1. No Gaps: An institution wide approach to closing continuation,completion and awarding gaps for all equity groups, Jill Webb, Liz Thomas, Jan Ball-Smith, Jess Penn, University of York

2. Developing academics as Diversity Mark Practitioners, Lucy Panesar, University of Kent

3. TEF Black: (Re-)defining Teaching 'Excellence' as Commitment to Educational Justice, Josephine Gabi, Manchester Metropolitan University, Yetunde Kolajo, University of Kent

4. Applying Intersectional Discrimination to Understanding BAME Male Awarding Gaps, Dami Folayan, Tim Robson, Arden University

5. Building Blocks for Inclusive Practice: Embedding Equity to Improve Progression, Retention, Awarding Gaps and Student Success, Dipa Kamdar, Kingston University

6. From Diagnosis to Design: Using the Working Diagnosis Model to Close Disability-Related Awarding Gaps, Charlotte Stewart, Buckinghamshire New University

7. From Insight to Action: Using Staff Voice to Address Degree Awarding Gaps, Dan West, University of Derby,

8. Bridging the Gap: From Structured Intervention to Student Agency, Tamar McPherson, SOAS

1. Addressing the ethnicity awarding gap by creating psychologically safe spaces Kierra Bunting, Vanessa Dodd, University of Staffordshire,
2. The cost of learning, Becky Hart, Rosie Jones, Kings and Sussex,
3. Impact Evaluation in Higher Education: From Problem Tree to Theory of Change, Bilal Hazzouri, ARU - Interactive workshop
4. Supporting BTEC Student Success: A model for academic staff development, Nikki Anghileri, Julia Brennan, St Mary’s University

Jill Webb, University of York

Jill Webb is Associate Dean for Education and Students for the Faculty of Social Sciences and is proud to be the first in her family to attend university. Prior to joining the University of York she worked as a Chartered Accountant and as Accounting Subject Lead at Leeds Beckett University.

Jill provides academic leadership across Access and Participation Planning work and Co-leads the University of York’s No Gaps project. Jill’s scholarship examines aspects of the student experience with a focus on inclusion and the role of Higher Education in preparing students for life after university.

Liz Thomas, University of York

Liz has worked in the field of higher education equity, widening access and promoting student success for around 25 years. She joined the Department of Education at the University of York in 2022. Her background is eclectic, including social policy and evaluation, and her research covers many aspects of the higher education student experience, and is predominantly qualitative, or mixed methods studies. She is committed to using research to make a positive difference and has informed national policy in the UK and abroad; she has led change programmes involving teams from over 100 higher education institutions across the UK.

Jess Penn, University of York

Jess Penn is Deputy Head of the Inclusive Education Team at the University of York, and Co-lead of the University of York's No Gaps Project. Jess leads the Academic Student Success Interventions in the APP, working closely with academic and professional services colleagues to support the development of inclusive teaching and learning practice at the university.

Lucy Panesar, University of Kent

Dr Lucy Panesar is an Educational Developer focused on the development of inclusive and equitable higher education practices. Between 2015-2022, she led on a range of projects aimed at addressing degree awarding gaps at the University of the Arts London. Since 2022, she has been leading inclusive curriculum and education development initiatives with colleagues across the disciplines at the University of Kent.

Josephine Gabi, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Josephine Gabi is a Reader (Associate Professor) at the Manchester Metropolitan University and the co-editor of 'Who Are You Without Colonialism?: Pedagogies of Liberation'.

Yetunde Kolajo, University of Kent

Dr Yetunde Kolajo is an Educator and Researcher who taught undergraduate and postgraduate students at Flinders University, Australia, from 2017 to 2021. Since 2021, her research at the University of Kent has centred on equity, belonging, and student success in higher education, with a particular focus on addressing barriers affecting minoritised students. Her work spans inclusive teaching, student engagement, assessment and attainment, science education, active and self-regulated learning, critical thinking, and curriculum diversification.

