digital and social media strategies.

Laura Davis

Managing Director - Wavey Ice

Laura Davis is an accomplished professional with over six years of experience in the food and drink industry in Northern Ireland. She holds a BSc Hons in Food Business and Innovation and MRes Masters by Research, and her career trajectory is a testament to her dedication and passion for innovation in this field.

Laura began her career as an NPD Technologist, honing her skills in New Product Development (NPD) and igniting her passion for creating delightful consumer experiences. As a Walsh Scholar at Teagasc, the Irish Agricultural and Food Innovation Centre, Laura deepened her expertise in food innovation. She simultaneously pursued her academic interests as a Postgraduate Masters Researcher at MTU Cork, specialising in the consumer acceptance and sensory evaluation of 3D printed dairy snacks.

Currently, Laura is the Managing Director of Wavey Ice, an innovative alcohol start-up based in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland. Wavey Ice specialises in ready-to-drink products, including cocktails and alcoholic ice pops. Laura's journey with Wavey Ice began as the Head of Product Development, where she collaborated with a passionate team to create unique frozen concoctions that captivated ice pop and cocktail enthusiasts nationwide.

Her transition to Managing Director marked a new chapter, where she applies her extensive knowledge and expertise to drive the company's growth and success. Under her leadership, Wavey Ice has become synonymous with quality, innovation, and sustainability, aiming to elevate the alcohol industry to new heights.

Sophie Smith

Year 2 student of BSc (Hons) Culinary Arts Management

Sophie Smith was recently presented with the gold prize for cooking and presentation at the national finals of the World Skills UK competition in Culinary Arts, held in Manchester. She is now looking forward to her forthcoming industrial placement in America at the three Michelin star restaurant – Inn at Little Washington.

Sean Carlin

Co-Chair Northern Ireland Schools and Colleges Careers Association / Industry Relations Coordinator and Science Teacher at St. Michaels College, Enniskillen

NISCA – the Northern Ireland Schools & Colleges Careers Association – is an association which works to enhance the quality of Careers provision in schools and Regional Colleges and to create a desire for life-long learning.

Sean will be joined by Rosie Cooper (Co-Chair of NISCA) and Lorraine Barry  (Vice Chair of NISCA).

Rosie has been involved in careers for 20 years and a Head of Careers for 17 years in Larne Grammar. On top of her careers duties also teaches Business Studies.

Lorraine has been involved in careers for over 20 years and been Careers Co-ordinator for 18 years at St Pius X College, Magherafelt. As well as her careers duties she also teaches GCE Health & Social Care.

Abbie McKenna MBE

Head of Centre for Apprenticeships Skills & Flexible Education

Abbie McKenna MBE, leads on Ulster University’s approach to apprenticeships. She has 18 years experience in higher education, a commitment to supporting the NI skills agenda and a focus on collaboration between employers, university and apprentices to enhance the apprentice experience and add value for the employer. She was awarded an MBE in 2019 for services to Higher Education in NI and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Abbie will be joined by Dr Evan Vellis, Governance & Policy Officer.

Alan Hook

Associate Head of School - School of Communication and Media

Alan Hook is a Senior Lecturer in Interactive Media, Associate Head of School for the School of Communication and Media, and a Researcher in New Media and Play in the University’s Centre of Media Research. He is a maker of experiences and oddities for Human and Non-Human Animals.

He has worked with games, immersive media and virtual environments development as a way to investigate and interrogate ideas of play, politics and identity for over 15 years displaying work in exhibitions such as Paraflows (Vienna), international festivals such as Zero1 in San Jose and RXIC in Riga.

He has exhibited virtual environments research in The Tech Museum, Americas largest Science and Technology Museum and continues to work with virtual environments and immersive game experiences as a way to build understanding of complex social, cultural and political issues. Alan’s current research looks at games as a way to tackle ‘wicked problems’ such as Climate Change or Civic and Societal Responsibility.

He has published a large body of work over the past 10 years which explores transmedia narratives, alternate reality games, and playful encounters with blended reality Fiction. He has written on ‘This is Not A Game’ (TINAG) as an aesthetic, Making a Murderer as a Transmedia Experience, Social Justice Storytelling, Indie ARGs, Networked Narratives, and produced a wide range of practice outcomes in the form of ARGs and ARG-like experiences.

Alan is Co-Investigator on the £13m FutureScreens NI AHRC Creative Cluster which explores emerging technology, the creative industries and economic growth (PI Prof Paul Moore). The grant delivers expert technical skills, opportunity and growth across film and broadcast, animation, games and immersive technologies and industries in Northern Ireland.

Through the partnership, Northern Ireland's creative companies will develop strategies to collaborative, grow productivity and maximise their global potential, delivering new jobs and a £400 million increase in GVA to boost the local economy.

He is Co-Investigator on the €2m Northern Periphery and Arctic Program (PI Dr Helen Jackson) Digi2Market. The project aims to address challenges that companies in peripheral areas may face, such as small size of market, distance from the market and isolation. The project explores how immersive technologies can help SMEs access new markets and support economic growth.

Alan is Co-Investigator on the UK Research and Innovation funded-project Museums, Crisis and Covid-19: Vitality and Vulnerabilities (PI Prof Elizabeth Crooke), which is investigating how the museum sector will emerge and refocus in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis.

Outside his funded research Alan is working on a series of projects which explore speculative methods to increase inter-species empathy and understanding such as Equine Eyes, a headset that helps you ‘see like a horse’ and toolkits to help promote interspecies thinking as a form of speculative methodology.

Claire Mulrone

Head Of Widening Access & Participation

Claire has over 28 years’ experience supporting Widening Access and Participation and has responsibility for the Educational and Community Outreach Teams promoting fair access, progression and success at Ulster University. The teams are responsible for engaging with post primary Widening Access Schools, The Discover Academy, The Science Shop, Access Ambassadors, Fostering Aspirations and Community Scholarships.

Claire is also co-director of the Social Justice Hub at the Magee campus, supporting unmet legal needs for the local community and supporting multi-disciplinary student engagement to address social justice issues.

Her first role at Ulster, she set up The Science Shop which a joint initiative with Queen’s University Belfast. The Science Shop continues to support staff and students, across Ulster’s three campuses and four faculties, to undertake real world connected learning projects for community and voluntary partners.

Martin Smith

University Admissions Office Campus Manager

Martin has over 15 years experience in higher education focussing primarily on admissions.  He is the current Chair of Ulster’s University's Qualification Advisory Committee which assesses the qualifications Ulster will accept for entry. He is also the Northern Ireland representative on UCAS’s Qualifications Advisory Group where he helps to provide strategic and expert advice to UCAS in relation to qualifications, learner progression and the UCAS Tariff.