Dr Kelvin N Tapley

Profile

Kelvin is an alumnus of the University of Leeds having undertaken both his first degree and PhD in Colour Science at Leeds.

After 7 years as a Director of Student Education (in the Department of Colour Chemistry, 1999-2006), Kelvin spent 11 years (2006-2017) as both an academic in the Department of Colour Science (educating both undergraduate and taught postgraduate students) and also as the Pro Dean for Student Education in the Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences (MaPS, which included the four Schools of Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy and Food Science & Nutrition).

As Pro Dean for Student Education, Kelvin had (amongst other responsibilities):

• chaired the annual University of Leeds Student Education Conference and the regular Student Education Bulletin (for staff across the institution)
• been heavily involved with the strategic development, implementation and evaluation of The Leeds Curriculum
• had a focus on Equality & Inclusion (E&I) matters, chairing the University’s Inclusivity Strategy Group
• been the Faculty E&I champion and chaired the Faculty E&I Committee
• championed and led the MaPS Faculty Athena SWAN work and submission – nationally gaining the first faculty-level Athena SWAN* Silver award in 2011 (* Athena SWAN is a National gender initiative, broadly aimed at gender equality in academia)

For leadership in Student Education, Kelvin was awarded (in 2014) the status of Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) by the UK Higher Education Academy (now called Advance HE) – the highest level of professional recognition. Kelvin was elected to the Livery of the Worshipful Company of Dyers (in 2008) and has been involved with the Society of Dyers and Colourists for over 33 years, including over 15 years as the Chair of their Publications Award Committee and is also now on their Education Qualifications and Accreditation Board.

Kelvin started a personal Excellence & Innovation Fellowship in the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE) focused on the co-construction of assessment criteria, in 2017-2018, whilst also still teaching, as an academic, in the Department of Colour Science. However, Kelvin was recruited to the position of Interim Director of LITE, in April 2018. Kelvin led and introduced a number of initiatives into LITE during his one year leadership stint, including: integrating the responsibility for the 'Leeds Curriculum' into LITE and setting up a new Research-Based Learning Network; recruiting new strategically aligned LITE Fellowships, establishment of a Teaching Excellence Manager in LITE and a new dedicated LITE Research Officer; introducing new 'Share, Adopt and Adapt' sessions; piloting a 'sandpit' approach to developing a new area of activity - leading to a dedicated Learning Analytics Fellowship and being a catalyst for an Institutional Strategy Group on Learning Analytics; and co-leading an International Collaborative Writing Project that saw scholars from four continents and 10 countries come together in Bilbao (June 2019) to form six international collaborative writing groups at a two day workshop prior to EuroSoTL 2019!

In the summer of 2018 Kelvin also became the Co-Head of the MaPS Faculty Graduate School. Within this role Kelvin works both at Faculty level and with the Institutional Doctoral College.

In April 2019 Kelvin was appointed to be the Academic Chair for the Academic Advisory Group for the Student Lifecycle Progamme (a large, multi-million pound, 4 year institutional programme of work).

Responsibilities

• Chair of Academic Advisory Group for the Student Lifecycle Programme
• Co-Head of Faculty Graduate School
• Excellence & Innovation Fellow (Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence)

Research interests

Pedogogic Research: Co-Founder of Pedogogic Research in Mathematics and Physical Science (PRiSM) at Leeds - undertaking various projects; Excellence & Innovation Fellow of Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE) - main project on "Assessment". Also with interests in Educational Leadership and in Collaborative Writing.

Science Research: Novel techniques and applications in capillary electrophoresis. Monitoring reactions using analytical techniques (especially spectroscopic techniques). FT-Infrared and FT-Raman Spectroscopy for the analysis and characterisation of materials. Environmental analysis and effluent treatments. Hair chemistry, treatment and characterisation. Reactions of reactive dyes (analysis and kinetics of). Pigments.

Qualifications

• PFHEA
• CCol, ASDC
• PGCLTHE
• PhD
• BSc (Hons)

Professional memberships

• Society of Dyers & Colourists (SDC)

Student education

Strong interest in Student Education and the Leadership of Student Education having spent 11 years as Pro Dean for Student Education (Maths & Physical Sciences) from 2006-2017, one year as the Director (interim) of the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (2018-19) and now as the Chair of the Academic Advisory Group for the Student Lifecycle Programme (2019 - ).

Teaching interests in the School of Chemistry: environmental impact of coloured materials, analysis and characterisation of materials, colorants – properties and applications.

Research groups and institutes

• Colour and Polymer Science