Meet our tutors and advisors
Here at the University of Stirling, we have a dedicated team committed to your academic success. Contact us by email: sls@stir.ac.uk.
Dr Rhea Swinson Fitzpatrick
Head of Student Learning Services
Rhea’s background is rooted in developing and supporting educational opportunities in the USA, Ireland, Scotland, and the Middle East. Her career includes community education, international development education as well as working as an academic teaching research methods, history and academic skills to undergraduates. She also developed and taught the Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at Bahrain Polytechnic. With a History BA, a Masters in Community Development and a Doctor of Education, Rhea is committed to capacity building for students of all backgrounds and at all stages in their educational journey.
As a Senior Fellow of Advance HE, her role as Head of Student Learning Services at the University of Stirling, includes providing strategic and operational oversight of the service while also providing tutorial support, staff development and input into institutional projects and policies. Her teaching and learning interests include educational transitions, learning development, and critical pedagogy.
Dr Jamie Macpherson
Academic Skills Adviser
Jamie earned a BA (Hons) in History from Stirling, an MSc (Edinburgh), a PhD in eighteenth century history (2020), a PgCLTHE (2022) and PgCap (2025). Jamie was appointed as an Academic Skills Adviser in August 2021 and later as a Faculty Academic Skills Advisor.
Jamie recently published a monograph in eighteenth century history, The Friendships of John Adams: The Art of Politics (Routledge: New York, 2024). This current role rests on supporting student progression and retention, enhancing metacognition and developing resources to improve disciplinary identities. Jamie is currently the named contact for the faculty of Arts and Humanities for Student Learning Services. He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a RET Fellow at Glasgow, and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Dr Jeff Meadowcroft
Academic Skills Adviser
Jeff gained a BA (Hons) in Modern History from the University of Leicester in 2004, before going on to complete an MPhil in Central and East European Studies (2005) and a PhD in 19th and early 20th century Russian Labour History (2011) at the University of Glasgow. Jeff has previously taught and coordinated modules at UG and PG-levels in Social Sciences, Politics, Management and Academic Skills at Glasgow International College, as well as teaching at the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Leicester.
Across his career, Jeff has contributed to research projects on Student Voice, Academic Literacies, Team Teaching and Learning Technologies. His current role focuses on supporting and enhancing academic skills provision within the Stirling Business School, and he is the named contact within the Student Learning Services team for the SMS Faculty.
David Tiseo
Academic Skills Tutor/Faculty Academic Skills Adviser
David has worked for Student Learning Services for two years. As well as this role within SLS, he also works within Accessibility & Inclusion as a Study Skills Tutor, Personal Learning Assistant, and Proof Reader. As a Study Skills Tutor he works one-to-one with students with learning difficulties and disabilities; having this experience of knowing how to personalise tutorials and communicate with students with a variety of needs has really helped in SLS. Likewise, as a Personal Learning Assistant, David gets to attend classes with students, getting the opportunity as a ‘fly on the wall’ to appreciate what the learning environment at the University of Stirling is for students in practise – an insight that has proven truly beneficial in his SLS work. David’s background is in creative writing, with a BA in Scriptwriting for Film & TV from Bournemouth University.