Fellows

The title of fellow is an accolade awarded by the college. It is a mark of recognition, awarded for external achievements and/or for contribution to the college made in a number of areas and over extended periods of time. Fellows are ambassadors for the college, upholding its standards and values.

Fellows of Warwickshire College

James Shera

Cllr James Shera MBE - Chairman of the Fellows of Warwickshire College

Recently retired as Director of Intercultural Education for WarwickshireCounty Council, a senior Labour Councillor and the Leader of the Labour Group, James has been Mayor of Rugby and is presently the executive director and vice chair of the Warwickshire Primary Care Trust. He is also vice chair of West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority and chair of Warwickshire Race Equality Partnership.

James was a founder of the Rugby Myton Hospice and has served nationally as a member of the Parole Board and Ofsol. He is a former governor of Warwickshire College and current Coventry University governor. In 1992, James was awarded the Star of Pakistan (highest civil award) by the President of Pakistan, for services to community relations and inter-faith in Britain. He has received an MBE for services to communities and the NHS, and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration from Bedfordshire University.

Stefan Buczacki

Professor Stefan Buczacki

Stefan is best known to the public as one of the country's most distinguished gardening and natural history writers and broadcasters but he is also a scientist with an international reputation and has received accolades, honorary degrees and awards for his work. Educated at the Universities of Southampton (First Class Honours in Botany) and Oxford (Doctorate in Forestry), he now holds an Honorary Chair at Liverpool John Moores University.

After a distinguished research career, Stefan has been a freelance broadcaster, author and consultant for over 25 years. He appeared on BBC Radio's 'Gardeners' Question Time' for more than 600 broadcasts in twelve years, just part of a portfolio of well over 1,000 radio programmes and 1,000 television programmes. He has authored almost 60 books and is also an accomplished photographer, holding the Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society.

Stefan is recognised as an authority on Winston Churchill and now now devotes much of his time to writing socio-political biography. But his proudest achievement is to have been voted among the 100 people of Polish descent who have contributed most to the life and culture of Britain - he appears, alphabetically, between Bonnie Prince Charlie and King Cnut!

David Disbery

David Disbery read Classics and Law at Pembroke College, Oxford. After four years in a chemical company, in 1971 he joined Conoco, US Oil and Gas company at their Humberside refinery, moving to more senior appointments in the London Head Office in 1980 and then to Warwick in 1992. He spent most of his career in the Human Resources function, specialising in compensation and benefits and HR policy development. Following the merger of Conoco and Phillips Petroleum in 2002 he elected for voluntary early retirement in June 2003.

David was a governor of Warwickshire College for 14 years and chair of the corporation for six years. His interests include music, history, walking and a family distributed between UK and Australia.

John Field

Professor John Field

John is currently Professor of Lifelong Learning at Stirling University and Visiting Professor in Continuing Education at Birkbeck, University of London. For six years he was Stirling’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for research and knowledge exchange. He served as a member of the National Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning, and has been an adviser to the Government Office for Science, OECD and UNESCO among other bodies.

John is a member of the Economic and Social Research Council’s training and skills committee, and has been a member of the company board of NIACE (National Institute for Adult Continuing Education). He has researched and written widely on aspects of post-16 education and training. He was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by the Open University for services to adult learning.

Gertrude Marsh-Looi

Gertrude is the widow of the first foreign student in the first residential group of the Institute of Agriculture which was completely housed in Moreton Hall 1949/50. Since that time Gertrude has taken a keen, practical interest in the development of the Moreton Morrell campus. She has resided periodically in the hall and donated the Looi Horticultural Library in the Resource Centre.

Following 30 years' teaching and administrative experience in comprehensive education and a Home Office senior girls' approved school she moved from the West Riding of Yorkshire and took refuge in the Singapore Botanic Gardens on her marriage. She has written and published three books on Norway, and broadcast a weekly gardening programme in Singapore.

Ioan Morgan

Ioan Morgan CBE

Former Principal and Chief Executive of Warwickshire College (1997- 2010) Ioan was educated at University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Ioan is a Chartered Biologist and a qualified teacher. Previously Principal and Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire College of FE and of Cambridgeshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture.

Ioan is a Fellow of City & Guilds of London, and was formerly a Ministerial Adviser and a Commissioner for Employment and Skills. He was the inaugural Chair of the 157 Group of Colleges. He is now a Consultant to the FE Sector. He was appointed CBE in the 2007 New Year Honours.

Eric Wood

Eric Wood MSc, EdD, Hon LLD, DL, OBE

Educated at Edward Orme Boys School, Staffordshire, Eric was a teacher for Manchester LEA from 1972 to 1978. He was appointed Professional Assistant for the London Borough of Barking in 1978. Eric worked as Assistant Education Officer for Staffordshire County Council for ten years, to 1989, and was appointed Principal Education Officer. In 1989 he joined Warwickshire County Council as, Deputy County Education Officer, later working as County Education Officer and Acting Chief Executive. He was Chief Executive of Warwickshire Police Authority from 2006-2008. Eric was appointed National Chair of the Independent /State School Partnership Forum from 2002-2006.

Eric received a Doctorate of Education, Warwick University, 2006 and became a Freeman of the Borough of Rugby in 2007. He has been Governor of Rugby School since 2008, Governor of Lawrence Sheriff School from 2010 and Chair of the School Inspection Service in 2009. He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant, Warwickshire in 2009 and received an OBE in the same year.

Other Fellows