Dr Andrea Patel

Andrea joined The Open University as a Staff Tutor in March 2022 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2025. She is currently Lead Staff Tutor for the School of Engineering and Innovation.

Since joining The Open University, Andrea has undertaken a number of faculty leadership roles, including serving as STEM Associate Lecturer Contract Implementation Co-Lead, supporting the implementation of new contractual arrangements for Associate Lecturers across the faculty. She has also held the role of Tuition Delivery Lead, overseeing aspects of module tuition and presentation planning. Andrea is currently Chair of T213 Energy and Sustainability and is a Staff Tutor on T452 The Engineering Project and T176 Engineering: Professions, Practice and Skills 1.

Prior to joining The Open University, Andrea was Head of the University Graduate School at the University of Birmingham, where she was responsible for university-wide support for postgraduate research students. Her role focused on enhancing the postgraduate research student experience, assuring the quality of postgraduate research degrees, and contributing to the achievement of institutional strategic aims. Key achievements included developing dedicated careers and entrepreneurship support for postgraduate researchers and establishing a vibrant postgraduate research community across the university.

Before moving to the University of Birmingham, Andrea was Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Technologies and Programme Manager for Extended Foundation Degrees at Harper Adams University. She taught renewable energy at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, supervised PhD students and postdoctoral researchers undertaking research in bioenergy and life cycle assessment, organised knowledge exchange activities to support renewable energy adoption within the rural sector, and led a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project with an industry partner to develop a small-scale anaerobic digestion system.

Andrea holds a BSc in Biochemistry with Biotechnology, an MSc in Biochemical Engineering, a PhD in Biosciences focused on novel bionanocatalysis for chromium (VI) remediation, and an MBA. She also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Her professional interests span engineering and sustainability education, academic leadership, curriculum design, postgraduate researcher development, renewable energy technologies, and supporting excellence in teaching and learning.