Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience)
Emma Mayhew is a Professor of Pedagogy and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) at Royal Holloway. She co-ordinates and supports the work of the existing leadership teams in education and student experience across academic Schools and Professional Services. Emma is leading the development and collaborative delivery of RH2030s ambitions around education and student experience.
Prior to her arrival at Royal Holloway, Emma was the Associate Dean (Education) for the Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences at the University of Surrey, having served as interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) from September 2023 to June 2024.
As Associate Dean (Education), she oversaw all aspects of learning and teaching provision across nine disciplinary areas within a faculty of around 8,000 students. She was responsible for shaping, implementing and measuring the success of major Faculty and University strategic initiatives including a three year curriculum design review, the introduction of learning analytics, an institution wide programme of community building events, a seven step attendance plan, a Faculty cost of living crisis plan, the introduction of new Student Coaches, Study Advisors and an impactful pre-arrival module; and led a wide range of work to enhance the staff experience.
Prior to joining Surrey in 2020, Emma was the Academic Director of the multi-award winning, multi-million pound Electronic Management of Assessment Programme at the University of Reading. Also at the University of Reading, between 2016 and 2020 she engaged in a range of digital transformation projects, winning a number of internal and external teaching and research awards; and taught for 13 years, with a particular focus on British politics and foreign policy. She has published widely across a range of pedagogic areas.
Emma has also worked as an Associate for Advance HE, delivering leadership, change and project management programmes within the sector. She is a Principal Fellow of the HEA (2018) and a National Teaching Fellow (2020).
