Inspirational learning and teaching was celebrated at this year's Education Awards, held on Wednesday 3rd May 2023. The Education Awards combines the Academic Rep Awards, Peer Support Awards and University Teaching Awards in one night of celebration. Nominees, colleagues and students from the University were invited to join in the celebrations at the Apex Hotel.
This year, similar to previous years, large numbers of nominations were received for the University Teaching Awards, which recognise outstanding staff achievements in learning and teaching across the University. Professor Julian Chaudhuri, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education), congratulated all nominees for their commitment to delivering exceptionally high-quality learning and teaching, and pastoral support activities.
We look forward to talking to our award winners over the coming weeks to find out more about their outstanding effort and commitment to learning and teaching, and what it means to them to win an award.
Innovation in Learning and Teaching Award
The Innovation in Learning and Teaching Award is made in recognition of a significant contribution to innovation in curriculum design, content or delivery.
Two nominees stood out, with significant contribution to innovation. Our joint winners are Dr Teslim Bukoye (School of Management) and Mr Enrico Cecconi (Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies).
Dr Teslim Bukoye (School of Management) was congratulated as an innovative educator who has transformed the learning experience for over 100 students, turning the classroom into a real-life firm. Dr Bukoye, innovative approach has created an effective mode of delivering course material while incorporating real life applications. Students have responded positively, and their work reflects the effectiveness of this teaching method.
Enrico Cecconi (Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies) teaching methods have transformed the language learning experience of his students. Integrating drama methods and theatre improvisation activities into his pedagogy has resulted in authentic communication between the students in the target language, improving student learning experience, confidence and motivation. Enrico's teaching is one of a kind, engaging, fun – and highly effective.
“I am delighted and grateful to have received the Award in Innovation in Learning and Teaching. It is wonderful to be recognized for developing and implementing innovative approaches in learning and teaching at the University. I want to dedicate this prize firstly to my students who are my constant source of inspiration for my work and research in language teaching and my daily joy. They have embraced with great enthusiasm and competence a performative and transformative learning experience in Italian based on innovative drama methods, theatre improvisation activities, storytelling, and graphic narratives following the principles of co-creation and participation. This prize goes also to my wonderful Italian team which I am grateful to be part of and to work with and to all my colleagues in the department of PoLIS for always being so supportive. Last but not least, I would also like to dedicate this award to my parents who have always supported me in my life and my career”. Enrico Cecconi
Mary Tasker Award
The Mary Tasker Award recognises excellence in teaching, particularly through the use of creative and effective approaches.
Dr Fabio Nemetz (Department of Computer Science), who has demonstrated deep commitment to students’ learning and growth. Fabio's passion is evident in his innovative, engaging and effective teaching methods. His ability to captivate the students’ attention and keep them engaged is commendable with one student quoting “he is a thoroughly energetic teacher not matter the time of day he carries the same amount of energy, getting people excited and interesting in what he’s teaching.” His creative approach to teaching, which incorporates gamified elements and interactive resources, is highly effective in engaging students and enhancing their learning experience. In addition to his exceptional teaching abilities, he pioneers many teaching and learning initiatives within the department to further improve teaching practices
"Many thanks to all members of the Department of Computer Science and University colleagues for the support I receive. I am honoured and grateful to receive this award in recognition for my commitment to student learning. Working with the incredible student community in the Department has been an absolute pleasure, and I am proud to be a part of their academic journey. I dedicate this award to them." Fabio Nemetz
John Willis Award
The John Willis Award recognises dedication to the academic and personal lives of students combined with a significant contribution to teaching and accomplishment in research. We received many strong nominations for this Award.
Dr Lee Bryant (Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering) is this year's winner of the John Willis Award. Dr Bryant is an exceptional academic who has made a significant impact in the field of teaching and research. Lee's research is rigorous, innovative, and has real potential to demonstrate impact while her interdisciplinary approach is inspiring and shows dedication in the field. Lee is a dedicated and passionate teacher, helping her students to develop a deep understanding to apply knowledge to real world situations. Lee's commitment to pastoral care is outstanding; she takes time to listen and guide students, and has been praised for her efforts in helping them make their dreams of studying abroad a reality, empowering them to succeed.
