The Board has appointed a pool of External Advisers from whom the Executive can seek expert advice on matters relating to the prescription (recognition) of qualifications and other areas of its work. This enables the Accreditation Team to provide advice to and make sound recommendations to the Board for decision-making.
Our Advisers have experience of developing and delivering architectural qualifications, and of higher education quality assurance processes. They also have experience and knowledge of policy developments and issues impacting on higher education in the UK, Europe and overseas.
Advisers are external, impartial and observe confidentiality at all times. None are asked to advise on any matters where there is a conflict of interest or where such a conflict might arise. They are appointed for a term of four years, and may serve for up to two terms.
The current External Advisers are:
Wendy Colvin has been the Programme Leader for the Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice and Management in Architecture at the University of the West of England since she developed and launched the course in October 2007. She has also been a Senior Lecturer at University College London and the University of Portsmouth, and has considerable experience as an architecture examiner (internal and external). As a member of APSA (Association for Professional Studies in Architecture) – which she chaired 2011-2016 – Wendy has been involved in the RIBA Professional Education Committee and Architectural Education Review Group, and a government Periodic Review of ARB. Earlier in her career, Wendy worked for architectural and multi-disciplinary firms in the UK, Germany and USA.
Kelly MacKinnon has been a Principal Lecturer in Architecture, and the Equality and Diversity Development Lead for the Department of Architecture and the Built Environment at Northumbria University since September 2016, having worked and lectured at the institution since 2011. She has also previously lectured at the Glasgow School of Art and University of Strathclyde. Kelly is currently an External Examiner for Birmingham City University, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Association of Architectural Educators. Between 2003 and 2007, Kelly practised as a Project Architect in Newcastle; delivering projects for housing, health sector and private clients.
Alona Martinez Perez is a Senior Lecturer at the Leicester School of Architecture, De Montfort University; before which she lectured at the Universities of Plymouth and Ulster, and also as a visiting professor for institutions in Scotland, Italy, Spain and South Africa. Alona has an extensive portfolio of papers and articles that have been published internationally, and has presented numerous papers at conferences around the world. During more than a decade in practice in England and Scotland, Alona’s work has included retail, hospital, school, hotel and urban redevelopment projects, and she continues to work as an architect on small projects.
Stefanie Rhodes has been in practice since 2010, and a Director at Gatti Routh Rhodes Architects since May 2014. Her architectural work has been diverse – ranging from smaller residential projects, to complex large-scale mixed-used developments – and includes advising on regeneration schemes for a London borough as well. Stefanie is similarly experienced in architectural education. A Practice Member of the RIBA Validation Panel for architecture schools in the UK and overseas from 2008, she has also been a Studio Tutor and responsible for developing course content for London Metropolitan University and Korea National University of Arts.
