Board Members

Chairman: Prof David Sigsworth –

After spending over 10 years as a main board director of FTSE 100 utility companies, David Sigsworth retired from Scottish and Southern Energy plc (SSE) in March 2005 following a career spanning 43 years in the energy sector.

David was appointed as Commercial Director of Scottish Hydro Electric plc in January 1995 and subsequently held several positions on the board of Scottish and Southern Energy plc (SSE). During the latter part of his career, he had responsibility for all of SSE’s environmental issues and managed one of the largest and most diverse generation fleets in the UK with over 10,000 MW of plant. He was also responsible for a £1bn programme of investments in renewable generation technologies.

David is now active in promoting high technology start-up companies, involved in the renewable and sustainable energy markets, and holds several associated non-executive directorships. He is also Chairman of Sigma Capital Group plc, Chairman of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), an Honorary Professor at the University of Dundee, Vice President of the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA), a board member of Energy Action Scotland, a member of the Advisory Boards of ITI Energy and NaREC (New and Renewable Energy Centre), as well as a trustee of the think tank, Sustainability First.

David is qualified as a Chartered Engineer with a BSc degree in Electrical Engineering. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Prof. Howard Davies -

Professor Howard Davies completed his first degree and PhD at the University of Bristol, UK, and then a four year post doctoral position in London. He joined the Scottish Crop Research Institute (www.scri.ac.uk), Dundee, UK in 1981 and progressed through several senior research management positions to become the Institute’s Director of Science Coordination.

He coordinates the Scottish Government’s Research Programme (2006-2011) on Profitable and Sustainable Agriculture-Plants which aims to develop and apply advanced knowledge on crop genetics, plant pathogens and sustainable production systems to create wealth in the food chain and to reduce environmental footprints.

A biochemist by background he has published more than 150 research papers related to the control of crop plant development and composition and has presented many papers at international conferences as guest speaker. He holds several honorary positions and is currently a member of the European Food Safety Authority GMO Panel which deals with commercial applications for the cultivation of GM crops in the EU or for their import for food and feed use.

Prof. Anne Anderson OBE –

Professor Anne Anderson is Vice Principal and Head of the College of Art, Science & Engineering (CASE) at the University of Dundee. She was awarded an OBE for services to social science in 2002.

Professor Anderson is a psychologist interested in human communication and the impacts of new information and communication technologies.

Prior to joining Dundee, Professor Anderson was Professor of Psychology at the University of Glasgow where she ran the Multimedia Communications Laboratory. From 1995-2000 she was director of the ESRC Cognitive Engineering programme - an initiative which funded 15 projects across the UK on topics concerned with people and information technology.

Since 2000, she has also been Director of the People at the Centre of Information and Communication Technologies (P@CCIT) programme.

Professor Anderson has also been involved in a number of policies concerned with IT and society, including being a member of the Foresight Advisory Group Cyber Trust and Crime Prevention in 2003-4, as well as a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Working Group preparing a report on Dilemmas of Surveillance in 2005-7.

Prof. Anderson has been a member of the board since 28th May 2009.

Prof. Thomas Krauss –

Following his first degree in Cologne, Germany (Photographic Engineering, 1989), Thomas pursued a PhD in the area of semiconductor ring lasers at the University of Glasgow (1992). He then initiated the field of semiconductor photonic crystals in the UK and gained SERC (1993) and Royal Society (1995) Research Fellowships in support of this work. He joined St. Andrews University as Professor of Optoelectronics in 2000 and is now running the 18-strong Microphotonics Research group as well as being Head of the School of Physics & Astronomy.

His research interest is the study of optical nanostructures and how they can be used to control the emission and propagation of light. This includes studying microemitters for optical interconnects, slowing down light to enhance nonlinear effects, using diffractive optics for enhanced emission from LEDs, optically trapping of bioparticles using photonic nanoresonators and the development of novel biosensors.

Thomas was elected a Fellow of the IoP in 2001 and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2002. He regularly presents his talk on "Lasing down the Internet" to local schools and was awarded the "Inspiration Award" of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2007.

Chris Van Der Kuyl –

Chairman, TayForth Consulting.

Councillor Craig Melville –

Councillor Craig Melville is Dundee City Council's representative on the Board of Directors. He was elected to the City Council, following a by-election in March 2009.

Councillor Melville was born and educated in Dundee and obtained a MA Degree from the University of Dundee, and has been a member of the board of Dundee Science Centre since 28th May 2009.

Rodney Mountain –

Consultant Surgeon, Department of Otolaryngology, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School.

Merrill Smith –

Merrill Smith is a Chartered Landscape Architect and the Head of Business Development and Support Services in Dundee City Council’s Leisure & Communities Department. She has also worked for Merseyside Metropolitan Council in Liverpool, the Parks and Recreation Department in Johannesburg City Council – South Africa, Perth and Kinross District Council in the Leisure & Parks Department, and in private practices in both Zambia and South Africa.

