Professor, Department of Environmental Planning and Head of Department
Qualifications: MA (Hons) Politics, University of Edinburgh; MPhil (Economics)
CNAA (Polytechnic of North London)
Professional Bodies: Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development;
Member of the Institution of Economic Development.
Previously: employed as a manager of local authority economic development,
in various posts in higher education, and as Professor of Public Policy at Robert
Gordon's University.
Main Research interests: vocational education and training; local economic
development institutions and policies; devolved government; local/community
economic development in Atlantic Canada.
Recent Publications: include journal articles/book chapters on education
policy and the Scottish Parliament; the governance of vocational education and
training; local economic development and the Scottish Parliament; local government
reform; local government in North East Scotland; Scottish Enterprise and Highlands
and Islands Enterprise; and , the 'New Deal'.
Teaching and research supervision interests: public policy; public sector
management; local economic development; vocational education and training.
External activities include: Specialist Advisor to Scottish Affairs Select
Committee during its enquiry into the enterprise networks, 1993-5; Member of
the Kemp Commission on the future of the voluntary sector; member of COSHEP
ad hoc group advising on the implications of the Scottish Parliament for higher
education; committee member of the Scottish Branch of the Regional Studies Association;
external examiner, education faculty, University of Edinburgh.
Outside interests: music, theatre, fishing, hill-walking and football
(watching).