Meet the administrative staff at Lancaster University International Study Centre:
Meet the teachers at Lancaster University International Study Centre:
- Bill Lambert - Accounts Tutor
- Ian Barker - Maths Tutor
- Dr Martin Cook - Mathematics Tutor
- Charlotte Coope - English Tutor
- Helen Hargreaves - English Tutor
- Richard Mason - ELP Tutor
- Robert Trafford - Economics Tutor
- Frank Waring - Business Studies Tutor
- Lucy Smethurst - Part-time Mathematics Tutor
Sunil Banga
We asked ISC students: "How have the tutors and staff helped you?"
- From offering me a cup of tea on my first day to asking about my welfare, the staff have really been very friendly
- They teach me patiently. When I have problem, and ask for them, they will also help me.
- Helped me to open a bank account and book a flight
- They are very kind to me - I feel looked after, like at home
- By making it very easy for us to assimilate into the education system.
Head of Centre
Qualifications: B.Pharm. , MBA (Distinction)
"I am a management professional, and have spent some 20-odd years working in business before moving to the education sector. I graduated in Pharmaceutical Sciences. My business career started with a large multinational in the sales and marketing department for a few years, to eventually as a partner in a large trading firm with broad general management responsibilities. Following this I obtained a MBA from Lancaster University Management School, and worked with the Centre for Strategic Management at Lancaster for a while.
Before joining LUISC, I have also worked briefly as a consultant for a few SME’s, and my specific expertise and area of interest is Strategy, Marketing and organisational issues relevant to small business owners/managers. From a research perspective, my other area of interest is the social and economic role of small independent retail stores.
I have a variety of teaching interests, and have taught business and management topics to students and executives of diverse ages, backgrounds and nationalities, in both formal and informal settings. I find teaching and mentoring international students immensely satisfying, and am very happy to be at the Lancaster International Study Centre.
Outside of work I like to keep active, and enjoy walking in the beautiful countryside. I also enjoy reading books (my reading interests change with every visit to the library!), solving puzzles on my son’s game console, and occasionally cooking if I have spare time!"
Francesca Holmes 
Administration Officer
Qualifications: BA (Hons) Primary Education and English
"I have several years experience of working in administrative roles, beginning my career in the Civil Service. More recently, I have worked in education as a primary school teacher before returning to administration within the higher education sector, providing a range of administrative support for students.
In my spare time I enjoy going to the gym, jogging and walking. I also like to travel and have recently learnt to snowboard."
Bill Lambert
Accounts Tutor
Qualifications: Qualifications BA (Econ) PGCE (Birmingham)
"I have been teaching for over 30 years. In 1978 I was Head of Business Studies at Great Barr School Birmingham and since then I have taught business-related subjects in schools and colleges in the UK and abroad. Most recently as Head of Business Studies at Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School. I also worked as examiner in A Level Economics for the AQA for over 10 years.
During my years as a practising teacher I set up and run two small businesses – one in the UK and the other in Spain. I enjoyed this experience immensely as I was able to put business theory to the test in the commercial world. Both businesses still flourish today under new ownership.
I have recently retired from full-time teaching to spend more time at home and indulge in some hobbies such as reading, learning the guitar and playing golf. However, I don’t want to stop teaching altogether so I welcome this challenge of helping to prepare young students for undergraduate courses here at Lancaster University.”
Dr Ian Barker
Mathematics and Physics Tutor
Qualifications: BA (Physics), D.Phil (Theoretical Physics), PGCE
"Most of my professional life has involved teaching or researching in physics and mathematics. I started out doing a doctorate at Sussex University in applications of group theory to elementary particle physics and then had a number of post doctoral posts, one of which brought me to Lancaster.
Since then, I decided to go into teaching and have taught physics and mathematics in schools and colleges in Lancashire.
After a break of three years doing other things, I’ve really enjoyed getting back to my subjects and teaching them again.
I live with my family and two dogs in Lancaster and enjoy reading and classical music and opera and walking. I’ve done about a third of the Scottish Munros (mountains over 3000 feet) and some hut to hut walking in the Alps."
Dr Martin Cook
Mathematics Tutor
Qualifications: PhD Algebra
"I am from a small village in Somerset in the South West of England. I have been at Lancaster since entering the undergraduate degree in Maths in 1998. I spent my third year at UC Davis in California, but apart from that and one other brief period I have been here ever since. I graduated in 2002 and started a PhD in algebra. Since finishing that I have stayed and started teaching full time.
