David Smith, professor of chemistry at the University of York, whose YouTube channel ProfessorDaveatYork explains the role of organic chemistry in everyday life, is one of 55 higher education staff to be awarded the sector’s most prestigious teaching prize.
Other winners include Julie Hall, director of learning and teaching enhancement at the University of Roehampton and vice-chair of the Staff and Educational Development Association, which promotes good practice in higher education teaching.
The successful National Teaching Fellows were chosen from over 180 nominations submitted by higher education institutions across England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Each will receive an award of £10,000 which will be used to support their professional development in teaching and learning or aspects of pedagogy.
Craig Mahoney, chief executive of the HEA, said: “Our students deserve the best possible learning experience and it is colleagues like those we celebrate today who can make a real difference to their futures.
“I congratulate all the successful fellows and wish them every success in their own learning and teaching experiences.”
Higher education staff from all university mission groups and all three participating countries of the UK – England, Northern Ireland and Wales – had been awarded fellowships, he added.
This year’s fellows include academics from a diverse discipline range – from chemical engineering and biosciences to nursing, theatre performance and psychology.
They also include librarians, and learning enhancement specialists who work across the disciplines to develop innovative approaches to learning and teaching.
“I am sure the new NTFs will be an inspiration to their peers,” Profesor Mahoney said.
The scheme is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland and is open to staff whose teaching or support roles enhance the student learning experience at institutions in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Here is one of Professor Smith’s most popular YouTube videos, about the organic chemistry of the former “legal-high” drug mephedrone:
The 55 National Teaching Fellows announced this year are:
- Emily Allbon, City University London
- Christopher Beaumont, Edge Hill University
- Adam Benjamin, Plymouth University
- Lyn Bibbings, Oxford Brookes University
- Paul Blackmore, King’s College London
- Helen Boulton, Nottingham Trent University
- Hilary Burgess, University of Leicester
- Jane Carter, University of the West of England
- Anne Crook, University of Reading
- Helen Day, University of Central Lancashire
- Peter Draper, University of Hull
- Jarmila Glassey, Newcastle University
- Anne Goodenough, University of Gloucestershire
- Jacquelyn Haigh, University of Bradford
- Julie Hall, University of Roehampton
- Ruth Helyer, Teesside University
- Stephen Hill, University of Gloucestershire
- Sherria Hoskins, University of Portsmouth
- Andrea Jackson, University of Leeds
- Louise Jackson, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
- Sue Jackson, Birkbeck, University of London
- Joy Jarvis, University of Hertfordshire
- Philip Keeley, University of Manchester
- Judit Kormos, Lancaster University
- Simon Lancaster, University of East Anglia
- Mark Langan, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Simon Lightfoot, University of Leeds
- Joanne Lymn, University of Nottingham
- Tess Maginess, Queen’s University, Belfast
- Juliet Millican, University of Brighton
- Nicoholas Monk, University of Warwick
- Alexander Moseley, University of Leicester
- Rachel Mulvey, University of East London
- François Nel, University of Central Lancashire
- Mary Oliver, University of Salford
- Marina Orsini-Jones, Coventry University
- David Parkes, Staffordshire University
- Darren Raven, University of the Arts London
- David Roberts, Birmingham City University
- Sue Robson, Newcastle University
- Pratap Rughani, University of the Arts London
- Momodou Sallah, De Montfort University
- Fay Short, Bangor University
- David Smith, University of York
- Sarah Speight, University of Nottingham
- Maddalena Taras, University of Sunderland
- Wendy Thorley, University of Sunderland
- John Unsworth, Northumbria University
- Rupert Ward, University of Huddersfield
- Nicola Whitton, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Rachel Wicaksono, York St John University
- Christopher Wiley, City University London
- Neil Witt, Plymouth University
- Mark Woolford, King’s College London
- Jonathan Worth, Coventry University