Dami Folayan, Arden University

Dami is a Christian Black British Woman sociologist of education, researcher, poet, all-round creative and wearer of many hats. She completed her PhD in Education at the University of Cambridge in 2025. Her PhD research project, 'Of, but not in: A poetic exploration of how Black women students respond to the coloniality of Oxbridge', employed Critical Poetic Inquiry to explore the experiences of Black woman Oxbridge students, past and present.

Dami is a Lecturer in EDI (APP) at Arden University, where she supports the evaluation of Access and Participation activities. In addition to her poetic and academic work, Dami is a Co-director at the Black Women’s Archive.

Tim Robson, Arden University

Tim Robson is the Director of Quality, Access and Participation at Arden University and oversees the strategic development and implementation of a range of interventions that aim to reduce the gaps in equality of opportunity.

Dipa Kamdar, Kingston University

Dipa Kamdar is a Senior Lecturer and Academic Leader in Pharmacy education, specialising in inclusive curriculum design, health inequalities, and women’s health. She leads innovative curriculum development projects that integrate real‑world public health challenges into Pharmacy training, with a particular focus on health literacy and equitable practice. Dipa is committed to building institutional capability by supporting colleagues and students to engage confidently in curriculum design through pedagogic coaching and collaborative approaches. Her work spans teaching, research, and sector‑wide dissemination, with a strong emphasis on co‑creation, accessibility, and preparing future Pharmacists for person‑centred, socially responsive practice.

Charlotte Stewart, Buckinghamshire New University

Charlotte Stewart serves as Head of Disability & Inclusion at Buckinghamshire New University. In this role, she oversees multidisciplinary support teams, designs and commissions staff training programmes, and shapes policy to ensure that disability and accessibility considerations are embedded across all functions of the University. Charlotte is Chair of the Higher Education Network for Disability Leads, where she convenes colleagues nationally to share good practice, and she serves on the EDI Committee of NOTA (the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abuse), helping to integrate inclusive and equitable approaches beyond the higher education sector.

Tamar McPherson, SOAS University

Tamar McPherson is a Student Success Officer at SOAS and leads the Bridging the Gap programme. Her work focuses on student engagement, equity, and belonging, with particular attention to how universities can better recognise and support the knowledge, interests, and networks students bring to higher education. As the first in her family to attend university, her approach is shaped by lived experience and a commitment to valuing student creativity, culture and perspectives. She is dedicated to developing more authentic and inclusive institutional environments that respond meaningfully to students and the communities they are part of.

Marva de la Coudray, London Metropolitan University

Marva de la Coudray is Director of the Centres for Teaching Enhancement and Equity & Inclusion at London Metropolitan University. With over 20 years’ experience in higher education, she has led transformative strategies in teaching, learning, and equity, delivering measurable improvements in student success and institutional performance. Marva has shaped policy and practice through visionary leadership, partnership building, and evidence-driven innovation. Her work champions social justice, belonging, and academic excellence, creating environments where all students and staff can thrive.

Louise Banahene, University of Leeds

Louise Banahene is a senior leader at the University of Leeds. She provides leadership of professional services and student education focused on enriching the learning experience with a strong focus on equity and inclusion. This includes leadership of the University’s Access & Student Success strategy with the importance outcomes and experience of all students, including those from marginalised communities, as a core strand. In 2017 she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to higher education and holds Principal Fellowship with the Higher Education Academy.

Shames Maskeen, Leeds Trinity University

Dr Shames Maskeen is the Associate Director of The Race Institute and Senior Lecturer in Psychology specialising in widening participation, intersectionality and cultural change. He was the driving force in Leeds Trinity University becoming the first University in Yorkshire to achieve the Race Equality Charter award and the establishment of The Race Institute. His research focusses on tackling racial inequities and the intersections of class, culture, religion and gender experienced by racialised minorities in Higher Education and beyond. Dedicated to anti-racist leadership, he focusses on turning theory into action to create an equitable future for young people.