"Thank you all. I am very happy to have won the John Willis award and honoured by what this represents. It really comes down to the amazing students and colleagues I get to work with and learn from. We have an inspiring teaching and research community here at Bath and I am proud to be a part." Lee Bryant
Director of Studies Award
The Director of Studies Award recognises the important role played by Directors of Studies in supporting learning and teaching, and their positive impact on the student experience.
This year, two nominees stood out as having made an exceptional contribution. Our winners are: Dr Cressida Lyon (Department of Life Sciences) and Mr Ian Fairholm (Department of Psychology)
Dr Cressida Lyon (Department of Life Sciences), is recognised for her outstanding contributions to the undergraduate Biomedical sciences degree program. As the Director of Studies, she has been at the forefront of driving innovation, particularly in the development of new teaching methods and consistent marking schemes that provide informative feedback to students, going above and beyond to share her knowledge and expertise with other members of staff. In addition to Cressida's commitment to teaching excellence, she demonstrates exceptional pastoral support for her students, providing guidance and mentorship when needed. Her dedication to teaching, mentoring and supporting students is truly exceptional.
"I am absolutely blown away to have won a Director of Studies (DoS) award, and by the level of support that I received from my Biomedical Sciences students, and Life Sciences staff.
I have been DoS for the past two academic years, and have found it to be an extremely rewarding role. My main priority as DoS is to support my students and to enable them to achieve their best academically. I have also worked to develop student transition into University, introducing activities such as a campus treasure hunt and sessions on Digital Skills, Wellbeing, Study Skills and Exam Preparation; to increase student engagement with feedback and skills development using an ePortfolio; and to develop marking proformas which aim to improve the consistency and usefulness of feedback.
I am so grateful for this award, and would like to thank my lovely cohort of Biomedical Sciences students, my colleagues for putting up with my constant stream of questions, and my family for being so supportive." Cressida Lyon
Ian Fairholm (Department of Psychology) provides exemplary support to students and staff, Ian tirelessly supports students in a myriad of ways having a positive impact on their lives. Ian's efforts to improve the student experience is truly remarkable and an excellent example of good practice. Having developed and championed approaches to teaching that encourage interaction, creativity, reflection, and real-world applications. Ian has led initiatives to increase the students’ rate of NSS completion in Psychology and consistently received high scores in student feedback.
"I am absolutely thrilled, honoured and humbled to win a Director of Studies award this year. I started as Director of Studies for UG Psychology back in January 2020, pretty much just as COVID-19 first hit the UK, and never anticipated what the next three years would look like or how great an impact there would be for staff and students. In any context, our UG students are incredible, and our academic and admin staff are tireless workers and brilliant colleagues, but the levels of resilience and creativity I've seen in recent years have been simply astonishing. This award reflects the combined efforts of all those in the department. I am also very grateful to have been nominated and that my passion for teaching psychology and improving the student experience has been recognised. Thanks also to my wife for all her love and support, and to my cats for showing love in their own unique ways." Ian Fairholm
Best Team Award in Support of Student Learning
The Best Team in Support of Student Learning Award recognises exceptional or innovative teamwork in the delivery of learning and teaching.
The Bath Physics Observatory team (Dr Peter Sloan, Dr Vicky Scowcroft, Dr Steve Davies and Dr Gary Mathlin) the team stood out as demonstrated exemplary collaboration between colleagues, dedication and collective hard work to put an observatory in place – a project that from the foundations to instrumentation took 5 years to put in place. The team has used their passion for teaching to create fantastic, new opportunities for our students. The observatory offers students a genuine immersion into observational astrophysics, enabling students to glance into future of an astrophysicist, a future that could be theirs. Students have quoted “Fantastic to get a project with real hands-on experimentation that allowed us to get a taste for observational astronomy”.
