A dual Spanish/British national, Marta was born in Bilbao -a post-industrial town that has reinvented itself over the last three decades while keeping a distinctive identity. After gaining a BA in English, she moved to South Wales in 1997 to work as a Spanish assistant in a secondary school. She gained her Masters and PhD in English literature at the University of York, before holding teaching and central services posts in various UK universities across different mission groups. Based in the Midlands since 2004, she has a deep appreciation for place and belonging that celebrates the richness of individual and group identities.
Marta joined Staffordshire University’s Academic Quality Service in 2021 as a partnership quality manager. She brings over 20 years’ experience in quality assurance, learning and teaching, partnership development and management, and student services delivery. Her interests as a third-space HE professional include: institutional policy and process development, transnational education, internationalisation, partnerships with FE, business, industry and third sector, and collaborative programme design and implementation.
An advocate of lifelong learning, she aims to grow her knowledge and skills to better navigate the changing HE landscape, explore developments in learning, teaching and student support, and meet evolving learner needs. She has an MBA in Higher Education Leadership, is a Prince2 Practitioner and Advance HE Senior Fellow, and is currently completing the SU Certificate in Advanced Mentoring
Marta recharges her energy and inspiration hiking, cycling, enjoying arts and cultural events, and dabbling in improv.