The Academic Skills team is a small group dedicated to helping all students adjust to and succeed in their work at university. We advise undergraduates, postgraduates and staff members studying at Edinburgh Napier on all aspects of university study and writing. The team also works with academics to develop guidance tailored to particular disciplines and cohorts of students. For more detail regarding our services, visit our dedicated pages for students or academics. Learn more about each of us below.
Tayo, Team Manager
Tayo moved to Edinburgh in 2010 to study towards Masters and PhD qualifications in the Biological Sciences. Having completed his research in 2017, he worked in the School of Applied Sciences as a demonstrator and a student project adviser, before joining the Academic Skills team in 2018. He was thrilled to be appointed the team’s manager in 2023. Tayo also spent four years working in the medical and pharmaceuticals industry. Additionally, he has over ten years of experience as a customer service analyst in the banking industry. When he isn’t working, Tayo spends time with his wife and children.
Angus
Angus first joined the Academic Skills team in 2013. He previously studied and taught at Georgetown University, before producing a political news programme for American radio. After sampling other pastures and finding them less green, he joined the team on a permanent basis at the end of 2018. Angus works closely with students and staff in the School of Arts and Creative Industries. He also spends time producing online study resources and leading on academic integrity issues. When not at Edinburgh Napier, he’s likely to be working on a book on W.G. Sebald and the emblem tradition (the subject of his PhD thesis), growing things to eat (with mixed success), or exploring some of the Lothians’ quieter corners.
Lorrae
Lorrae first came across learning development as an undergraduate student when she needed help with her academic writing. The guidance was so valuable that it inspired her to become a peer mentor, and the role sparked a passion for ‘facilitating learning’. Ten years later, she has experienced academia from several different perspectives, including as a student, lecturer, teaching assistant, and writing tutor in the UK and USA. Wanting to use the insight she has gained to dispel the myths of academic skills for other students, she joined the team in Spring 2022. Outside work, she can be found tending to her ever-growing plant collection and exploring Edinburgh on long walks. Lorrae is also writing her PhD thesis on corpus linguistics and language testing, and is still using the strategies from all those years ago to help her.
Hannah
Hannah joined the Academic Skills team in summer 2023. She was awarded a PhD in Human Geography in 2018, and has taught at universities around the UK since then. This teaching experience has given Hannah an awareness of the growing challenges facing students, including the ongoing impacts COVID-19, the rising cost of living, and increasing mental ill-health. She is passionate about supporting students to make the most of their studies, no matter their circumstances. Outside of work, Hannah enjoys visiting museums, exploring Scotland, and reading.
Susie
Susie started her studies and career in journalism, going on to work for the BBC and The Scotsman newspaper. However, raising dyslexic children made her passionate about supporting people to fulfil their potential in education and beyond. Hence, she took a postgraduate qualification in careers guidance at Edinburgh Napier University, and has been a board member of Dyslexia Scotland for nearly ten years. Concurrently, she has been working as an Academic Skills adviser, whilst also offering career guidance outside of the university. Susie has a love of animals, and particularly hedgehogs and tortoises. Incidentally, she also loves good grammar.
Claire
Claire has had a (very) long and varied career in teaching, having worked with students from primary school to post-graduate level. With a background in psychology, she is interested in understanding attitudes and approaches to learning and helping students to achieve their potential. Before working at Napier, she studied at the university as a mature Masters student. Her interests outside of work include playing flute and piano pretty badly and going to concerts. She is also a qualified yoga teacher, so is always looking to convert the uninitiated to the benefits of a downward-facing dog.