Faculty staff recognised in University of Leeds Teaching Awards
Staff in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures have been recognised in the 2025 University of Leeds Teaching Awards
Now in their fifth year, the Teaching Awards celebrate excellent practice in student education, as well as the work and innovation of colleagues to deliver high-quality teaching and learning at Leeds. Since 2021, there have been 119 winners across 50 awards.
Awards are given for both individual and collaborative achievements, with categories recognising early-career educators and those demonstrating sustained excellence.
This year’s Faculty winners are Dr Katie Carpenter (School of History), Dr Cuie Xu (School of Languages, Cultures and Societies), Jenna Bodin-Galvez (School of Languages, Cultures and Societies), Dr Kashmir Kaur (School of Languages, Cultures and Societies) and Professor Clare Wright (School of Languages, Cultures and Societies).
Professor Hazel Hutchison, Head of the School of English, was awarded a Principal Fellowship of Advance HE, the tenth ever recipient of this fellowship at Leeds.
Dr Matthew Lickiss and Professor Sascha Stollhans, Pro-Deans for Student Education in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, said:
“We are incredibly proud that Katie, Cuie, Jenna, Clare and Kashmir have been recognised in this year’s University Teaching Awards. Each of them brings creativity, dedication and innovation to student education, making a real difference to the experience of our learners and to the wider teaching community. Their achievements also highlight the strength and diversity of teaching across our Faculty, and the inspiring ways colleagues are shaping education for the future.”
Jenna Bodin-Galvez won an Early-Stage Collaborative Excellence award for the design and impact of an interdisciplinary module in Food Science and Nutrition (FSN) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP), in collaboration with Dr Jo Brown at the School of Food Science and Nutrition (Faculty of Environment)
Jenna has worked at the University of Leeds since 2014 and is a Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in the Language Centre. Since 2018, she has been seconded to the School of Food Science and Nutrition, leading the in-sessional provision and moving it from adjunct to fully integrated, leading to the successful collaboration with Jo. She is also the co-module leader for a content-based summer pre-sessional, Language for Business, which involves collaboration with the Leeds University Business School (LUBS), the School of Design and the School of Music, demonstrating her view on the importance of cross-curricular collaboration. Her scholarship interests lie in the impact of embedded in-sessional provision and the EAP needs of students from an English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) background.
Jenna said: “I am both delighted and honoured to have won the Early Stage Collaborative Teaching award with my colleague, Dr Joanne Brown, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition. This award recognises our collaborative work in co-designing two core MSc modules in Food Science and Nutrition (FSN), with English for Academic Purposes fully embedded, bringing together two distinct disciplinary areas in order to support students in their knowledge and skills development. Having been seconded to Food Science and Nutrition in my in-sessional role since 2017, this is the first year that EAP has been fully embedded and therefore compulsory for all Masters students, and it is wonderful to have this achievement recognised. Developing and delivering these modules required us to both combine our diverse expertise and disciplinary knowledge, and to learn how to communicate successfully across disciplines.
“My approach to teaching has always been student-focused, putting their needs at the centre of curriculum and lesson development. With in-sessional provision, this has meant enabling students to access and understand the disciplinary discourse of their communities, thereby empowering the students and increasing their confidence. I am a strong believer in cross-curricular modules and the embedding of EAP, which is why I am so pleased with this award. I am excited to use the prize money to spread the word on the benefits of embedded EAP.”
Dr Katie Carpenter won an Early Career Teaching Award
Dr Katie Carpenter is an Associate Professor in Public History in the School of History. She joined the University in 2022 as a Curriculum Redefined Transformative Educator and is currently Programme Director of BA History. Katie’s teaching practice rests on trying new creative methods such as gamification and object-based learning, and on developing authentic assessments that centre on student choice to engender meaningful engagement.
Dr Katie Carpenter celebrates who double award win
In her School, Katie has been working on developing practice-based and applied history approaches into the BA History programme. This has included designing a new core module, ‘History in Practice’, which will run for the first time in semester two of 2025/26, and a third-year alternative to the traditional dissertation, ‘Public History Project’, which will run for the first time in 2026/27. These elements of the programme were co-created with students in Lego® Serious Play® workshops. The most recent batch of these workshops was supported by a Jinty Nelson Teaching Fellowship from the Royal Historical Society.
