Louise Banahene is Director of Educational Engagement at the University of Leeds.  She provides leadership on the University’s access and student success strategy including outreach, contextual admissions and changes to structures and process to close gaps in continuation and degree awarding gaps. In 2017 she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to higher education.
She is also the strategic lead for the Go Higher West Yorkshire partnership – a collaboration between thirteen higher education providers across the region working together to develop higher level skills provision, outreach to widen access/target under-represented groups (including Uni Connect) and new programme development. She has served as elected Chair of the Russell Group Widening Participation association.
Throughout her career, she has focused on a targeted and integrated approach to fair access and student success. With a degree in English and an MEd in Lifelong Learning, her career has largely been within higher education.