At the intersection of strategy, design and daily campus life, Maggie Walters helps shape the spaces where learning and research unfold. From navigating complex spatial challenges to observing the subtle ways people move through buildings, her work reveals how thoughtful design can enable connection, adaptability and a sense of belonging across SU’s evolving campus.

What does your role at SU entail?

My role as Manager: Development Management and Design at SU’s Campus Development, Infrastructure and Services (CDIS) is about helping to shape the spaces where academic life happens. I work where strategy, design and delivery meet, translating the University’s vision and academic goals into physical environments that support learning, teaching, research and everyday campus life.

A big part of that role is problem solving, often in complex and constrained contexts. That might mean balancing competing needs, working within existing buildings, or finding creative ways to respond to limited resources while still meeting long term goals. I’m involved in both new projects and the ongoing evolution of existing spaces, constantly asking how buildings are being used, how those needs are changing, and how we can respond thoughtfully and practically. Together with my team, we aim to make planning decisions that are realistic, adaptable and aligned with wider University priorities like sustainability, heritage, accessibility and long-term stewardship. At the end of the day, it’s about ensuring the built environment quietly supports what the University is here to do.

What does a typical day at work look like?

There isn’t really such a thing as a typical day, and that variety is something I genuinely enjoy. A day might begin with a site visit, walking through a building and observing where spaces are working well and where challenges are emerging. From there, it may involve reviewing drawings, data, briefs, or feasibility studies, and then shift into higher level discussions about the future development of the campus and how spatial decisions can enable institutional goals.

Much of my day centres on problem solving through conversation. This includes unpacking needs, navigating constraints, testing options and working collaboratively to arrive at solutions that are effective both in the short term and over the long term. Some days are highly detail focused, dealing with layouts, access or coordination issues. Others are more strategic, engaging with broader development frameworks and institutional priorities. Regardless of scale, the work remains people focused and grounded in how spaces are actually used and experienced.

How did your education or past experiences prepare you for this job?

My background in architecture and design has had a lasting influence on how I think, lead and approach complex challenges. Design training teaches you to see systems rather than isolated parts; to understand how individual decisions affect the bigger picture, and how long-term outcomes are shaped by many interconnected choices. It also gets you comfortable with uncertainty and change, encouraging curiosity, testing ideas, and adjusting course as you learn, rather than chasing quick or overly neat solutions. Just as importantly, it deepens the understanding that the environments we create actively shape how people behave, experience and engage.

Over the course of my career, I’ve worked in environments that required bringing together many different perspectives, often with competing priorities and incomplete information. Those experiences helped me develop a leadership style that is collaborative but decisive, listening carefully, asking the questions, and guiding teams toward solutions that are both practical and considered. In a university context, where academic values, operational realities and long-term planning intersect every day, those skills are essential for navigating change and supporting meaningful, sustainable development.

What do you enjoy most about your role and working at SU?

What I enjoy most is the sense of purpose that comes with working in a university environment. Universities are places of curiosity, growth and possibility, and it’s meaningful to be involved in shaping spaces that support those values. Much of our work centres on offering guidance and working alongside others to think through spatial challenges. While our guidance is not always ultimately followed, we approach the work in a collaborative spirit and aim to add value to decisions wherever possible. Often, the impact of this input extends far beyond a single project, shaping how students and staff experience the campus and connect with one another over time.

SU offers a particularly rich and dynamic context. The campus has a strong identity and history, alongside the ongoing need to adapt to new ways of teaching, learning and working. I really value the collaborative culture at SU and the shared understanding that constructive engagement around space, even when views differ, plays a key role in academic life, wellbeing and fostering a sense of belonging.

Tell us something about yourself that few people would expect.

I’m always quietly noticing how people use spaces, where movement feels effortless, and where small moments of frustration emerge. I pay attention to the things most people navigate instinctively, how a corridor slows people down, where conversations naturally happen, or where a space simply doesn’t invite people to stay.
That habit of observing has become part of how I make sense of the world. It shapes how I think about planning, not as an abstract exercise, but as something grounded in lived experience. It reminds me that the most effective environments are often the ones that work quietly in the background, supporting people and allowing the complex, everyday life of a university to unfold with ease.