Lecturer
Roles and Responsibilities
Brad is a Lecturer in the Organisational Studies group at the University of Edinburgh Business School. He has taught across a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA programmes, and currently serves as course organiser for Organising for Effectiveness (MBA), Human Resource Management (MSc), and Crisis Management for Organisations (Undergraduate).
As co-lead of the Year Three and Four Honours Undergraduate Dissertation Course, Brad plays a key role in curriculum leadership and student support. Beyond the School, he contributes to ethical research governance as a member of the Childlight Cross-College Ethics Advisory Sub-Committee for the Global Data Institute for Child Safety, and represents the Business School as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for the Scottish Institute for Policing Research.
Background
Brad is a skilled communicator, effective presenter, and dedicated educator, passionate about enriching the learning experience to engage and support all students. Before transitioning to higher education in 2018, he served for nearly 28 years as a police officer, retiring as a sergeant in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. During his policing career, he amassed over 15,000 hours of experience in researching, designing, delivering, and evaluating training for officers and the public. He now draws on that experience in his teaching, leadership, and scholarship. Brad also contributes to public service in Edinburgh through his voluntary role as a High Constable.
He recently completed his PhD in Management at the University of Edinburgh Business School, exploring the role of trust in the police–public relationship. He also holds an MBA (2019) with a Strategy specialisation from the University of Edinburgh Business School, where he focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. He is a Certified Management and Business Educator, an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Certified Municipal Manager Level 3 – Police Professional.
Brad was awarded the 2022/23 and 2023/2024 Excellence in Teaching Award by the University of Edinburgh Business School based on student feedback.
Recent Publications
Forthcoming: "Community-Based Alternate Police Delivery Models to Reduce Violence and Crime" Albrecht, James F., and den Heyer, Garth (Eds), Special Topics in Policing (2026) , Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-032-06679-4
Thesis: "What's consent got to do with it?" An examination of legitimacy, trust, and the police-public relationship in Scotland, United Kingdom". https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/43326
Research Interests
Brad is a qualitative researcher with a keen interest in police reform, police training, trust, policing by consent, police history, and new pedagogical methods. He also has research interests in organisational studies, human resources, technology, and pedagogy.