ACCESS Steering Committee

ACCESS is governed by the ACCESS Steering Committee that defines the goals and objectives of the ACCESS network and provides direction and leadership for the overall network. Steering Committee members are appointed by the leadership of their university. The ACCESS Steering Committee always has a member from each of the four founding member universities as well as a member from the host university(s) of the nearest two upcoming Forums.

The coordination and implementation of the overall activities is led by Lund University who also chairs the ACCESS Steering Committee.

Current Steering Committee Members:

Prof. Stacey Sörensen

LU - Lund University


Stacey Sörensen is the Chair of the ACCESS Steering Committee. She is also a Professor of Physics at Lund University, and is the director of the Pufendorf Institute of Advanced Studies. She currently serves on advisory committees at several European large-scale research facilities, and has previously served on the board of the Swedish Research Council, and on the government advice panel on new materials.  

Prof. María Angélica Fellenberg

UC Chile - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

María Angélica Fellenberg is responsible for developing and implementing the University's policies on doctoral training, research, creation, innovation and transfer, as well as national and international collaboration in research and postgraduate studies.

Prof. Suruchi Thapar-Björkert

UU - Uppsala University

Suruchi Thapar-Björkert is Associate Professor at the Department of Government, University of Uppsala. She researches on postcolonial and decolonial feminism(s), political economy of gender and development and feminist research methologies. She has held lectureships and teaching fellowships at the London School of Economics and Political Science (1998-2000) and University of Bristol (2000-2010) in the U.K and Amherst College (Autumn 2022), USA.

Prof. James
McPhee

UCH - Universidad de Chile

Civil Engineer from the University of Chile, and Ph.D. in Water Resources Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prof. McPhee is a faculty member in the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Chile, where he has held various positions, including Director and Elected Council Member of the Department of Civil Engineering, and is a Senior Researcher at the Advanced Mining Technology Center. Between 2017 and 2022, he served as Vice Dean of the Faculty, a role that included leading the Faculty’s “Engineering 2030” project, whose mission was to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the education of young engineers, geologists, and scientists. In his academic work, Dr. McPhee has specialized in research on mountain hydrological systems, with a particular focus on snow hydrology and hydroglaciology. Since July 2026, he serves as Vice President for Research and Development at the University of Chile.

Prof. Kristina Snuttan Sundell

GU - University of Gothenburg
*2027 Forum Host*

Kristina Snuttan Sundell is professor in Zoophysiology, researching fish and marine invertebrate physiology and endocrinology with transdisciplinary applications for sustainable aquaculture. She is vice head with responsibility for collaboration, cooperation and internationalization at her department, Biological and Environmental Sciences and director of the faculty overarching and transdisciplinary research center SWEMARC, Swedish mariculture research center at University of Gothenburg. She has also directed, and are currently coordinator for knowledge building and communication in the national research center: Blue food, seafood of the future. Professor Sundell have been participating as PI for research themes at three consecutive ACCESS forums.

Prof. Paula


Irles

UOH - Universidad de O'Higgins
*2028 Forum Host*