Geography - Staff Details Dr Stuart B. Downhill (Head of Department ...

Geography - Staff Details
Dr Stuart B. Downhill (Head of Department) BA, MSc, PhD, PGCE, FRGS
Dr Downhill joined Strathallan to head the Geography Department in Autumn 2002 from the
University of Manchester. After completing a year of teaching practice in Liverpool, he was
appointed to the Department of Geography and became a Residential Tutor at Forest School
adjacent to the Epping Forest. He has interests in both physical and human geography including
biogeography, natural hazards and the regeneration of the urban landscape in the post industrial
era. Whilst teaching in London for a period of 5 years, he undertook part-time MSc research
concerned with the multi-dimensional ecological pressure on the British estuarine resource and the
legislation designed to protect such fragile environments. The main focus of his doctoral research
programme was Holocene landscape stability and cultural response with a detailed examination of
the alluvial geoarchaeology of the Mersey floodplain leading to the derivation of a modern
radiocarbon-dated type sequence of sedimentation for north-west England under the supervision of
Dr David W. Shimwell and Dr Mike J. Robinson. The period of research began in October 1995 as a
member of the Palaeological Research Unit (PERU) at the University of Manchester which led to his
appointment of lecturer within the School of Geography. His work with PERU afforded him the
opportunity to work closely with a variety of clients including the Manchester Airport Authority and
the Greater Manchester Development Corporation leading to a range of publications. He has held a
variety of residential pastoral posts during the last 17 years ranging from House Tutor at Forest
School to Senior Tutor and Warden within the University Halls of Residence. Currently, he is the
Residential & Senior Tutor of Ruthven House. Also, he is an experienced examiner, moderator and
subject reviewer for the Assessment & Qualifications Alliance and the University of Cambridge
Examinations Syndicate. Beyond the classroom, he has a keen interest in martial arts, travel, rugby,
skiing, food, and he has been known to "mix" at VI Form events guesting as a DJ incorporating music
stretching from Latin America, crossing the Balearic Islands to Eastern Europe!!
Mr David J. Barnes BSc, PGCE, PGCG, FRGS
Mr Barnes gained his Geography degree from Loughborough University. He is Second Master having
been a Housemaster for 9 years, yet he somehow still finds the time to teach GCSE and AS/A2 level
classes. His particular interests include the role of perception in the decision-making processes for
industrial location and applied fluvio-geomorphology, the latter influenced by the work of Dr Geoff
Petts and Dr Stan Scumm. Following a year spent as a courier cum ski instructor, glaciology has been
added to this list. Time spent working in the local community has seen the Geography of Social
Deprivation and its impact on society coming to the fore. The flimsiest of excuses (marketing, rugby
tours) is used by him to justify extravagant trips to unusual places but this itinerant member of the
Department has no plans to change his ways. Do they play rugby in Alaska Is the shortest way to
Singapore really via Manchester, Munich, Frankfurt then London
Miss Kate E. Wilkinson BSc, PGCE
Miss Wilkinson joined Strathallan in Autumn 2005. She completed her degree at Glasgow University
and worked in the geotechnical industry for a year before returning to the North East to complete
her teacher training at Durham University. Her geological background reiterates her interest in
aspects of physical geography especially plate tectonics and glaciology.
Outside the classroom, she is the Resident Tutor of Thornbank House and she enjoys travelling and
participates in a variety of sports including skiing, tennis and rugby where she won her cap for
Scotland.

Dr Matthew Gibson BSc, PhD, PGCSE
Dr. Gibson joined Strathallan in September 2008 from The Nelson Thomlinson School in North
Cumbria. He gained a degree in Geology at The University of Edinburgh where he went on to
complete a PhD. His area of research was unraveling the thermo-tectonic evolution of the Pyrenean
orogen through the application of stratigraphic and structural field geology, isotope geochemistry
and digital topographic analysis. Post research, he was employed as a laboratory scientist in a
commercial nuclear fission laboratory and as an independent consultant on geochemical and
isotopic investigations into groundwater flow below UK mainland nuclear facilities.
His general love of the outdoors has also seen him work extensively in outdoor education and as a
landscape gardener. Matt is currently a tutor in Riley House and is involved in climbing, hockey and
cricket coaching.
Geography - Facilities
The Geography Department at Strathallan has 4 teaching classrooms and 2 rooms for books,
equipment and computers. We are located in the far north-west reaches of the School grounds,
which gives us great views from the classrooms north across Strathearn and south to the Ochils.
The Department is well equipped with a wide range of resources including textbooks, journals, a
Sixth Form library, videos, fieldwork equipment, an automatic weather- monitoring station,
networked computer, TVs, VCRs and Slide Projector. There is also a Met. Office weather station in
the School Grounds, which is maintained by a former member of staff. We plan to increase the range
of CD-roms in the near future as well as computer hardware to make the best possible use of the
huge potential of Information Technology in the teaching and learning Geography.
There is information on University courses in the wide range of subjects related to Geography and
we endeavour to keep up with our ever-changing World by displaying recent newspaper articles on
topics relevant to the subject.