Meet our team

Chris Lemon

I have been a lecturer on the Health team for the past 10 years where my drive is to help learners to develop the skills and knowledge to provide the best care possible for those that they care for. I have been a registered mental health nurse for over twenty years. Whilst spending the majority of clinical career specialising in the field of child and adolescence, I have also worked in various acute and community settings. 

Throughout my career I have tried to help people to address the damage caused by stigma and discrimination whilst empowering people to be confident to help those with mental health issues.

In my 'spare' time I am found editing, writing, coordinating and generally managing the local music website Inverness Gigs.

Kathleen Murray

Kathleen has a background in Early Years and started work in Inverness College Nursery in 1991. Kathleen decided to become a student herself (the same year she became a Nana) and became a full-time lecturer in 2008. She is a graduate of the University of the Highlands and islands and has a Postgraduate qualification from the university of Stirling.

Kathleen teaches on the BA Childhood Practice and the BA Child and Youth Studies programmes and her favourite role is that of Personal Academic Tutor where she supports, guides and advises students on their online learning journeys to their degrees.

Students may face many difficulties when undertaking a degree so being the person to help them through a challenging time and go on to succeed is the most rewarding part of the job. Kathleen says she will never forget the words on one student who said “What you have done for me has changed my life forever”

Kathleen is just delighted that her granddaughter is now a full time student at UHI and is following in her footsteps in working towards a career in education.

Kate White

I have been teaching in colleges for 17 years, and with Inverness College UHI, for 11 years. Prior to this I worked as a Social Worker with            children and young people in residential, community and foster care settings. My practice degree was with Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and my teaching qualification was with Dundee University.

I have taught on a range of courses over the years, including introductory level courses, NCs, HNCs and degree modules. Currently I am the Programme Leader for UHI’s counselling curriculum and a Professional Development Award in Health & Social Care Supervision.

I have always been interested in training & education, and I enjoy the college setting, the relationships we build with our students, working within the team and the systems that make the college run!

Away from work, I enjoy days on the beach with my dog, music, reading, eating out and Scandi Noir.

Email: kate.white.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Susan MacKenzie

I lecture on the NC Health and Social Care, Access to Nursing and HNC Social Services courses.

I started at Inverness College as a SVQ assessor in 20014, before gaining a lecturer post a few years later. Prior to this I worked developing and delivering training programmes in NHS Lothian, with a specific focus on workforce development for non-registered health and social care support staff. Enabling staff to provide safe, quality care whilst promoting the opportunity for career development as well as gaining qualifications.  

I am a registered nurse with a wide variety of clinical experience in both the NHS and private sector, my clinical speciality was emergency care, working in busy A&E departments in Edinburgh and Belfast. It was in Belfast that I first saw the transformative effect that training, and education can have on a person’s life when I supported an auxiliary nurse to undertake a vocational award, this award enabled him to gain confidence in his role and go onto undertake a health-related degree at university, something that he had always thought that he could not achieve due to leaving school early.

I still find it really rewarding to support students to challenge themselves and be curious whilst learning. The most rewarding thing for me is the sense of wonder when the ‘lightbulb moment’ happens and suddenly all the learning makes sense.

I continue with my own education, having recently graduated from Stirling University with a Postgraduate teaching qualification, and I am currently undertaking additional training to become a volunteer vaccinator in response to the Covid pandemic.

Heather Corpe

Lecturer in Biology and Ecology

Lecturer in Health and Social Care

Currently I am a lecturer in the schools of ‘Care, Health and Wellbeing’ and ‘Applied Science and Mathematics’.  I teach ‘Care Higher’ and deliver a range of units on ‘mental health’, ‘human development and behaviour’, ‘health’ and ‘sociology’ at levels 4 to 6. I am module leader for the Animal Behaviour module in the psychology degree programme.   I also teach Biology at Nat 5, Higher and HNC, and am module leader for Freshwater and Marine Biology units on the Environmental Sciences Degree Programme.     

Previously I worked in the supported education department as a classroom assistant and then lecturer.  I was a development officer with the charity ‘HUG Action for Mental Health, and worked with the Moray Firth Partnership as the SAC Project Officer, co-ordinating development of a management scheme to protect the resident dolphin population.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Zoology, University of Aberdeen
• BSc Hons Biological Sciences, Portsmouth University
• TQFE, Stirling University

I am interested in many things, including animal welfare, conservation and mental health.  I am crazy about dogs and enjoy spending time with my beautiful lab cross Jess and my tiny Jack Russel, Rolo.  I enjoy reading, walking at the beach, drinking tea and eating cake with friends – after walking at the beach – going to gigs, going to the cinema and travelling abroad.  I love acting for fun and have helped to establish our annual Inverness College staff panto!   

Wilma MacDonald

Wilma has been working within the Care, Health and Well being team for 20 years.  She has had a very varied role within the team and loves the diversity of it.  Wilma managed a care home for adults with learning disabilities for many years and it was this role that led her to an educational career at Inverness College UHI.

Wilma teaches on the HNC in Social Services award, and she is the SVQ co-ordinator for SVQs 2,3 and 4 in Social Services and Healthcare.  She also delivers some of the learning and development units within UHI.

“I love my role within Inverness College UHI as it is all about working with ‘people’.  Every day is a learning day for me as well!  It is a real honour to be working with ‘people’ who have a wealth of experience and knowledge, particularly so, for vulnerable people who are receiving care and support.  It is a real privilege to be involved in their lives.   If you, have the care and compassion to make a difference in an individual’s life then the HNC in Social Services will give you the opportunity to start a career in the health and social care sectors and gain a relevant registrable qualification.

Outside of work she likes to potter, gardening, cycling, walking, reading and she loves animals, especially dogs.

Email: Wilma.MacDonal.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Mari Todd

I began my journey in Psychology with an MA (Hons) in Psychology with the University of Edinburgh. During this time I was part of the GB junior orienteering team and also ran for GB in mountain races across Europe. After graduating I worked in a range of social care and mental health and wellbeing organisations. I then switched into bike racing and competed in all disciplines except downhill. This spell of competition culminated in training and racing in Australia prior to the Sydney Olympics with the GB women’s team.

Upon returning to Scotland I pursued my interest in wellbeing by completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Promotion with Robert Gordon University. This was followed with a spell back in remote and rural healthcare, working for NHS Shetland, with mental health and wellbeing and physical activity being my main focus. Projects delivered included: Paths for All, Play at Home, GP Exercise referral schemes. I also introduced  Mental Health First Aid and ASIST Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training to Shetland, which was a first for both of these programmes for the UK as a whole.

I then worked for NHS Education where I carried out research on remote and rural medical education. I combined working for NHS Education with lecturing at Inverness College UHI before making the switch to full time lecturing and completing my Postgraduate Certificate in TQFE with Stirling University in 2015. In 2019 I completed a Masters in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology with Staffordshire University.

Currently I teach on the Step into Care Programme and the Foundation Apprenticeship Social Services and Healthcare Programme, as well the Bsc Psychology and Bsc Sport and Fitness Degree Programmes. I am still interested in community wellbeing, specifically the links between people, place, physical activity, nature and wellbeing.