I now split my time between the international study centre and teaching duties elsewhere, mainly in the maths department. I have tutored students from all years in the maths department, as well as those from Engineering, Biology and the Management School. I also teach a class at a local school, to prepare the pupils for further study.
When I have the time my interests away from the class room are reading, films and walking. The area around Lancaster is excellent walking country, although it can rain."
Charlotte Coope
FES tutor
Qualifications: BA, CELTA (B) and TEFL (Distinction) MA TESOL
"I began my teaching career in China, where I taught students of different ages and levels. Whilst there, I took the opportunity to study Mandarin in a Chinese University and to learn Chinese painting and tai-chi.
Since coming back to the UK I have been involved with providing pre-sessional and in-sessional academic support to international students from a variety of different countries. I have worked in Manchester as course leader of an International Foundation programme and at the University of Central Lancashire as an Associate Lecturer. I particularly enjoy teaching foundation students as I feel they have a tangible goal to head towards, so tend to be well-motivated and rewarding to teach.
In my spare time I enjoy fell-walking, painting and drawing, and doing volunteer work. In fact, I've just come back from a working holiday in the Lake District where I learnt how to build stone walls, which was a real challenge!"
Helen Hargreaves
FES tutor
Qualifications: BA (hons), PGCE, MA, PhD researcher (department of Linguistics and English Language)
"I have several years of language teaching experience, most of these gained at a High School in Preston. I have also spent time abroad teaching English to both children and adults.
Two years ago I decided to continue my studies here at Lancaster University. I completed an MA in Language Studies with the department of Linguistics and English Language in September 2007 and began working part-time on a PhD in January this year. Over the summer I taught English for Academic Purposes to international students starting their degree courses in October.
In my spare time I enjoy going to the cinema, travelling and visiting friends (UK and abroad), and learning Italian at the local adult education college."
Richard Mason
ELP tutor
Qualifications: BA (Hons) Philosophy 2.1, M.Res Informatics, Trinity TESOL Certificate.
"I’ve been teaching English for over three years and started my first teaching job in China in 2004. I taught English at a school in Guiyang in Guizhou province and was one of only 250 foreign people in a city of 3.5 million. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’ve taught hundreds of students of different nationalities since I returned to England in January 2006. Teaching is one of those jobs where you can plan for the day, but you never know what might crop up during a lesson. It is a constantly stimulating experience and I hope to take further qualifications in the future. I currently live in Kendal and I enjoy fell walking, playing the guitar, cooking and watching films."
Robert Trafford
Economics Tutor
Qualifications: BA Hons Business (UCLAN); PGCE Central Lancashire (UCLAN)
"Having been employed in the commercial sectors of industry for several years, I entered the education sector in 1992 and have since been teaching Economics and Business on A level and undergraduate programmes. I have a Business Degree along with a Certificate in Education. My particular interest is in Economics and consequently my teaching commitments have focussed in this area specifically.
In my spare time I enjoy various hobbies including music (I play the guitar), photography and in particular I am an enthusiastic fell-walker and have over the years been involved in numerous sponsored events. I also like to keep physically fit by regularly attending the local gym."
Frank Waring
Business Studies Tutor
Qualifications: MA in Education (Open University); PGCE in Business Education (Edge Hill); BA (Hons) 2.1 (Open University)
"After spending over twenty years working in The finance and marketing departments of a company in the heavy commercial vehicle industry, I decided to enter the education sector. I studied for a PGCE in Business Education at Edge Hill College, Ormskirk and subsequently taught in a sixth form college in St Helens for 14 years.
My main hobby is hill walking and most weekends I can be found climbing fells in the Lake District or walking in the Yorkshire Dales. I also like spending holidays walking long distance paths and my most satisfying achievement was walking the Pennine Way in 1998.”
Lucy Smethurst
Part-time Mathematics Tutor
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Mathematics, MSc (Distinction) Statistics, TEFL certificate.
"I was born and have lived in Lancaster all of my life so I’m very familiar with the city and the university! I completed a BSc in Mathematics and an MSc in Statistics both at Lancaster University before a brief period of lecturing in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. During this time I discovered my passion for teaching and I’ve since completed the Associate Teacher Programme at Lancaster and a Teaching English as a Foreign Language course in Thailand.
In my spare time, I love to go out walking with my dog and generally enjoy keeping fit either at circuit training or doing yoga for relaxation. I also love to travel and I spent 6 months working and travelling in and around Zambia in 2008.”