Julie Rattray

Professor Julie Rattray is Head of the School of Education at Durham University and holds the academic rank of Professor in Higher Education. She joined Durham in 2001 after completing her PhD in Developmental Psychology at the University of Dundee. Her research focuses on threshold concepts in education, liminality, affective learning dimensions, and higher education policy. She has led major projects such as DASCHE (social competence development) and Intref (intercultural teaching reflection), collaborating with European partners. Key roles include Director of Education, EDI Director, and chair of the 2016 IUT conference.

Education Background: PhD in Developmental Psychology (University of Dundee). Research Interests: Threshold Concepts Framework, Liminality in Learning, Academic Care, and Quality Assurance in Higher Education. Notable Projects: Threshold Concepts Conference series (Durham 2014), European-funded IBAR and DASCHE projects, and establishment of the International Centre for Comparative Study of Doctoral Education.

Research Trends: Over 20 recent articles focus on threshold concepts' application in diverse contexts, including nursing education, media literacy, and online learning environments. Themes include affective dimensions of learning, intercultural teaching practices, and pedagogical frameworks for transformative education.

• Scientific Awards: Senior Fellow of HE Academy, Keynote Speaker roles, and invited workshops globally.
• Advising & Grants: Supervised over 20 doctoral students since 2008. Current projects address teacher care in online learning and metalearning capacity development.
• Labs/Teams: Leads the School of Education's research clusters on threshold concepts and collaborates with international networks like the Threshold Concepts International Research Group.