Key details
Dr Nathaniel Pickering
Associate Director of Evaluation Centre
Nathaniel Pickering joined the University of Greenwich in May 2024 to lead the Student Success Evaluation Centre (SSEC), which aims to understand what works to improve student outcomes.
Prior to joining Greenwich, Nathaniel worked in various roles where he collaborated and led institutional and externally funded research and evaluation projects within higher education that focused on improving student access, experiences, and outcomes of tertiary education. Nathaniel’s evaluation work is rooted in theory-based and participatory evaluation, which he uses to enhance programs of change and impact.
Nathaniel worked with staff and students through various organisations (Advance HE, QQA Scotland, and the Evaluation Collective) and higher education providers to develop evaluation thinking, knowledge, skills and capacity. He was a founding member of the Evaluation Collective sector network, which aims to develop knowledge about inclusive and effective evaluation practices. He also developed a game-based resource, #ChangeBusters, to support university staff in creating theories of change and evaluation plans.
Nathaniel has published and presented on a wide range of topics, including learning and teaching in higher education, learning gain, student surveys, student engagement, foundation year study, digital storytelling, student transitions, evaluation theory, evaluation practice, the hidden curriculum, experiences of care leaver and estranged students and free school meals.
Responsibilities within the university
Associate Director of the Student Success Evaluation Centre, which aims to
- Facilitate the establishment of an evaluation culture at Greenwich and beyond.
- Deliver and support activities across the evaluation cycle in collaboration with internal and external partners.
- Enhance the impact of student success interventions by disseminating and applying evaluative evidence.
Recognition
Advance HE Fellowship
Convening member of the Evaluation Collective
Research / Scholarly interests
Nathaniel holds a PhD from Lancaster University, where his research focused on the impact of austerity and crisis events on higher education policy. His research interests encompass social theory, political theory, critical theory, sociology of education, social policy, austerity, pedagogy, and social justice. Nathaniel specialises in higher education and student experiences.