Research Committee
This Committee is responsible for monitoring the University's performance against the Research Strategy and ensuring that high levels of research standards are achieved and maintained.
The subsidiary companies within the Research Committee’s purview are determined by the University’s Board of Governors, which currently includes: Coventry University London Campus Limited, Coventry University College Limited, Coventry University Online Limited and CU Recruitment and Admissions Limited.
Research Committee - Constitution and Terms of Reference (CTRs)
Vacancy
We are currently inviting expressions of interest for governor vacancies across the Board of Governors and its Committees. This committee currently has a vacancy for the role of Governor, and we are particularly keen to hear from individuals with expertise in Research.
You can view further information including a role description and details of how to enquire.
Kevin Baughan OBE
Chair of the Research Committee and Independent member of the Board of Governors
Kevin is the former Deputy Chief Executive of Innovate UK where they focused on the development and delivery of Innovate UK’s investment portfolio regionally, nationally and globally. Progressing from roles as Innovate UK’s Director of Technology and Chief Development Officer, Kevin championed and pioneered many new important initiatives such as the proposals which led to the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and the forging of closer working partnerships with Venture Capital funds leading to the Investment Acceleration programmes.
Kevin has an extensive track record in delivering transformative growth through leading edge innovations, in particular for the telecommunications industry, where they held leadership positions with BT, Nortel Networks and Virgin Media. Whilst Director of Technical Strategy at Virgin Media: Kevin pioneered Virgin’s rollout of the UK’s first mass-market superfast broadband in 2008; championed Virgin’s migration to a new generation digital entertainment service in 2010 and then as Director of Wireless, was responsible for the roll out of high-speed WiFi access across the London Underground in time for the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Kevin holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Birmingham in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Aston University and an MBA with distinction from Imperial College.
In addition to their role as a Governor at Coventry University Group, Kevin is a Trustee on the Board of the City and Guilds Group and an industry advisor on innovation.
Kevin is also Chair of the Education Committee and member of the Board of Governors.
Attila Emecz
Independent Governor
Attila (Atti) is Senior Director, Custom Solutions at Elsevier where he works particularly, although not exclusively, with governments and research funders in developing analytical solutions to help in research strategy, research delivery and national assessments.
Prior to joining Elsevier, Atti worked at the University of Surrey from 2014 to 2019 in various roles including as Vice-Provost, Research and Innovation and as Director of Research Strategy. He introduced the first formal Research and Impact Strategy at the University.
Atti remains a visiting professor at the University. During his time at Surrey, Atti was also Executive Secretary for the ERA Foundation whose objectives included encouraging young people into engineering careers and on promoting the contribution that engineering and manufacturing make to society.
Between 1990 and 2014, Atti worked for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council the largest funder of UK university research. He was an Executive Director from 2003. On behalf of all UK Research Councils, Atti led the work on improving the efficiency of peer review and on encouraging impact to be delivered from the research and training the Council's support. He was responsible for developing three Corporate Strategies, for the introduction of a number of schemes for accelerating impact and for leading the evaluation team responsible for assessing the effectiveness of EPSRC policies, including for impact.
Dr David Secher
Independent Governor
David Secher is an independent consultant in the areas of research commercialisation, intellectual property and technology transfer, in the UK and internationally. Assignments include work in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South America, Africa, and Europe. He is based in Cambridge University, where he is a Life Fellow of Gonville & Caius College.
In 2002, together with Lita Nelsen of MIT, he founded Praxis (now PraxisAuril), the leading UK knowledge exchange organisation. He served as chairman or as a director until 2014 and is now Patron. For his contributions to “creating environments that favour enterprise, specialising in the practical aspects of commercialising the results of academic research”, he was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2007.
Previous roles include Senior Bursar, Gonville & Caius College; CEO of the N8 Research Partnership; Director of Research Services, Cambridge University; Director of Drug Development, Cancer Research Campaign; Director of Monoclonal Therapeutics, Celltech Ltd.; and Tenured Group Leader, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology. As a consultant, he has advised universities, governments and individuals on commercialisation of intellectual property, as well as acting as a non-executive director of technology and investment companies. He is a director of Crossword Cybersecurity plc.
David graduated from the Cambridge University (Churchill College) with first class honours in biochemistry. His PhD work at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology was with César Milstein (Nobel Prize-winner for discovery of monoclonal antibodies). Together with Derek Burke, Secher made and patented the first monoclonal antibody to human interferon.
David is also Chair of the Enterprise and Innovation Committee and a member of the Board of Governors and Strategy, Finance and Resources Committee.
