Daughter follows father in winning UK’s top teaching award

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 University 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 geog raphy at the University 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 University 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, University of East Anglia Lerverne Barber, University of Worcester Sue Beckingham, Sheffield Hallam University Toni Bewley, Edge Hill University Tim Birkhead, University of Sheffield Victoria Bourne, Royal Holloway, University of London Kim Bower, Sheffield Hallam University Dominic Bygate, University of Hertfordshire Caroline Coles, De Montfort University David Comiskey, Ulster University Elizabeth Dobson, University of Huddersfield Sally Everett, Anglia Ruskin University Suzanne Fergus, University of Hertfordshire Sarah George, University of Bradford Philip Hanna, Queen’s University Belfast Catherine Hayes, University of Sunderland Ruth Healey, University of Chester Joanna Hendy, Cardiff Metropolitan University Judith Holloway, University of Southampton Alison Honour, Oxford Brookes University Annie Hughes, Kingston University Julie Irwin, Bucks New University Ilona Johnson, Cardiff University Hisham Khalil, Plymouth University Ania Korszun, Queen Mary University of London Andrew Kulman, Birmingham City University Megan Lawton, University of Wolverhampton Jacqueline Leigh, University of Salford Colin Lumsden, University of Manchester Lindsay Marshall, Newcastle University Elizabeth McCrum, University of Reading Fiona McCullouch, University of Nottingham Samuel Messam, Bradford College University Centre Elizabeth Miles, Coventry University Jayne Mothersdale, Leeds Beckett University Matthew Nicholls, University of Reading Mark O’Hara, Birmingham City University Ros O’Leary, University of Gloucestershire Angela O’Sullivan, De Montfort University Pamela Parker, City, University of London James Pickering, University of Leeds Samantha Pugh, University of Leeds David Read, University of Southampton Alex Ryan, University of Gloucestershire Henrik Schoenefeldt, University of Kent Michael Scott, University of Warwick Gill Seyfang, University of East Anglia M. Hasan Shaheed, Queen Mary University of London David Smith, Sheffield Hallam University Hilary Wason, Kingston University Dawn Watkins, University of Leicester Renate Weller, Royal Veterinary College Judith Williams, University of Manchester Dylan Williams, University of Leicester James Wilson, University of Southampton

Finalists for the CATE awards

Cardiff Metropolitan University Kingston University Staffordshire University The Open University Ulster University University College London University of Bath University of Bedfordshire University of Bradford University of Cumbria University of Huddersfield University of Kent University of Leicester University of Sheffield University of South Wales