Winter Conference 2026: the Student Services effect

Luke Davy

Student Engagement & Retention Manager, University of Roehampton

Luke Davy is an experienced professional whose work at the University of Roehampton has established him as a leader in data driven student engagement and retention. As Student Engagement and Retention Manager, he has led university wide initiatives grounded in a preventative, proactive, predictive, and personalised framework, ensuring students receive targeted support throughout their academic journey. At Roehampton, Luke uses real time data and lead indicators to identify emerging trends, monitor risk, and design interventions that strengthen belonging, wellbeing, and academic achievement. His contributions include the creation of impactful pre-arrival and induction programmes, academic support campaigns, peer mentoring programmes, and community building activities which create a sense of belonging. With collaborative working, he has led his team in significantly reducing international student withdrawal rates and successfully transitioned engagement strategies online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before joining Roehampton, Luke spent ten years at Kensington and Chelsea College, where he developed a comprehensive student support and enrichment framework central to the college’s student support. He launched an Ofsted recognised Peer Mentor Programme, established strong community partnerships, and introduced systems that improved support for at-risk learners. Earlier in his career, he served as Programme Manager at Greenhouse Sports, designing accredited mentoring and sports based interventions for young people facing social and academic barriers. As Founder of Life Sessions Ltd, he created life-skills and mentoring programmes that empowered young people through practical, confidence-building learning.

Csenge Ilyés

Student Representative, Rajk College for Advanced Studies, Hungary

Csenge Ilyés is a student representative from Rajk College for Advanced Studies, Hungary, which is a student-led democratic community. She is passionate about empowering and mobilizing students, and has been a member of Rajk College’s Student Board and Alumni Coordination, proactively organising their society of over 900 members.

Csenge holds a degree in International Relations and she is currently pursuing one in Public Policy and Management. She lived in Bangkok, Thailand, but now she spends most of her time at her College in Budapest.

Professor Duncan Ivison

President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Manchester

Professor Duncan Ivison, FAHA FRSN, is President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester. He holds degrees from McGill University and the London School of Economics Political Science. With over 20 years at the University of Sydney, Duncan has extensive experience in academic leadership, including roles as Dean and Deputy Vice Chancellor. A distinguished political and moral philosopher, he's received numerous awards and held visiting positions at prestigious institutions worldwide. Duncan is passionate about public engagement and building partnerships between universities, communities, industry, and governments.

Lorraine Lavery-Bowen

Head of Student Success Centre, Ulster University

Lorraine Lavery-Bowen leads the Student Success Centre at Ulster University. Over the past two years, she’s taken the Centre from an idea to a fully working model across the university’s campuses, building the vision, systems and support needed to help thousands of students every year. Under her guidance, the Centre has rolled out fresh approaches to student transition, induction and belonging, boosted academic and maths skills support, and strengthened the university’s focus on inclusion, early engagement and retention.

With more than 20 years’ experience in higher education, Lorraine has held senior roles focused on widening access and breaking down barriers for diverse groups of learners. She set up the Ulster University Schools Discovery Academy, an inclusive online outreach programme for schools across Northern Ireland, and developed Community Scholarships to open up opportunities for more students.

Lorraine has played a big part in shaping policy, strategy and practice across the sector. She’s passionate about inclusive education, collaboration and responding with care to student needs. Her work has been recognised with several awards for improving the student experience, including the Distinguished Collaborative Education Excellence Fellowship.

She’s also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a former Board Governor of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education, and holds the title of Civic Ambassador at Ulster University in recognition of her contribution to the wider community.

: www.ulster.ac.uk/success
: lorraine-lavery-bowen-124b9b50

Mirela Mazalu

Secretary-General, European University College Association (EucA)

Mirela Mazalu is Secretary-General of the European University College Association (EucA), a Brussels-based organization representing universities, colleges, and university residences across 17 European countries.

With over 15 years of experience in European higher education, Mirela specializes in establishing student affairs and services as a recognized profession in Europe, with particular expertise in student housing, university residential life, soft skills training, active citizenship, and quality mobility frameworks.

Through strategic partnerships with leading student affairs associations in USA, Africa and South Korea, Mirela facilitates knowledge exchange on residence life and student success best practices among European higher education leaders, global experts, and EU decision makers.

: www.euca.eu
: mirelamazalu

Mariagrazia Melfi

Director for Professional Development and Research, EucA

Mariagrazia Melfi is a psychologist and professional counsellor with over 20 years of experience in student development and soft skills training in higher education. Her areas of expertise include communication, problem-solving, counselling psychology, and collaborative work with students and colleagues.

She serves in the management team of Fondazione RUI, a network of 14 Colleges of Merit across Italy, where she coordinates educational projects and cultural activities, oversees student selection and retention processes, and provides mentoring and tutoring to undergraduate and graduate students. She is responsible for delivering and assessing soft skills development programmes.

As EucA's Director for Professional Development and Research, Mariagrazia has been instrumental in advancing the professionalisation of student affairs across Europe. Since March 2022, she has co-directed the Master in Training of Experts in Student Affairs and Campus Life, a partnership between EucA and LUMSA University in Rome, contributing to the development of European approaches to student affairs practice.

: www.euca.eu
: mariagrazia-melfi-75b565a7

Kristy Robinson

Student Support Development Lead, University of Westminster

Kristy Robinson, M.S.W., SFHEA, UKCP Reg. is a mental health practitioner and higher education leader with over a decade of experience spanning both the United States and the United Kingdom. Her career has focused on building inclusive, trauma-informed student support services and leading strategic wellbeing initiatives at institutional levels. Kristy’s clinical training and experience as a psychotherapist inform her approach to leadership and collaboration, where she advocates for meaningful change in student mental health and wellbeing.

Currently serving as Student Support Development Lead at the University of Westminster, Kristy leads on policy development and strategic advancement for the Student Support and Residential Life service provision. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has recently been appointed as a Trustee with the University Mental Health Advisers Network (UMHAN). Her work is grounded in a commitment to cultural humility, social justice, and ethical leadership in student mental health and wellbeing.

: kristy-robinson

Paul Rossi

Head of Student Advice & Safeguarding Support, University of the Arts London

Paul is an AMOSSHE Executive Member and Head of Student Advice & Safeguarding Support at University of the Arts London.

: https://www.amosshe.org.uk/about/our-team.html

Angela Scanlon

Director of Student and Graduate Success, Ulster University

Angela is an AMOSSHE Executive Member and Director of Student and Graduate Success at Ulster University.

: https://www.amosshe.org.uk/about/our-team.html