Kerry McGreavy
Staff Governor
Kerry was appointed as Staff Governor in September 2022. Having joined Coventry University in 2011 as an Employment Personal Tutor based within the Faculty of Business and Law, in 2018 she moved into a role managing the apprenticeship team, and is now the Head of Apprenticeships within CU Apprenticeships (Better Futures).
In 2013 Kerry, as a mature student, joined the first cohort of part time learners to study through the newly formed Coventry University College (later becoming the CU Group), achieving her BA in Management and Leadership in 2017.
Kerry developed an interest in coaching and mentoring during her early years as an Employment Personal Tutor, writing her dissertation on the topic while establishing a student mentoring scheme with the Government Economics Service. When the Coventry University Coaching and Mentoring Academy was formed in 2018 she joined the first cohort of internal staff to be trained as coach/mentors, and has continued to support colleagues though her involvement with the Academy ever since.
She also developed an interest in supporting the career ambitions of women, and has been part of both the Athena Swan Action Team and the Gender Leadership and Development Group. Kerry later joined the first cohort of staff members to undertake the Aurora programme, and has used these experience to further inform the support she offers colleagues through the Coaching and Mentoring Academy.
Kerry is also a member of the Education Committee and the Board of Governors.
Mark Richards
Independent Governor
Mark won an open scholarship to read music at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, going on to secure a First before successfully completing an MMus in Theory and Analysis at King’s College, London and further research in the music of Webern at Cardiff University.
Mark has tutored at several universities, but his main focus has been school teaching and senior leadership; at present he is Senior Deputy Head. Prior to Queen Anne’s, Mark was Director of Studies and Head of Sixth Form at Saint Martin’s School in Solihull (GSA Day School). Mark has been a governor of three schools, is a trustee of the Society for Music Analysis and the Society for Minimalist Music and is a member of the Society for Musicology in Ireland.
Mark also teaches A Level Music at Queen Anne’s, is an experienced school inspector and A Level and IB music examiner; he has also written several books and articles associated with A Level Music.
When away from school leadership and music, Mark enjoys North Devon coastal walks with his wife, Claire, and their four golden retrievers, Bertie, Monty, Rufus and Gideon! He is also a member of the Research Committee.
Long'or Pauline
SU Postgraduate Research Officer
Pauline is the SU Postgraduate Research Officer and is an experienced hydrologist currently in her third year of PhD research in Flood Risk Management using Nature-Based Solutions. Pauline has two years of practical experience in surface and groundwater hydrology, hydrometric data collection, GIS, and hydrological modelling. With a background in both fieldwork and independent research, Pauline’s work focuses on developing sustainable water management strategies and flood risk resilience in the face of climate change.
Dr Jay Keyse
Independent Governor
Jay Keyse is an experienced enterprise strategist and IT services portfolio executive who has held leadership positions at EDS, HP, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, DXC Technology and ConvergeOne, and currently works for Gartner UK Ltd. as an Executive Partner. During her career, Jay has led global systems integrator strategy and IT portfolio management functions, including being responsible for portfolio and product strategy, strategic partnerships, IT Advisory, M&A strategy, divisional Product Marketing, Learning and Development, Analyst Relations, and International partnerships.
Jay holds an MBA (Technology Management) from the Open University, an MSc. in Business and Management Research from Henley Business School, University of Reading, and is currently finalising a ‘strategy as practice’-focused Doctorate of Business Administration at Henley Business School.
Jay lives on the picturesque North Wales coast and is also a member of the Education Committee.
Richard Thomas
Independent Governor
Richard spent the early years of his career as an engineer and manager in the manufacturing industry before moving into Higher Education. He has worked with a number of UK Higher Education providers, in roles ranging from lecturer to Assistant Vice-Chancellor. Throughout his career, he has been heavily involved in teaching and curriculum development across a broad range of STEM related programmes. In addition, he has been involved in leading numerous applied research and knowledge exchange projects with a wide range of industrial partners. Richard served on the PVC International Advisory Group for Universities Wales and is a former Visiting Professor at Wuhan University of Technology.
He has been heavily involved in STEM outreach activities and, during his time in the North of England, worked closely with the National Science and Media Museum on the Yorkshire Games Festival and with a number of cultural organisations, reflecting the diversity of the region. Alongside his academic career, Richard also worked as a music journalist for many years. He has been a member of the Council of Guild HE and the project board of the Teaching Excellence Framework, and is currently a governor at Wrexham Glyndwr University, a member of the Board of Trustees at the National Museum of Wales, and a non-executive director at Careers Wales. He is passionate about the power of education to transform the lives of individuals and the strong role that universities can play in the social and economic wellbeing of the UK.
Richard is also a member of the Education Committee.
