Chairs and Deputy Chairs appointed to lead 2026-27 Subject Benchmark Statement reviews

QAA has appointed new Chairs and Deputy Chairs to lead the review of seven Subject Benchmark Statements (SBS) during 2026-27. The appointments follow an expression of interest process earlier this year.

For more than two decades, Subject Benchmark Statements have outlined the nature of study and the academic standards expected of graduates in specific disciplines. They articulate what students can reasonably be expected to know, understand, and be able to do by the end of their studies.

Each Chair and Deputy Chair will oversee the development of their respective Statements, working in partnership with Advisory Groups to ensure the documents continue to serve as valuable resources for subject communities. These Statements play a key role in supporting the design, delivery, and review of academic programmes across UK higher education. QAA facilitates the overall process of creating and reviewing the Subject Benchmark Statements.

“We’re hugely grateful to colleagues across the sector who dedicate their time, expertise, and enthusiasm to this important work. We look forward to supporting these teams as they take forward the reviews.” says Dr Andy Smith, Quality and Standards Manager at QAA.

The following Chairs and Deputy Chairs have been appointed to lead their respective Subject Benchmark Statement reviews:

Events, Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism 

• Chair: Professor Gary Kerr, Atlantic Technological University
• Deputy Chair: Zoe Adjey, University of East London
• Deputy Chair: Professor Lisa Wyld, Buckinghamshire New University

Paramedics

• Chair: Dr Carl Webster, Nottingham Trent University
• Deputy Chair: Dr Vince Clarke, University of Hertfordshire
• Deputy Chair: Dr Sophie Willis, University of Lincoln

Sport and Exercise Science

• Chair: Professor Matthew A. Timmis, Anglia Ruskin University
• Deputy Chair: Professor Hanya Pielichaty, University of Lincoln
• Deputy Chair: Dr Ian Sandler, Liverpool John Moores University

Welsh

• Chair: Dr Siwan Rosser, Cardiff University
• Deputy Chair: Dr Miriam Elin Jones, Swansea University

Dietetics

• Chair: Professor Sarah Illingworth, London Metropolitan University
• Deputy Chair: Dr Alyson Hill, Ulster University

Material

• Chair: Professor Stuart Lyon, University of Manchester
• Deputy Chair: Dr Simon Hogg, Loughborough University

Youth and Community Work

• Chair: Professor Sinead Gormally, University of Glasgow
• Deputy Chair: Professor Alan Smith, Leeds Beckett University
• Deputy Chair: Christine Smith, University of Hull
• Deputy Chair: Simon Williams, University of Derby