ALUMNI FOCUS
Game on:
how alumni are driving Heriot-Watt's ambition to become an international sport university
In 2022, Heriot-Watt re-introduced a sport and exercise science undergraduate programme and launched a wider sports portfolio including masters level degrees at its Edinburgh campus. This marked the beginning of a journey to become a leading international sport university.
Associate Professor Mark Ross Director of Teaching and Research for Sport and Exercise Science and an Associate Professor in Exercise Physiology
Integral to this journey are a number of Heriot-Watt alumni. Mark Ross, Hannah Lithgow, and Stephen Morrow talk about coming back to push things forward, discussing the programmes and research which will deliver the University’s ambition.
Mark Ross is Director of Teaching and Research for Sport and Exercise Science and an Associate Professor in Exercise Physiology. “Thirteen years since graduating I was enticed back by the opportunity to develop something from scratch,” he comments. “I feel passionately about this role and what we can do here, with such clear potential to do things differently. The credentials of the team, coupled with the incredible facilities of Oriam, means we have an opportunity to create a really distinctive offer that is responsive to the evolving needs of the world of sport.”
Leading the field
Mark studied a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science and graduated in 2009. He returned home to Ireland to study an MRes, before coming back to Scotland to undertake a PhD, and has built a flourishing career in academia across research and teaching. “It’s fantastic to be back at Heriot-Watt. I had on-going links with Scottish Rugby Union and the Scottish Football Association, and felt this role brought together all I could offer,” he explains. “I’m delighted to be working with a diversity of the University’s alumni across the team and within Oriam.” These alumni include Fergus Guppy, Associate Professor in Exercise Physiology, who has also played a leading role in kick-starting the redevelopment of sport and exercise science at Heriot-Watt: “Fergus has made a major contribution towards realising the University’s vision to become an international sport university within a decade,” adds Mark.
Hannah Lithgow is Assistant Professor in Exercise Physiology whose research focuses on how vitamin D can be used as a strategic intervention to benefit musculoskeletal health. Her work recently led to a nomination as a ‘2024 STEM for Britain’ finalist and the presentation of her work to members of the UK Parliament. “I joined the team about a year ago and was incredibly excited to come back,” Hannah enthuses. “I’m loving being part of building something new.”
Stephen Morrow is Associate Professor in International Sport Management and Programme Director for the University’s new MSc in the subject. “I was excited to come back. What really appealed was the opportunity to make an impact; with Oriam on the doorstep and diverse contacts across the sporting world, we can offer students a truly distinctive experience. Starting from scratch has allowed us to create courses that prioritise real-world experience and see students learning and engaging with practitioners,” Stephen explains.
Ross Campbell is Executive Director of Oriam. “I actually studied Mathematics here, but sport is my passion, and I am a former Sports Union President. Maximising the potential of Oriam for the University is really important to me and the whole team here. We’ve been keen to drive the creation of integrated academic programmes and see the facilities support a unique educational experience. Oriam is also a conduit between researchers and athletes, whereby key questions from the sporting community can be investigated and answered by the University’s research community.”
Getting ahead of the competition
The application of real-world experience into the sport and exercise programmes is a core feature of the Heriot-Watt offer. “I was keen to see undergraduates engaged with the inspirational environment of Oriam right from the start of their studies, so from Year 1 we have them in Oriam undertaking projects and experiencing what it is like to be a sport and exercise scientist working in practice. The students absolutely love it,” explains Mark.
Hannah adds: “I’m hugely enjoying the applied learning we offer and seeing the students get so much out of it. We provide unique experiences here; for example, students were recently involved with Scottish Rugby Union’s pre-season testing at Oriam.” As the sports scientist for Scottish Football’s Under-19s female team, Hannah also feeds her own applied experience into her teaching.
“There is also a clear outward-looking ethos here,” comments Stephen. “Developing the International Sports Management MSc reflects Heriot-Watt’s distinctive global approach and applying knowledge is key. Our students work on case studies and projects with international dimensions, reflecting real-world experiences and challenges, and the programme reflects not just the global nature of sport but also our student cohort, which comes from across the world.”
Embedding qualifications into the programmes is also important: “We want to ensure the credentials of our graduates are too good to turn down when they apply for jobs. Work-related qualifications help to put them ahead of the competition. For example, we’ve partnered with CIMSPA UKSCA to integrate specialist coaching qualifications into our Sport and Exercise Science degree,” comments Mark.
We provide unique experiences… and the students get so much out of it.”
