Terry began his career as an Analytical Chemist for a multinational mining company, where he developed new analytical techniques and procedures as instrumentation technology advanced. He moved to the University of Sheffield to work as the Chief Technician in the Botany Department. Over the next eight years he continued to advance, becoming Departmental Manager of the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences. All the while championing the need for a more professional approach to the training and development of technicians in the HE sector, Terry received several more promotions before undertaking the role of Faculty Director of Operations.

Terry’s passion and commitment to the Technical Community lead to his appointment as Director of Technical Development and Modernisation at the University of Sheffield in 2013. In 2014, he was awarded a three-year Catalyst Grant by HEFCE to undertake the TDM Project, which covered a variety of issues affecting Higher Education Institutions. In December 2017 he was awarded £1.125m to launch the NTDC for technicians and their employers.

Terry was awarded an MBE for services to humanity after he rescued an academic colleague and his family from the violence occurring in Iraq in 1992. He was named ‘One of the Top 100 Leading Scientists 2014’ and awarded Chartered Scientist status by the Science Council. He is also the Chairman of the Institute of Science and Technology.

Mel has been a technician at Newcastle University since 1984. He was appointed to a full-time technical post in the Department of Physiological Sciences after beginning as a trainee technician. He later moved to the Department of Psychiatry, working within a Research Unit tasked with investigating the biological mechanisms of depression.

Whilst working as a Research Technician he graduated from the Open University with a first class degree in Chemistry and Life Science. He then studied part time for an MPhil, which investigated the impact of stress hormones on the function of a particular receptor in the brain shown to be blunted in depression. The project had a great outcome and led to various publications and presentations at international conferences. He then spent thirteen years as a Technical Manager at Newcastle University before he became the Deputy Head of Infrastructure in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University.

Mel became involved with promoting professional registration at Newcastle University and gained the status of Chartered Scientist through the IST in 2014. He was recognised for his successes and was given the Employer Champion Award in 2016. In establishing an internal technicians networking group, NU TechNet, he also paved the way for Newcastle University to become a founding signatory of the Technician Commitment in 2017.

Caleb Wright is the Apprenticeship Scheme Manager at the University of Birmingham and is responsible for the development and delivery of the University’s Apprenticeship Strategy for its own workforce.

Caleb is Co- Chair of the Higher Education Trailblazer Consortium and a member of the Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network and the West Midlands Apprentice Ambassador Network.

Caleb has 12 years’ experience in Human Resource Management (HRM) in both the Higher Education and Third sector. Caleb holds a Masters in HRM and is an alumnus of the University of Manchester.

After graduating from the University of Sheffield with a BSc(Hon) in Chemistry, Sara completed a PhD in Bioinorganic Chemistry. She then moved into industry working for Croda Chemicals as a research chemist, and then as a product development manager in the research and development of personal care products.

She then became a data manager, where she managed a team on the implementation of new systems to increase efficiency and improve productivity within the company. She has also worked in a consultancy firm developing surveys and in recruitment assessment for the police. More recently, Sara has worked in teaching, recruitment and liaison roles across the secondary education and higher education sector.

Sara joined the NTDC as Centre Manager in May 2019: “Having worked with technicians in industry, teaching, outreach and recruitment I appreciate the huge impact that technicians have on income generation and in enhancing the student experience by providing high quality research and teaching support.”

After graduating from the University of Sheffield with a BSc(Hon) in Chemistry, Sara completed a PhD in Bioinorganic Chemistry. She then moved into industry working for Croda Chemicals as a research chemist, and then as a product development manager in the research and development of personal care products.

She then became a data manager, where she managed a team on the implementation of new systems to increase efficiency and improve productivity within the company. She has also worked in a consultancy firm developing surveys and in recruitment assessment for the police. More recently, Sara has worked in teaching, recruitment and liaison roles across the secondary education and higher education sector.

Sara joined the NTDC as Centre Manager in May 2019: “Having worked with technicians in industry, teaching, outreach and recruitment I appreciate the huge impact that technicians have on income generation and in enhancing the student experience by providing high quality research and teaching support.”

Jake joined the Centre in December 2018, after graduating from The University of Sheffield with a degree in International Relations and Politics. He possesses a background in data analytics and administration, having previously worked in Alumni Engagement and Security Analyst roles at the University of Sheffield and IBM respectively.

Jake’s role as Survey Officer involves data capture and analysis to support the continued development and roll-out of the survey. As part of the Survey Team Jake guides institutions throughout the survey process, creating bespoke surveys to suit their needs.

“Having not come from an academic discipline where technical staff are prevalent, I never fully appreciated the contribution they make to the HE sector. I feel privileged to work in a team that has so much knowledge and experience geared towards bettering the working lives of such a large and vital part of the Higher Education community.”

Harriet joined the team in 2021 as an integral part of the administrative and operations team.

Harriet brings a wealth of administration experience to the team as well as a customer service background.

As the Administration Officer for HEaTED, Harriet supports all aspects of the operational administration functions and is always happy to assist with your questions and support you in whatever way she can.