During her time with Dundee City Council Merrill has worked on a number of major strategies, including Dundee’s Ambassador Routes and the writing of the Dundee’s First Public Open Space Strategy as well as a Sports and Physical Recreation Strategy and a Pitch Strategy for the city. Currently she is the Chair of the Dundee Partnership for the Environment, which is one of the community planning themes in Dundee and was the co-ordinator for the Baxter Park Restoration Plan. She had given papers to a number of Conferences on the benefits of Public Open Space, Parks and Biodiversity as well as acted on panels for SNH and Greenspace Scotland.

She is also the Financial Director of Greenspace Scotland, on the Board of the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions and a member of the executive of VOCAL, (the Voice of Chief Officers, Community and Leisure Services in Scotland).

Her interests are sport, gardening, cooking and travel.

Tracey Stewart –

Tracey Stewart is a Quality Improvement Officer with Dundee City Education Department. She work with both Primary and Secondary schools across the City and part of her remit is to provide opportunities for schools to engage further with Science and develop the science curriculum.

She has been involved in Education for 21 years working in a variety of posts in Angus and Dundee. She has also been fortunate enough to have worked in Scottish Government for 2 years where she was a Senior Adviser in the ‘Determined to Succeed’ team.

Tracy has been a member of the board since 1st May 2008.

Prof. Mike Swanston –

Mike is Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Abertay Dundee and Honorary Research Fellow, School of Psychology, Dundee University. He was Vice-Principal of Abertay University from 2002 until his retirement in 2008.

He has been Vice-Chair of the Board of Management of Elmwood College (2000-07), a director of Dundee Ice Arena (1999-2002), a member of the City of Discovery Campaign Committee (2003-05) and a member of Universities Scotland Learning & Teaching and Research & Commercialisation Committees (1999-2008).

His current research interests are in the visual perception of space and motion. He has published over 50 research papers and has co-authored a textbook on vision.

Gill Tulloch –

Gill Tulloch worked in bridge technology research at the University of Dundee in the early years after graduating in Civil Engineering at Herriot Watt University.

She subsequently spent 20 years in Software Engineering, culminating in the most recent position as an R&D Director, in Financial Industry Engineering at NCR FSG Ltd, leading a team developing components for Auto Teller Machines. Gill also has a Masters in Business Administration.

Gill Christie –

Gill is Director, Human Resources with Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Before joining Cyclacel in January 2001, Gill was Human Resources Manager at Axis-Shield plc (formerly Shield Diagnostics) in Dundee. Gill has also spent time lecturing at the University of Abertay, Dundee where she has taught most aspects of Human Resource Management, at both under and post graduate levels.

Gill’s original training and career was in the field of Medical Microbiology. She has held scientific posts in both the NHS (at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School) and the commercial sector (at Unilever’s Research Laboratories in Bedfordshire and Unipath Ltd). Gill has an MSc in Human Resource Management, from the University of Abertay, Dundee.

Maria Walker –

Maria Walker is currently Depute Director of Education and Children’s Services in Perth and Kinross Council. Education and Children’s Services comprises of Education Services, Children and Families Services, Cultural and Community Services and Support Services. She took up the post on 1 April 2008, moving from her previous post of Head of Cultural and Community Services where she had responsibility for eleven teams involved in arts, heritage, sports and community learning and development services as well as cross-authority responsibilities such as the Council’s improvement plan and community engagement.

Maria trained as a primary teacher and as a community worker specialising in adult education. Over twenty years in management in education services she has had responsibility for such diverse services as pre-5 education, libraries, community work and special education needs.

Born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Maria was educated in Aberdeen and Edinburgh and completed her Masters Degree in Education at the University of Dundee. She has lived in Errol, Perthshire in the Carse of Gowrie for twenty two years.

Maria enjoys all aspects of education and community work and is passionate about expanding access to opportunities in these areas to all, old and young!

Prof. John W Palfreyman –

John Palfreyman is Head of Contemporary Sciences at the University of Abertay Dundee.

A biologist by training much of his research work was focused on the development of methods for preventing fungal decay of timber. The multidisciplinary nature of this work led to an interest in the application of predictive mathematical and computational models, originally in relationship to environmental issues, more recently in relationship to cancer research.

One of John's main tasks in Contemporary Sciences is fostering an environment where such highly complex systems can be investigated effectively.

Prof. Palfreyman has been a member of the board since 28th May 2009.

Ray Mudie –

After initially working for a period as a research scientist with UKAEA, Ray has spent the last 25 years working within the Further Education sector where his interest has focused on post – school curriculum development and the creation of vocational education pathways into employment, particularly in science and technology related industries.

He is a Board Member of Solar Cities Scotland and founder member of Scotland’s Colleges Science Group.

He is currently the Director of Faculty for Science, Technology and Service Professions at Dundee College. The Faculty includes the Centre for Science and Engineering, Centre for Hospitality, Hair and Beauty, Centre for Construction and Built Environment, Centre for Performing Arts and Sport, and has a strong network of partnership links with companies and organizations locally, nationally and internationally.

Ray has been a member of the board since 28th May 2009.

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