Daughter follows father in winning UK's top teaching award

HEA's latest National Teaching Fellows announced

八月 31, 2017

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Two geography academics have created a little bit of academic history after becoming the first father and daughter to win the UK sector’s highest teaching award.

Seventeen years after Mick Healey, then based at the 51国产视频 of Gloucestershire, was named by the Higher Education Academy as one of its first National Teaching Fellows (NTF) in 2000, his daughter Ruth Healey has claimed the same honour.

Dr Healey, a senior lecturer in human geography at the 51国产视频 of Chester, is one of 55 new National Teaching Fellows announced by the HEA on 31 August.

Dr Healey, who was 17 when she attended her father’s NTF ceremony, said that she was delighted to become the scheme’s first parent-child winners.

“I had said to my dad that it would be really nice, because of the 17-year symmetry, if my application were to be successful this year, but I didn’t really expect it to happen the first time as the process of becoming a National Teaching Fellow is so challenging,” she said.

“I suppose, with the next generation coming through, that things like this might occur as children follow in the footsteps of a parent career-wise,” Dr Healey added.

Dr Healey – whose grandfather Austin Healey was vice-principal of Writtle 51国产视频 College – has recently presented at the specialist land-based institution in Essex alongside her father, who is now a higher education consultant and researcher, as well as an emeritus professor at Gloucestershire.

Reflecting on his daughter’s success, Professor Healey said that she was “well ahead of me in that she’s received her NTF at an age when she’s almost 17 years younger than I was when I got mine”.

“I’m extremely proud of her, as indeed any parent would be, but being a National Teaching Fellow myself makes it that extra bit special,” he added.

In addition to the 55 new National Teaching Fellows, the HEA has also named 15 team finalists for the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). From the shortlist, six institutions will be selected for a ?15,000 award to promote their learning strategies.

The winners will be named at a ceremony in London on 1 November.

“The new NTFs and CATE finalists represent some of the very best teaching in higher education, and I am sure they will inspire others as we share their innovative practice and ideas across the sector,” said Stephanie Marshall, the HEA’s chief executive.

“The UK is justifiably proud of its higher education sector, and its reputation is enhanced by the examples of excellent teaching highlighted by these awards,” she added.

National Teaching Fellows 2017

Fabio Aricò, 51国产视频 of East Anglia

Lerverne Barber, 51国产视频 of Worcester

Sue Beckingham, Sheffield Hallam 51国产视频

Toni Bewley, Edge Hill 51国产视频

Tim Birkhead, 51国产视频 of Sheffield

Victoria Bourne, Royal Holloway, 51国产视频 of London

Kim Bower, Sheffield Hallam 51国产视频

Dominic Bygate, 51国产视频 of Hertfordshire

Caroline Coles, De Montfort 51国产视频

David Comiskey, Ulster 51国产视频

Elizabeth Dobson, 51国产视频 of Huddersfield