Katie is also a member of the Assessment Matters group, which runs under the stewardship of Professor Pam Birtill as institutional assessment lead. This cross-faculty group supports colleagues to implement pedagogically-sound assessment practices through training and the creation of resources. This includes running workshops on assessment briefs and creating the Assessment Matters SharePoint site. In continuation of her work on assessment, Katie was recently appointed as Leeds Institute of Teaching Excellence (LITE) incubator lead for assessment.
Katie said: “I was absolutely delighted to have been awarded an Early Career Teaching Award. I joined Leeds three years ago as a Curriculum Redefined lecturer, and in that time I have been working on a number of creative teaching projects to engage students in their learning and assessments. Some of my work has taken me in unexpected directions, such as learning how to facilitate co-creation sessions with Lego Serious Play, and mark students’ songs, art and zines as assessments. It’s lovely to have this work recognised by the University. I am also part of the most wonderful group at the University: the Assessment Matters Team. With colleagues from across the University, we work together to support staff in implementing the University’s assessment strategy. The group is an absolute joy to be part of, and I feel so lucky to have such marvellous colleagues who share a commitment to inclusive and evidenced-based assessment practices. It is an honour to share the Early Stage Collaborative Award with them.”
Professor Hazel Hutchison, Head of the School of English, was awarded a Principal Fellowship of Advance HE, in recognition of her extensive impact, copious experience and overall record of sustained effectiveness in strategic leadership. Professor Hutchison said:
“Applying for Principal Fellow status has helped me to articulate how past and present experiences fit together to form a narrative about what matters to me about education. I care about giving students the resources and support they need to become active, life-long learners. I believe that learning is a collaborative activity which is about shaping the whole person, not simply getting a qualification. I also feel that Universities need to keep moving and adapting to make sure that our education is relevant, dynamic and responsive to challenges in society. To do this well, we need to be continually learning ourselves. Applying for Principal Fellowship has helped me to think through the contributions I’ve made in my career and to have a better sense of where I can develop further.
“So far, the most valuable thing about my Fellowship for me has been developing a clearer view of my own educational profile and impact. The criteria for Principal Fellowship are demanding, but they are also very flexible. The application is not a box-ticking exercise, but rather an opportunity to reflect, evaluate and develop as an educator. Each of the HEA fellowship levels provides an opportunity to hone your reflecting skills, to think about what you as an individual have to offer, and to see your work in a bigger context. That can be empowering and motivating—at any stage of your career.”
Professor Clare Wright and Kashmir Kaur won an Early-Stage Collaborative Excellence award for their work on the Building Artificial Intelligence Based Education Languages (BAIBEL) project
The Building Artificial Intelligence Based Education Languages (BAIBEL) team is an interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together students, academics, higher education professionals and employers to co-create an inclusive, ethical and culturally aware approach to embedding AI in global higher education. The project team spans a wide range of academic and professional domains: mathematics, engineering, digital education, intercultural communication, language studies and biological sciences. This rich collaboration enables the team to approach AI education from multiple angles: technical, ethical, cultural and pedagogical. The team’s diversity ensures that AI is not treated merely as a technological subject but as a phenomenon embedded in society.
Dr Kashmir Kaur and Professor Clare Wright at the University of Leeds Teaching Awards Ceremony, 18 September 2025.
BAIBEL empowers learners to not only understand technological tools but to evaluate their implications within a wider societal context. Through a series of design-led workshops, the team has created spaces where students take an active role in shaping the educational narrative around AI. These co-creation activities elevate student voice and ensure that learning pathways reflect diverse cultural experiences and the globalised context of higher education today. In collaboration with the wider staff and student community at Leeds, the BAIBEL team has facilitated the development of an AI literacy framework that has been embedded in modules across different schools and faculties. Students have provided very positive feedback on the framework’s importance for learning about responsible AI use. Furthermore, the work of the BAIBEL team has translated into open access volume publications (pp. 24-27) and conference presentations.
By framing AI literacy within a context of intercultural understanding and social responsibility, the BAIBEL team offers a replicable model for inclusive technology education. Looking ahead, the team plans to refine and share the interdisciplinary framework more broadly, contributing to sector-wide efforts to embed ethical AI education across disciplines. As AI becomes more pervasive in global society, BAIBEL’s emphasis on responsible innovation and cultural awareness will be crucial to preparing students not just to use technology, but to lead with integrity.
Clare said: "I'm deeply honoured to be part of the award-winning partnership team for the BAIBEL project, working with students and staff partners to foster more inclusive, culturally aware approaches to AI literacy training in Higher Education. Generative AI may look like a complete game-changer for universities, but I've long believed that the fundamental values underpinning university teaching should remain founded on criticality, curiosity, and care about the wider world. Much of my research into use of technology in language learning stems from my passion for training students in ethical and effective use of digital tools in globalised higher education. I believe it's now more important than ever to ensure that students (and staff) learn to be AI-literate, not just as a technical skillset, but as a critical, reflective practice rooted in social responsibility.
