Management and Structure

Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Professor Alastair Irons is Professor of Computer Science and Deputy Principal and Deputy Vice Chancellor at Abertay University. Before coming to Abertay in July 2022 he was Academic Director for Digital Education at the University of Sunderland, having previously been the Dean for the Faculty of Technology. Prior to joining the University of Sunderland in 2008 he worked at ONE North East, Northumbria University and ICI having moved to the north east of England from Scotland after graduating in 1984 from Edinburgh University. Alastair became a National Teaching Fellow in 2010. Alastair was a visiting scholar at the University of Cape Town in South Africa from 2013 – 2017 and is currently a visiting professor at the University of Johannesburg and at the British University in Egypt.

His research interests focus on digital education and digital pedagogies, but also on digital forensics and cybersecurity. His current research includes digital skills frameworks for students and academics, digital skills for all and digital poverty, as well as cybersecurity in the classroom and learning safely in the classroom of the future. Alastair has over 20 refereed journal publications and has over 40 conference papers in the last 5 years. His recent book publications include a book on assessment and feedback in 2021 and an anthology of issues in higher education in a post-Covid world in 2022.

Alastair is currently Vice President (academic) of the BCS and is chair of the BCS Academy board (recently re-elected for a second three year term), he also sits on BCS Council and BCS Trustees, is a member of the BCS Academic Accreditation Committee and is a founding trustee of the BCS Foundation. Whilst in the North East he was chair of the Newcastle Branch of the BCS and since moving to Dundee has been elected chair of the Tayside and Fife Branch of the BCS. He is also currently the UK representative on IFIP and serves on the IFIP Board.

Find out more about Professor Irons ➟

Dean of the Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business

My focus is on the use of computational methods to model complex biological and healthcare phenomena.

Research activity spans systems modelling of complex networks and analysis of network behaviour, image analysis and interactive data visualisation using computer games technologies.  My research investigates how cancer cells respond to anti-cancer drugs at cellular and tissue scales and extends over systems modelling, image analysis through spatial statistics to analyse cancer patient tissue images to predict survival and interactive visualisation of cell signalling dynamics.

I work with Macmillan Cancer Support and the Digital Health and Social Care Institute on a project using AI and games technology to support optimisation of health and social care provision. I also support the strategic development of research and knowledge exchange at Abertay.

I am also Co-Director of InGAME (Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise). InGAME is the UK Creative Cluster for Computer Games. InGAME is Abertay-led with academic partners Universities of Dundee and St Andrews, and industry partners including Sony, Microsoft, 4J Studios (games include Minecraft), Beano, Outplay (UK’s largest mobile phone games company). InGAME provides a R&D environment for new and experimental creative content, products, services and experiences. The InGAME Applied Games Lab enables industry to work directly with our R&D team to harness the power of computer games to solve real-world problems in games and outwith the games sector (diversification) and de-risk technologies (through experimentation). InGAME, at its mid-point, has delivered 28 outputs (R&D projects, innovation labs, etc.) and provided networking/training opportunities to more than 700 people.

Dean of Enterprise and Commercialisation

Mohamed is a Professor of International Human Resource Management and an Academic Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Over the last 20 years, Mohamed’s work has focused on culture and human resource management with special emphasis on flexibility, diversity, equal opportunities and social inclusion.

Mohamed’s research is recognised for its contribution to the contemporary understanding of people management in different cultures and the efficient use of flexible working practices, equal opportunities in relation to gender and age, employment initiatives, and employment prospects for young people leaving third level education.

He has conducted research and consultancy work in the following areas

• Human resource management

• Cross-cultural management

• Graduate recruitment and labour market trends

• Environmental awareness in the workplace

• Job creation and social inclusion

• The response of employees to organisational change

Mohamed has published two books, over 60 research papers – many of which have been presented at national and international conferences - and examined more than 50 PhD and MPhil students.

He is a guest lecturer at universities in the UK and abroad including the University of British Colombia and the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

Dean of International and UK Partnerships

Claire has been a member of academic staff at Abertay for almost 30 years. 

Starting in the School of Mathematics and Computing as Head of Division for Information Technology she moved to the Dundee Business School and then School of Business, Law and Social Sciences as Head of Teaching Quality and Learning Enhancement, when she was a member of the Quality Committee of the Scottish Credit & Qualification Framework. More latterly as Head of the Accounting, Business and Management division she helped Abertay expand its international partnerships.

Claire's current role is to support the University in developing new partnerships locally and to help expand our academic footprint globally.  She is committed to ensuring Abertay have deep, collaborative partnerships for the benefit of both parties.

Find out more about Ms Claire MacEachen ➟

Dean of Learning and Teaching

Dr Luke Millard is Dean of Teaching and Learning at Abertay University and is a Principal Fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Academy.  At Abertay, Luke leads the work of the AbLE Academy and works with the Deans and Senior Management Team to guide activities that seek to improve student and staff experiences, and outcomes, through collaborative engagement.  The Principal Fellowship award was based on his experiences in developing student success through collaborative working with staff and students on the areas of student engagement and co-creation, student employment, transitions and the first year experience. His doctoral research continued this theme and considered the impact of students being employed on campus on students’ learning and their relationship to the institution.

In recent years, Luke has been invited to deliver keynotes at University Learning and Teaching events at Bath, Nottingham Trent, Liverpool John Moores, Munster Technological University, Worcester and Winchester Universities.  In addition, he has chaired the European First Year Experience conference; provided a presentation to the OECD in Paris on Learning Gain and chaired a national conference in London on ‘Increasing Student Retention Across Higher Education’. In 2019, Luke delivered a keynote on student engagement and quality enhancement at the University of Tsukuba (Japan) and presented at the Japanese Association of Higher Education Research.  Most recently, he has worked with the University of Szeged and members of the EULOGH university alliance to explore issues around student engagement and success.  Luke has published widely and has substantial experience of developing partnership arrangements with Universities across North America, Asia and Europe as a vehicle to improve institutional performance and the student experience.

Luke continues to investigate and research in the field of student retention and success with a particular focuses on the first year student experience and the addressing of inequalities through course design and student opportunity. Luke has written extensively on student engagement, success and employability.