"We are all excited to receive this teaching award. It has been a pleasure working with, and have the support of, our students, our colleagues in Physics, Sports, and Estates as well key stakeholders at the Faculty and University level. If we were to write down the underlying learning outcome (LO) of the Bath Physics Observatory, it would be to inspire students. This award recognises that our students have been inspired and that, by aiming for the stars and working as a team, they will continue to be inspired in the future." Bath Physics Observatory Team
Leadership in Learning and Teaching Award
The Leadership in Learning & Teaching Award is awarded to a member of staff who can show a sustained and successful profile of transformational leadership in learning and teaching within the University.
Dr Sarah Moore, (Department of Social and Policy Sciences), is awarded the Leadership in Learning and Teaching Award. Dr Moore has made several remarkable contributions to Learning and Teaching over the last 5 years, with a transformational impact in the department through her innovative ideas, leadership and hard work in her roles as Senior Tutor, Director of Teaching and currently Head of Department. Sarah played a crucial role in designing and implementing a first year tutorial system that has had a major impact on undergraduate teaching, and which received overwhelmingly positive feedback. She has designed and implemented a new degree programme programs that was recognised by The Times as top ranked course in the country in 2022 and led on a very successful Curriculum Transformation design that was singled out for praise, and led learning and teaching through the pandemic.
"I’m absolutely delighted to have received this award, and would to thank staff and students for making and supporting the nomination. What an honour! I’m incredibly fortunate to work with a highly committed, creative and collaborative team of staff, and this award is very much testament to what we have achieved together over the last few years in SPS" Sarah Moore
Our winners presented at Edufest 2023, which was a lovely addition to the conference and be able to hear off all the good practice, the presentations are available to view.
Our Highly Commended nominees
This year, several nominees were awarded Highly Commended by the Awards Committee: Thomas Staniforth, Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies (Innovation in Learning & Teaching); Kerin Petrini, Department of Psychology (John Willis Award); James Scobie, Department of Mechanical Engineering (John Willis Award); John Troyer, Department of Social and Policy Sciences (John Willis Award); Darragh McGee, Department for Health (Mary Tasker Award); Mike Willis, School of Management (Mary Tasker Award); Gail Forey, Department of Education (Leadership in Learning & Teaching); First year Tutorial Team, Department of Social and Policy Sciences (Best Team in Support of Student Learning).
Congratulations to all those who were shortlisted and nominated for our Teaching Awards this year;
Innovation in Learning & Teaching: Daniel Coren, Miguel Fialho, Adam Hahn, Janet Bultitude, Kerin Petrini, Imran Shah
John Willis Award: Teslim Bukoye, Iris Lavi, Hannah Leese*, David Liptrot, Haydn Morgan, Galadriel Ravelli*, James Roscow, Hendrik Van Eerten.
Mary Tasker Award: Chris Bailey, Yarden Brody, Teslim Bukoye, Sarah Elliot, Ian Fairholm, Juan Pablo Ferrero, Katharine Fraser, Cressida Lyon, Peter Mannning, Sandhya Moise, Ben Radley, Milena Romano, Miles Wheeler, Anna Young, Nic Zhang, Tamas Szekely.
Leadership in Learning & Teaching: Aurelien Mondon*, Sabina Gheduzzi.
Best Team in Support of Student Learning: PoLIS Undergraduate Administration Team, International Exchanges Team (SoM)*, Mechanical Engineering Teaching and Student Support team, Teaching & research staff in Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Engineering & Design Placement team, Sarah Elliot & Iris Lavi & Rosalind Barnett Psychology.
Director of Studies Award: Zoe Burke, Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis*, Ionnis Batlle Costas, Christine Edmead, Debbie Janson*, Aurelien Mondon, Jannis Wenk, Shaun Williams.
* shortlisted
Read more about the awards made to student reps, peer mentors, lecturers, and support staff years at this year's Education Awards.
Find out more about the University Teaching Awards.
Respond
