Professor Alison Machin
Elected Academic Board Member of University Court
Professor Alison Machin was appointed Dean of School and Professor of Nursing and Interprofessional Education, in September 2020, with responsibility for education and research in nursing, midwifery, allied health and social work, and health and social care sciences. In addition to leading the School Alison is also a member of the University Senior Leadership Team. She leads a team of circa 140 academic staff, delivering education programmes at all academic levels to around 4000 students, full time and part time, UK and international. She has a collaborative, humble leadership style, valuing the importance of diversity in higher education and professional practice. Partnership working with School stakeholders is a key role priority.
Alison was appointed from Northumbria University in England, where she previously held a range of academic leadership roles in the Faculty of Health Sciences, including Deputy Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor and previously Head of the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health.
She was elected in 2019 to the Council of Deans of Health Executive as the UK wide Workforce portfolio lead where she is currently a Board Trustee and a member of the Scottish Council of Deans for Health. Alison is also a Trustee of CAIPE, the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education, and Co-editor of a CAIPE book series on Collaborative Practice in Health and Social Care.
She started her academic career at Northumbria University in 1999 as a Senior Lecturer in adult nursing. In 2003 she was appointed as Director of Interprofessional Education, with Principal Lecturer responsibility for the strategic development of interprofessional education across health and social care pre-registration programmes. Alison also played a lead role in a national Department of Health funded initiative to embed service improvement learning into pre-registration health curricula. She has led Post Graduate taught programmes in public health, enhancing the learning experience of both UK and international students. She has also been the strategic lead for a high profile, international nurse education collaborative venture in Malta.
Prior to her university appointment, Alison worked for 11 years as a Registered Nurse and as a Health Visitor, supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. She is a strong advocate for the nursing profession and is passionate about preparing the future nursing workforce to deliver outstanding, fit for purpose, quality care as part of an interprofessional health and social care team.
Alison is also an active researcher, an experienced PhD supervisor and Doctoral examiner. Her research interests include: interprofessional education; nursing and healthcare collaborative workforce development; professional identity; health visiting; and public health; using qualitative methodologies including grounded theory.