Morning Plenary Speakers

What is the role of Scottish colleges and universities in a climate, ecological and social emergency?

Simon Hewitt

Principal at Dundee & Angus College

Born in Portadown, Northern Ireland, Simon was educated at Portadown College and left Northern Ireland in 2001 to attend the University of Abertay Dundee, where he obtained a BSc (Hons) in Business Computing. Following a number of IT related roles in both NHS Tayside and BT, Simon moved into lecturing at Dundee College in 2008, specialising in Network Management and Cisco Administration.

In November 2010 Simon was promoted to the role of Curriculum Manager in Computing at Dundee College and has remained in Academic Management ever since, becoming Vice Principal Curriculum & Attainment within the merged Dundee & Angus College and more recently securing the role of Principal in August 2020. 

Simon is involved in a number of national groups and boards including Chairing the Energy Skills Partnership board and board membership roles within Dundee Science Centre, Workers' Educational Association (WEA) Scotland and Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Simon is also a member of the Data Lab skills advisory board, SDS Digital Skills advisory board and ScotlandIS Digital Skills advisory board.
 

Hazel Dalgård (she/her)

Senior Policy & Analysis Officer in the Capital and Climate Change Team at Scottish Funding Council

Hazel is a career civil servant of over 20 years.  She is currently supporting the Scottish Funding Council in delivering its net zero framework.  Her policy career has spanned several areas including energy efficiency and renewable energy, science diplomacy, supporting Scotland’s Chief Scientific adviser, civil justice reform, and Horizon Europe. Climate change has been a constant thread throughout most of her career.  She enjoys strategy as well as getting things done. A “favourite achievement of all time” was involvement in the team delivering the first Scottish Government grant funded scheme for community renewables. She does not need hobbies as she has a 7-year-old.

Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer

Deputy Principal (Global Sustainability) at Heriot-Watt University; Champion and Director - UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC)

Prof Mercedes Maroto-Valer (FRSE, FIChemE, FRSC, FRSA, FEI) is Deputy Principal (Global Sustainability) at Heriot-Watt University, leading institutional and global changes in sustainability, making a significant impact on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and working with partners to achieve global carbon reduction targets through university wide initiatives across campuses (UK, Dubai and Malaysia).  She is Champion and Director of the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) focused on accelerating the transition to net zero of industrial clusters. Prof Maroto-Valer is member of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General. 

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Scott Davidson

Deputy Director for Social Responsibility and Sustainability at University of Edinburgh

Scott is Deputy Director for Social Responsibility and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh. Accountable for the delivery of the University's environmental strategies and plans including Zero by 2040 and the biodiversity strategy, he helps deliver the University’s "whole institution response". This response includes embedding sustainability within teaching and learning, and maximising the impact of research and partnerships. Scott previously worked for the University of Bath and held various senior management roles in the sustainable consultancy and charity sector. Scott is a social psychologist by trade, a published author and award-winning researcher in the fields of behaviour change and sustainability.