University associate professor wins award for teaching excellence

University of Gloucestershire’s Dr Liz Berragan has today been announced as a winner of a national award celebrating outstanding contributions to excellence in teaching and for inspiring colleagues in higher education. 

Dr Berragan (pictured), Associate Professor in Health and Social Care Education, is a recipient of a National Teaching Fellowship from Advance HE, the sector-owned charity that works with higher education providers across the world to improve higher education for staff, students and society.

This year’s National Teaching Fellowship Scheme recognises 55 individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in UK higher education.  

Dr Berragan’s award recognises her outstanding contribution to simulation-based education (SBE), where learning activities provide authentic representation of real-life clinical scenarios, in healthcare teaching and practice.

Throughout her career, Dr Berragan has been committed to providing students with authentic work-integrated learning, with a key focus on SBE and the development of sustainable relationships between academia and healthcare practice.

She has championed the transformational impact of SBE for student learning and in empowering students to be outstanding and autonomous practitioners, and has worked with colleagues to support their careers through a practice-focused and research-informed approach.

Dr Berragan said: “I am so happy to have been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship. I am thrilled that the value of my contribution to teaching excellence, throughout my career, has been recognised by Advance HE.”

Dr Berragan is a registered nurse whose career experience includes critical care nursing, military nursing and healthcare education spanning the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, independent and voluntary healthcare sectors, and higher education in the UK and overseas.

In 2022, Dr Berragan was the sole recipient of the esteemed Sigma European Recognition of Nursing Excellence in Education for her expertise in SBE and positive influence and impact upon international nursing and healthcare education.

Dr Berragan is an NHS Trust Governor, a member of The Health Foundation Q Community, and an executive member of the Health Education England Simulation Network. These external roles have enabled her to help shape healthcare learning and practice, and stimulate a focus upon quality assurance, continuous improvement, and patient safety.

Advance HE’s National Teaching Fellowship 2023 awards ceremony will take place on 28 September at The Library of Birmingham. 

The University’s previous recipients of a National Teaching Fellowship include Dr Alan Marvell and Dr Colin Forster in 2021, Dr Alex Ryan (2017), Ros O’Leary (2017), Dr Andy Pitchford (2015), Freya Billington (2015), Dr Anne Goodenough (2014), Professor Stephen Hill (2013), Dr Jason McVaugh (2011), Dr Adam Hart (2010), Professor Lindsay McEwen (2009), Dr Arran Stibbe (2009), Dr Phil Gravestock (2005), Dr Kenny Lynch (2004) and Professor Mick Healey (2000).