After four years as Chair of the Board of Trustees, Professor Helen O’Sullivan is stepping down. Professor Keith Smyth, Dean of Learning and Teaching at University of the Highlands and Islands, current Vice-Chair, will lead the Board as Interim Chair. On behalf of all members, ALT extends heartfelt thanks to Professor O’Sullivan for her exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment during her years as Chair of ALT’s Board of Trustees.
Helen has been an inspiring figure, guiding ALT through transformative and challenging times. She played a pivotal role in guiding ALT and its members through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an advocate for learning technology professionals, she championed their critical role during emergency remote learning and the transition to the "new normal." Her efforts elevated the visibility and recognition of professionals working in the digital learning space.
Her contributions extended to representing ALT on national initiatives. Helen represented ALT and its members on the Higher Education Commission’s Steering Group that explored how blended learning can be leveraged to widen participation, enhance student outcomes, and modernise educational delivery. The outcomes of this work were published in a report earlier this year. She also chaired the Steering Group that reviewed and relaunched the Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education, enhancing the support for institutions to develop effective practice and improve student outcomes.
We asked Helen to reflect on her journey with ALT. “My involvement with ALT goes back a long way but it was in 2016, when I agreed to be a co-convener of the 2017 ALTC in Liverpool, that I really fell in love with the organisation. I had no hesitation in applying to be Chair when the opportunity arose. I started my term of office in the heat of the first lockdown and have many very special memories, of conferences real and virtual and of the friendships that I have made. I have found my fellow Trustees, past and present, to be the warmest, friendliest and most supportive group of colleagues. I am really going to miss my regular involvement with ALT, but I will look for ways to keep in touch. I am enormously grateful to Keith for stepping up and wish him, the Trustees and the whole organisation my very best wishes for the future under the capable leadership of the recently appointed CEO, Susan Martin.”
ALT wishes Professor O’Sullivan the very best in her future endeavours and extends a warm welcome to Professor Smyth as he steps into his new role. The legacy of excellence and dedication set by Professor O’Sullivan will undoubtedly continue to inspire and shape the future of ALT.