Biography
Helena Pugsley is a Senior Project Manager in the Strategy Office at the University of Southampton. She leads the University's Advancing Assessment Strategic Major Project, which aims to improve assessment and feedback for students and staff through evidence-informed innovation, process improvement, and sector collaboration.
Helena works with academic and professional services colleagues, students, and external partners to develop, evaluate, and scale effective assessment practices. Her interests include assessment and feedback, educational change, student partnership, co-design, and the evaluation of strategic initiatives in higher education. She was awarded Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) in 2026.
Before joining the University in 2024, Helena held a range of strategic, technical, and leadership roles within the IT sector. She has extensive experience leading projects, managing change, and embedding sustainable improvements that become established organisational practice. Alongside her professional career, she developed experience in teaching and facilitating learning with a diverse range of learners, including adults and younger children.
Helena is a certified Design Thinking practitioner and has worked with organisations across multiple sectors to support change and transformation projects. She is particularly interested in collaborative and co-design approaches that bring together diverse perspectives to solve complex challenges. Drawing on experience from both higher education and industry, she brings a practical, user-centred perspective to educational enhancement and student partnership.