Provost’s Teaching Awards recognise lecturers’ committed to teaching & learning

Posted on: 09 June 2017

The Trinity College Dublin annual Provost’s Teaching Award were presented by Dr Patrick Prendergast to five members of staff in recognition of their enthusiasm and commitment to ensuring students receive quality teaching and learning.  Now in their 17th year, the Awards are Trinity’s principal means of celebrating academic staff who have made an outstanding contribution in the pursuit of teaching excellence in the University and who promote teaching as a scholarly activity.

The 2017 recipients are: Professor Mairead Brady, School of Business, Dr Marie Morris, School of Medicine and Professor Anita O’Donovan, School of Medicine, and Professor Michael King, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy and Professor Susan O’Callaghan, School of Medicine, both of whom received an Early Career Award.

This year a total of 41 staff members were nominated. Of those that went forward to the Review Panel, eight were shortlisted, eventually resulting in five winners. To be shortlisted in such a competitive field is a great honour. The three shortlisted candidates – Professor Mauro Ferreira, School of Physics, Professor Celia Holland, School of Natural Sciences and Professor Ronan Lyons, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy – were presented with a certificate of commendation by the Provost at the awards ceremony.

Warmly congratulating the winners and shortlisted candidates, the Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast said: “I congratulate and thank each of you. Your commitment and dedication to teaching and learning, your innovation in creating learning environments which both support and challenge individual students, and your contribution to the College's high reputation for teaching are greatly appreciated”.

“With these Awards, the university affirms its commitment to teaching, and we avow our equal and indivisible mission in education and research”, the Provost noted.

The candidates were selected through a rigorous process involving their nomination by their students or their peers in the University.  The candidates were then assessed by the Provost's Teaching Award Review Panel chaired by Professor Neville Cox, Dean of Graduate Studies with representatives of academic staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and an external reviewer, Dr Martyn Kingsbury from Imperial College London. The panel examined each candidate's teaching philosophy, their practice and scholarship, and assessed supporting evidence provided by the candidates.