Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam OBE is Deputy Director and Vice Principal Research & Innovation at The Glasgow School of Art.

She has worked internationally in Europe, New York and London as Director of Design Research for Dutch multinational Philips and led the award-winning European Research project Living Memory.

At the Glasgow School of Art, she has created the GSA’s Highlands and Islands Campus, GSA’s new Innovation School, now the School of Innovation and Technology, and initiated the development of the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre.

Irene was awarded an OBE in recognition of her work in Higher Education, Innovation and Design.