New Dean for School of Sport health and Social Sciences

Dr Diane Bray has been appointed Dean of the School of Sport, Health and Social Sciences at Solent University.

Diane joins Solent in March from her current role as the Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Roehampton.

Confirming the appointment, Solent’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Julie Hall says: "I am delighted that Dr Diane Bray is joining Solent University. I know she is excited at the opportunity to build on the School’s success and contribute to its future development. She has a depth of experience having played a leading role at her current university. I look forward to working with her to further develop the priorities set out in Solent University’s Strategy." 

A Senior Fellow of the HEA, Diane has been the Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Roehampton since 2010. Her current department spans psychology and the therapies across undergraduate, post graduate, doctorial provision and short courses.

During her time at Roehampton, she has developed a number of flagship programmes, including a doctoral route with partnership institutions; as well as productive relationships with NHS trusts, local government and international ministries in Spain, Norway, India and Malaysia.

At undergraduate level she has introduced a BA (Hons) in Therapeutic Psychology, which provides a progression route for students who wish to train in one of the Art and Play Therapies that the department offers. Diane has also worked on plans to develop programmes in nursing, sport, forensics, counselling and criminology, and clinical psychology, to complement a PsychD in Counselling Psychology.

She brings a wealth of leadership experience. Diane is a member Roehampton’s Student Experience and Outcome Panel, improving the student experience with measurable improvements in NSS, retention and employability; was joint lead on the University's successful institutional Bronze Athena Swan submission in 2018; and her department achieved  65%  3 or 4* outputs  in REF 2014 and is on target to exceed this performance in the next REF.

Externally, Diane is a committee member of the Association of Heads of Psychology Departments (AHPD) and a programme reviewer and external examiner to a number of universities. She was also a core member on the HEA group ‘The Future of Undergraduate Psychology in the United Kingdom’.

Commenting on her appointment, Diane Bray says: "Solent University is a great university which lives it values authentically. I am excited at the prospect of working with the senior team and new colleagues in the School and across the University. The School is at an important stage in its development with new programmes in nursing and sociology already in train and the Sports Complex ready to open next year. I look forward to working with colleagues and students to realise the School’s ambitions, build on its established roots and develop partnerships across the University, city and region.”