Professor Bruce Hood, from the School of Psychological Science, and author of the book The Science of Happiness and creator of the course of the same name, and Dr Rabeya Khatoon, Associate Professor in the School of Economics have been named as National Teaching Fellows in recognition of their outstanding impact on the student learning experience.
In addition, the MyWorld Skills and Training Team, led by Professor Kirsten Cater from the School of Computer Science, has achieved a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). These recognise and reward collaborative work that has had a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning - highlighting the key role that teamwork plays in higher education.
Professor Hood said: “Teaching is the core of higher education, and I’m honoured to be recognised as a National Teaching Fellow. This award highlights the value of excellent teaching and its role in shaping meaningful student learning. I’d like to thank the University for all its support over the past 26 years.”
Dr Khatoon added: “I’m truly humbled to receive the National Teaching Fellowship. Trained as an econometrician, I’ve always been passionate about making Econometrics more accessible and engaging. This recognition reflects the collective effort of students and colleagues who have shaped and inspired my teaching journey. I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to embed real-world relevance and equity-focused teamwork into Economics education, and to support students from diverse backgrounds in discovering their voice. This award strengthens my commitment to creating spaces where learning is both rigorous and joyful, and where leadership is grounded in empathy, reflection, and shared growth.”
The MyWorld Skills and Training Team, which, alongside Professor Cater, includes Jo Gildersleve, Katie Martin, Zibah Nwako and Emma Guise, uses academic and industry knowledge to create a diverse and inclusive talent pool for the creative industry sector.
Professor Cater said: “We are so very proud to have won this award for our skills and training work in the MyWorld project, which responds to the urgent need to develop a diverse creative technologies talent pipeline. We have been able to achieve this through developing and delivering a wide educational offer to support pre-career, early-career, and mid-career individuals to enter the creative tech industry, take on new roles within the sector, and advance their specialist knowledge.
“We are particularly committed to encouraging equity, diversity and inclusion among the creative technologies’ workforce, with the aim that it is representative of all sections of society. Through co-designing our courses, we are able to engage a wide range of audiences from different backgrounds and at different points in their career paths to meet their diverse needs.”
Judith Squires, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost, said: "I am delighted that my colleagues have been recognised in this way. Their success is reflective of the talent across our academic community and our continued commitment to delivering outstanding student learning.”
Kathryn Harrison-Graves, Deputy Chief Executive at Advance HE, said, "We are delighted to announce the 2025 awards to those with an unwavering commitment to teaching excellence. These newly awarded National Teaching Fellows and CATE teams represent the very best of UK higher education, demonstrating remarkable innovation, dedication and impact on student learning.”