National Teaching Fellowship success for Southampton

Simon Kemp, of the School of Civil Engineering and the Environment (CEE), and Dr Mike Wald, of the School of Electronics and Computer Science, have both been made National Teaching Fellows. They are among only 50 recipients of this year's award, which is presented by the Higher Education Academy.

The Academy has also announced that Dr Faith Hill, of the University's School of Medicine, has received a £200,000 grant from the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) to continue her innovative work in healthcare education.

Professor Debra Humphris, the University's Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education), says: "The award of National Teaching Fellowships to Simon and Mike provides clear recognition of both their national standing and the esteem in which they are held by the University. Their commitment to students is outstanding and I'm delighted that this has been nationally recognised.

"Added to this has been the success of Faith Hill, who won a NTF last year, who has secured funding to extend her educational research. Yet another sign of the vibrant education culture in the University of Southampton."

Simon Kemp is a Senior Teaching Fellow and Admissions Tutor for the University's Centre for Environmental Sciences in CEE. He studied for an MSc at Southampton before joining the teaching staff in 1996. Passionate about teaching, Simon has been recognised for making a real difference in the field of environmental science and sustainability. His success in embedding employability into his teaching has drawn wide acclaim.

Dr Mike Wald is a Senior Lecturer and leads research into accessible technologies. Throughout his career, he has improved learning through his development and use of technology. He has helped change national policy and achieved international recognition as a scholar and a champion for disabled students. His most recent innovation, Synote, is being used by universities worldwide to transform learning for all students.

This year's Fellows were chosen from nearly 200 nominations submitted to the NTFS by higher education institutions, and will each receive an award of £10,000, which may be used for professional development in teaching and learning or aspects of pedagogy.

The Academy also makes awards of up to £200,000 to team projects that involve a National Teaching Fellow. Dr Hill has received a grant for a project that aims to facilitate smooth transitions for students moving from university-based teaching to workplace learning. The project, also led by Dr Anja Timm of the School of Medicine, is a collaboration between Southampton's Schools of Medicine, Health Sciences and Institute for Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) and the University of Leeds.