Stuart was born in South Africa and she attended a dance school there. She later moved to what was then Rhodesia before relocating with her husband to the United Kingdom. For a while, they and their children lived in a homeless hostel until the council supplied accommodation.[1]
She attended the University of Cape Town and later obtained a doctorate in Social Policy from the Open University in 1998.[2]
She was appointed to be Vice Chancellor at the University of Lincoln[3] in 2009 following on from David Chiddick. Her research interests are life histories, social mobility, students and community development.[4] Stuart notes that a university in Lincoln was only created as a trial. She entered into an unusual collaboration with Siemens who was a local employer. The company assists in choosing the head of the university's Engineering department. Stuart is aware this is unusual, but she remembers South Africa where large companies were a more positive influence than the government.[1] Stuart is supported by five Deputy Vice-Chancellors.[5]
In 2018, she was awarded a CBE.