Sustainability Office

Prof. Nick Braithwaite, Executive Sponsor for Sustainability 

Professor Braithwaite is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics and the Vice-Chancellor's Executive sponsor for Sustainability at the OU. Under his leadership the University has pledged to create and share knowledge and learning to realise social and environmental justice by placing sustainability at the heart of the OU’s teaching, research, and knowledge exchange. Nick is Chair of the Sustainability Steering Group and is supported by Lisa Lewzey and Sheila Taylor.

Dr. Victoria Hands, Director of Sustainability

Dr Victoria Hands is a sustainability expert who empowers individuals and organisations to discover and adopt regenerative practices so they can transform their actions for sustainability. She promotes, trains, and coaches on implementation of long-term, preventative, inclusive, collaborative and integrated approaches. She led sustainability initiatives in universities for fourteen years influencing teaching, research, and operations, having spent seven years delivering collaborative partnership projects.  Victoria oversees OU policy, governance, data, reporting and implementation, and clarifies roles and objectives to ensure progress is aligned with  the Universitiy's sustainability ambitions.

Gabriella Daroczi, Project Manager

April 2022 – July 2024 1.0 FTE. Gabriella is project managing several deliverables for the Sustainability Office. Gabi has a keen interest in social and environmental justice and has been working with colleagues across the OU to implement sustainability projects and initiatives. Gabi is a Chartered Marketer and has qualifications in sustainability and project management to support her work.

Lesley Cuandu, PA, Executive Dean's Office

Janice Ansine, Senior Project Manager, Citizen Science

Lucy Gilbert, Sustainability Communications Manager

0.5 FTE. Lucy has a background in communications and has studied Environment modules and microcrentials at the OU. She has a passion for sustainability and loves to combine her interests and skillset to make a difference. In addition to Communications, Lucy has been working with colleagues across the OU to implement sustainability in to all areas of our work and this has helped her develop a robust understanding of social and environmental justice issues.

Meet the Net Zero Wales Team

Led by the Director of Sustainability, the team (please see PDF) is working alongside ten suppliers and internal groups, such as the Sustainability Coordination Group and Sustainability Steering Group, to deliver the Net Zero Project and support the University in its ambitions to achieve Net Zero in Wales by 2030. You can contact this team via sustainability@open.ac.uk

Dr Kadmiel Maseyk, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sciences, STEM  

I am a plant ecophysiologist interested in how plant function affects ecosystem carbon and water biogeochemistry. I have a strong interest in plant and ecosystem responses to environmental variability and global change processes. My work is predominantly field based, and has covered environments from the poles to the tropics.

Fred Motson, Lecturer in Law, FBL

 I have a  particular interest in the intersection between law and technology, both in how technology can shape or change the practice of law and in how law responds to technological advances.

Prof Stephen Peake, Professor of Climate Change, STEM

I work on a range of topics including Renewable Energy; Climate Science Communication; Sustainability Leadership; Systems Practice; Policy Science: Theory and Practice; Business Ethics and Sustainability; and International Climate Finance.

Dr Ivan Sudakow, Mathematics and Statistics 

I am conducting research in the Mathematics of Planet Earth that focuses on using mathematical tools to address global environmental issues. I believe that the implementation of sustainability issues in the curriculum as a permanent component is very important to educate people to save our planet.

Dr Emma Dewberry, Senior Lecturer in Design, School of Engineering and Innovation, STEM

I have desire to see OU support ecological, as well as social, wellbeing and citizenship – and for that to be visibly present in the strategic ambition of the university. I am interested in understanding what constitutes sustainable education and how its breadth of content and approach can be supported across existing and new OU curricula – and getting colleagues engaged with exploring these ideas. 

Anja Schaefer, Senior Lecturer in Management, Business School, FBL

My research interests lie predominantly in the area of organizational ethics and sustainability. I have carried out empirical research into ethics in policing practice, social responsibility at industry level, and sustainability and environmental management in utility firms.  

Dr Martin Braun, SPS Teaching

I am a multilingual engineer, coach and teacher with a skill set spanning from business improvement to research and data analysis. I am interested in working in a position of some responsibility to contribute to the success of business-critical projects.

Dr Jim Hague, SPS, research

I have a wide variety of research interests centred around theoretical physics and applied maths. I also lead on a Cultured tissues project that has sustainability applications in pharmaceutical testing, regenerative medicine and cultured meat. 

Mike Richards, C & C Teaching 

I joined The Open University in 1996 to help trial teaching over the Internet. Since then I have taught courses ranging from an introduction to robots to the engineering works of Leonardo da Vinci, but I have spent most of my time writing about security - everything from the Enigma machines to e-shopping. 

Prof Clara Mancini, C & C Research

I am Professor of Animal-Computer Interaction and founding head the Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) Laboratory. The ACI Lab was funded in 2011 to research the interaction between animals and technology; to design interactive systems that improve animals’ welfare, support their activities and improve interspecies relationships; and to develop animal-centred approaches to inform the design of interactive technology for and with animals.

Dr Klaus-Dieter Rossade, Executive Dean, WELS

I am Executive Dean (interim) for the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS) at the Open University, UK. Before my current role, I was Head of School in Languages and Applied Linguistics and before that, Associate Dean, responsible for curriculum strategy and planning, qualification and module production and assessment for three schools.

Nerys Bolton, HWSC, AHoS Curriculum and Innovation

My research interests include sustainability, employability, peer mentoring and quality assurance. Currently undertaking a course to become a life coach.

Sam Austen, LAL, AHoS Curriculum and Quality

I am a Staff Tutor and Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at the Open University. My research interests include conceptual transfer in second language acquisition, language teaching and learning, cognitive linguistics and its application to classroom practice.

Eric Addae-Kyeremeh, Head of School, ECYS

In the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport (ECYS) we are committed to the Open University’s mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We acknowledge that different people bring different knowledge, perspectives and culture to our community and collectively this difference makes us better in our teaching, research and scholarship.

Head of School, FASS

Where School Leads are yet to be identified, the Head of School will represent.