Shames Co-Chairs the Race Equity Network at Go Higher West Yorkshire, is a member of the Born in Bradford’s Centre for Applied Education Research group, is an Associate for Race Equality at Advance HE, member of the Secure Data Environment Group and serves as a steering group member for the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council. More recently, he led on the development of a joint international webinar series “The call for transformational, courageous anti-racist leadership in higher education" with Universities UK.

Professor Ian Turner, University of Derby

Ian is Head of Biomedical and Forensic Science, and a Professor of Learning and Teaching at the University of Derby (UK). He is a National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; he was named Royal Society of Biology Higher Education Lecture of the Year in 2017. His research interests centre around game-based learning and playful pedagogies.

Kierra Bunting (SFHEA), University of Staffordshire

Kierra Bunting is an Inclusive Education and Impact Manager at the University of Staffordshire, with 8 years in the higher education (HE) sector and is currently undertaking her Professional Doctorate in Education at University of Nottingham.

She specialises in promoting inclusion and reducing disparities, educational development, and enhancing the student experience. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) focused on evidence-based improvements in HE. LinkedIn biography link: http://linkedin.com/in/kierrabunting

Becky Hart, King’s College London

Becky is a Student Experience Manager leading a team dedicated to fostering community building sense of belonging and providing career-readiness, skill development and experiential learning opportunities. Becky is committed to widening participation, student success and implementing opportunities for students to co-create, collaborate and work in partnership with academic and professional service staff to consult and make positive change to the learning environment.

Becky is a professional member of 93% Club, advocating for equity of opportunity for state-educated university students. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hart-786289139/ https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/becky-hart

Rosie Jones, University of Sussex

Rosie is the Student Voice Manager at the University of Sussex. She is committed to creating inclusive spaces where all students can share their experiences, shape policy, and influence meaningful change across the university.

Bilal Hazzouri, Anglia Ruskin University

Bilal Hazzouri is an Impact and Evaluation Manager at Anglia Ruskin
University (UK), specialising in impact evaluation, monitoring and learning
(MEL), and data-driven decision making in higher education and
humanitarian programmes. His work focuses on designing and implementing rigorous evaluation frameworks to assess the effectiveness of social and educational interventions, including initiatives under the UK Access and Participation Plan (APP). Bilal has led numerous mixed-methods evaluations across higher education and international development contexts. His research interests
include impact evaluation methodologies, theory of change, and the use of institutional data to improve student outcomes and programme effectiveness.

Nikki Anghileri, St Mary’s University

With more than 30 years' successful experience across different aspects of education, as a lecturer in FE and HE, researcher, advisor, project manager and consultant, Nikki now have strategic leadership of the Inclusion agenda and Access and Participation Plan delivery at SMU.

All of Nikki's professional roles have been driven by the same passionate commitment to enhancing student and staff experiences, truly valuing diversity and developing inclusive models of practice. She is also an ECR, currently undertaking Doctoral research in the lived experiences and ‘sense of belonging’ of academic staff from backgrounds traditionally under-represented in HE.

Nikki's work is always informed, driven and underpinned by academic research, scholarship and impact evaluation, and the actions being taken to narrow gaps between students entering HE with A levels and other qualifications is no exception.

Julia Brennan, St Mary’s University

Julia has more than 20 years’ experience in higher education in course design, digital learning, and academic professional development. Drawing on this background, She is particularly interested in how online learning can be effectively integrated with face-to-face provision to enhance academic continuing professional development. Julia is currently nearing completion of a Master’s in Higher Education at the University of Surrey where my research dissertation examines how lecturers and students from BTEC and A‑level backgrounds conceptualise independent learning – a defining but ambiguously understood feature of university study. The aim of this work is to use insights gained to enhance teaching and contribute to access and participation plan priorities around student transition and retention.