Assistant Professor, Hannah Lithgow
Diverse and dynamic sport research
We’re bringing a contemporary approach to sports psychology here.”
Dr Jennifer Meggs
Across Heriot-Watt there is already an interesting breadth of research going on, spanning sports engineering, biomedicine, aging, applied sports science and work with female athletes. “Our intention is to build a really diverse and dynamic research community,” Mark explains. “It is exciting to be developing this community and bringing on our first cohort of six PhD students.”
“An interdisciplinary and collaborative approach brings new perspectives and a dynamism to what we’re doing,” comments Dr Jennifer Meggs, Associate Professor in Sport Psychology, whose research is focused on understanding mental resilience and examining ways to improve it in athletes.
Specialists in other areas of the University are also contributing diverse expertise across sport and exercise science. For example, Marcus Dunn, Assistant Professor in Sports Engineering and Biomechanics, works to advance movement analysis in sport and health applications, and Professor Bert Blocken, whose expertise in aerodynamics contributed to consecutive victories in the Tour de France, leads the University’s aerospace programme. “Bert and his team have recently found that curly hair and loose clothing can significantly reduce the performance of athletes taking part in long jump and 100-metre sprints, which could mean the difference between winning gold or not,” comments Mark. Professor Blocken plans to install a state-of-the-art wind tunnel at the Edinburgh campus which will facilitate unique opportunities for students regarding sports aerodynamics. “Linking with engineers here is important and distinctive, I think,” adds Mark.
Coming back to go forward
There is no doubting the enthusiasm of the whole academic sport team, and particularly the alumni within it. “Having been students here themselves, they know directly what makes the Heriot-Watt community special and the distinctive way the University forges educational experiences that underpin successful careers. I really loved my time studying here,” comments Mark.
“I actually studied accounting but was interested in the business and financial aspects of sports,” comments Stephen. After gaining his Chartered Accountant qualification, he became a lecturer in accountancy and finance at Heriot-Watt. “My research into the financial aspects of professional football was quite unusual back then,” he explains. “There weren’t many academics looking at it and I came to be regarded as something of an expert!” He’s since written three books on the subject and developed teaching and research across sport finance, sport governance and applied sport management. “After ten years I left Heriot-Watt to join Stirling University’s burgeoning sports studies department, working there for over 20 years. But I’d kept my eye on developments at Heriot-Watt and Oriam where I knew some of the leading professionals involved. Joining the team felt like a rare opportunity. Also I was excited that the new MSc International Sport Management would be based within Edinburgh Business School, meaning we can draw on its expertise to enhance the programme,” he adds.
“I absolutely loved studying at Heriot-Watt,” comments Hannah. “I played a lot of sport in my first two years and probably wasn’t the best student, but I had tremendous mentors and lecturers who encouraged me to knuckle down and I graduated with a first and won the James Watt medal!” Hannah established her research career at other universities, investigating the role of exercise and ageing on vitamin D metabolism. She will continue this work at Heriot-Watt, specifically in relation to female athletes. “I’ll also support the growth of PhD studentships,” she adds. As a LGBT+ role model for the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science (BASES), Hannah is also championing awareness: “Working with BASES, we are looking at how to bring equality, diversity and inclusion more into our teaching practice and research culture here.”
There is a clear outward-looking ethos here…the programme reflects the global nature of sport and our student cohort, which comes from across the world.”
Associate Professor Stephen Morrow
Resilience and results
Working with Professor Pete Coffee, Jennifer co-developed Heriot-Watt’s new MSc in Sport Psychology. “As Programme Director I’m currently focused on developing partnerships which can enhance real world experience, research projects, and applied internships for our students,” she explains. Her research on mental resilience is integrated into the MSc’s modules. New research with Heriot-Watt colleague, Assistant Professor William Low, sees her progressing evidence-based pressure training (PT) to support athletes to cope with the pressures involved in high-performance sport. “The project will help to guide sport psychology practitioners and coaches in conducting PT at both elite and lower levels of sport. I believe we’re bringing a contemporary approach to sports psychology here, with a real focus on supporting graduates into meaningful career pathways.”
Responding to what the evolving world of sport requires is an ongoing process. “So, now we’re two years in and have addressed the challenges we anticipated at the start,” explains Mark, “but there are always new ones to tackle! It’s very much ‘game on’ for the team, and we’re all completely committed to delivering results!”
It’s very much ‘game on’ for the team and we’re all completely committed to delivering results!”
Dr Mark Ross
