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'Outstanding' Exeter staff awarded teaching fellowships

Two "outstanding" University of Exeter staff have won prestigious National Teaching Fellowships.

Dr Sara Burton and Dr Adam Feldman are among 56 new fellows recognised in the 2020 Teaching Excellence Awards for Higher Education (HE), organised by Advance HE.

A former orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Feldman now teaches engineering, energy and specifically renewable energy at Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall, and has won awards from students and colleagues for his work.

Dr Burton is a senior lecturer and microbial ecologist who has worked in both universities and industry, and roles within the Microbiology Society have allowed her to support and develop microbiology education internationally.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be awarded a National Teaching Fellowship 2020 and excited to join the Association of National Teaching Fellows," Dr Burton said.

"I look forward to stimulating challenges whilst achieving further impact within UK higher education."

Dr Feldman said: "I’m hugely honoured to be awarded the National Teaching Fellowship by Advance HE. I thank the many colleagues and students here at the University of Exeter who have allowed me to bounce all sorts of ideas off them and to have fun as we learn together. Learning is a never-ending process; this is the joy of HE. The new network that this award brings will allow me to carry on learning and enrich the experience of students for years to come."

The National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) Scheme celebrates and recognises individuals who have made an "outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education".

Alison Johns, Advance HE CEO, said: “All of the winners should be extremely proud of their achievement of what are prestigious, national teaching awards.

"Their work epitomises the outstanding commitment to teaching in the UK higher education sector, which this year has been more demanding than ever before. Well done to each and every one of them.

“On the 20th anniversary of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme, we really wanted to celebrate the diversity of the outstanding individuals teaching or supporting teaching, and focused on applicants’ impact on EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) issues in the awards process.

"We will continue this focus in the years to come as we ensure that the awards reflect the diversity of academics and teachers across the sector.”

Read a profile of Dr Burton here, and Dr Feldman here.

Date: 6 August 2020

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