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University of Gloucestershire staff win national teaching awards

The University of Gloucestershire is today celebrating success in this year’s National Teaching Fellowship Awards.

The Fellowships are awarded to the best University teachers across the UK, following a competition run by the Higher Education Academy. This year two members of staff at the University of Gloucestershire are amongst the 55 award winners across the country. They are Dr Alex Ryan and Ros O’Leary. Since the NTF programme began, staff of the University of Gloucestershire have won 19 awards. This makes the University one of the most successful in the country for the proportion of staff winning these prestigious Fellowships.  

This follows on from the University’s achievement in winning two top prizes at this year’s Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards – the Gold Award for Outstanding Financial Performance and the Gold Award for Outstanding Marketing and Communications.

Stephen Marston, University of Gloucestershire Vice-Chancellor, said: “I am delighted to congratulate Alex Ryan and Ros O’Leary on their National Teaching Fellowships. Their achievement maintains the University’s excellent track record in winning these awards.

“The University is proud to have such great staff. Their professional skill and dedication is central to the quality of teaching and learning we can offer to our students. That was reflected in our recent achievement of a silver award in the Teaching Excellence Framework, and in this year’s National Student Survey results where the University was rated above the University sector average on all eight of the Survey domains, including for the questions on Academic Support, Learning Community and Student Voice.  

“Data from the Higher Education Funding Council show that the proportion of the University’s staff holding professional teaching qualifications and awards is well above the University average, because we are committed to providing the best possible teaching for our students. And this year’s THELMA gold awards show that that excellence extends across our professional services staff as well as our academic staff, all dedicated to playing their part in providing a great experience for students.”

Dr Alex Ryan

Dr Alex Ryan is Director of Sustainability at the University of Gloucestershire and is known for her innovation and leadership in Education for Sustainability. Her Religious Studies expertise led to pedagogical development and her influential work with a range of universities and sector agencies, recognised through UK and international awards.

Dr Alex Ryan, Director of Sustainability at the University of Gloucestershire, said:

“Achieving a National Teaching Fellowship is so rewarding as it brings recognition from experts in teaching innovation. These individual awards only happen when we’ve been inspired by our teachers, students and colleagues, so I’m hugely grateful to all the gifted learners and powerful educators who’ve shaped my work.”  

Ros O’Leary

Ros O’Leary is Head of Educational Development at the University of Gloucestershire. She has been working in higher education teaching and supporting teaching for over 20 years, as Head of eLearning at the University of Bristol and as Deputy Director of the Economics Network (one of the original Higher Education Academy subject centres). She leads the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and the internal HEA Fellowship scheme.

Ros O’Leary, Head of Educational Development at the University of Gloucestershire, said:

I’m absolutely thrilled at receiving a National Teaching Fellowship and am really grateful to colleagues past and present who have supported and encouraged me to do this. I feel privileged to have worked with such amazing students and colleagues over the years and look forward to many more future collaborations.”