“I’ve learned so much from working with my wonderful interdisciplinary group of collaborators, spanning engineering to language studies and beyond, while creating our framework for AI literacy education. We already have more plans on working together to further support AI training across the university, reflecting our shared commitment to fostering digital equity, integrity and maturity, in a rapidly evolving world."
Kashmir said: “Winning the Early-Stage Collaborative Excellence Teaching Award is an honour and it is very much a collective achievement. Collaboration has always been central to how I work, both in teaching and in pedagogical research and it has been a privilege to work alongside such motivated and inspiring colleagues from across faculties. Their creativity, generosity and encouragement have made this collaboration so rewarding and this award reflects the strength of collegiality and what is possible when we work together.
“The Building AI-Based Education Languages (BAIBEL) project has been a particularly exciting experience. From the outset, it was a bottom-up, grassroots initiative, shaped by a commitment to include voices from across the institution - academics, professional staff and students. The breadth of participation has been vital to its success, giving the project both depth and reach and it is encouraging to see the positive impact BAIBEL is already making across the institution.
“My approach is collaborative and student-centred, with strong connections between teaching and pedagogical research. I see students as partners and co-creators and I use dialogic feedback to foster genuine conversations about learning and progress. I also work through a decolonial lens, striving to create inclusive classrooms where diverse voices and perspectives are valued. By linking interdisciplinary collaboration, research and practice, I aim to support critical, reflective and empowered learners who feel ownership of their education and can actively shape their learning experiences.”
Clare and Kashmir were part of a team including Dr Manoj Ravi, a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, Dr Luisa Cutillo, Associate Professor in Statistics, and Dr Matt Bawn, a Senior Lecturer in Microbial Genomics at Newcastle University (formerly University of Leeds).
Dr Cuie Xu won an Early Career Excellence award
Dr Cuie Xu is a lecturer in Korean at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies. She obtained her PhD in Korean linguistics from Seoul National University in South Korea in 2020. Her research interests include linguistics, language education, student education and translation. She has also achieved Advance HE Fellowship in recognition of her contribution to student education.
Dr Cuie Xu presents at the University of Leeds Teaching Awards Ceremony, 18 September 2025.
Cuie’s pedagogical practice focuses on enhancing student engagement with their studies. For example, she implemented a year-long longitudinal intervention using a flipped teaching model in teaching Korean, evaluating its effectiveness against the traditional lecturing method through a rigorous experiment. Her flipped teaching design contributed positively to both students’ academic performance and their learning experience. The University of Leeds Teaching Award recognises her excellence in identifying and addressing curricular weaknesses, leading transformational and evidence-based curriculum development, driving sector-wide pedagogical innovation and grounding all interventions in research and evidence.
Cuie’s dedication to student education also helped her achieve a prestigious Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE) fellowship. In her LITE study, she took the initiative to tackle absenteeism by investigating the reasons behind students’ non-attendance across the University. The study aims to inform teaching practices, guide policy makers and drive pedagogical development at the University of Leeds, ultimately to increase student engagement with learning.
To support colleagues’ professional development within the wider academic community, Cuie spearheaded the establishment of the British Association for Korean Language Education (BAKLE) to foster a community of practice for Korean educators in UK Higher Education. She currently serves as the first chair of BAKLE. This award also recognises her dedication and leadership in this area.
Cuie said: "My scholarship research focuses on enhancing student engagement and student success with their studies both within and beyond the Korean sector. For example, I conduct longitudinal empirical studies to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of different teaching methods' role in students' learning and implement the findings into my own teaching. The University of Leeds Teaching Award recognises my dedication in addressing curricular weaknesses, leading transformational and evidence-based curriculum development, driving sector-wide pedagogical innovation and grounding all interventions in research and evidence.
"Winning the University of Leeds Teaching Award is absolutely a true honour. It encourages me to continue to conduct empirical research to enhance teaching and learning and drive pedagogic development within and beyond my sector. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to all the students who have participated in my studies for their kind support. I hope to work with many more to further enhance student engagement with their studies and ultimately student success."
The winners were celebrated at a ceremony on 18 September alongside colleagues from across the University. A full list of this year’s winners can be found on the University’s SharePoint page.
