National Teaching Fellowship for Physics Lecturer

Dr Samantha Pugh has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship, one of the most prestigious awards for higher education teaching.

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) announced Dr Samantha Pugh, Lecturer in STEM Education in the School of Physics and Astronomy and Faculty Lead for Teaching Enhancement, has been made a National Teaching Fellow in recognition of excellence in teaching. This brings Leeds’ tally to 26 – the highest of any university.

Dr Pugh said:

“It’s really wonderful to be recognised with a National Teaching Fellowship. I’m very grateful to the University of Leeds for giving me the opportunities and encouragement. I would like to also acknowledge all of the amazing colleagues and students that I have the pleasure of working with, who have made this award possible.”

Professor Tom Ward, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Education said:

“The University’s innovative programme of research-based education is committed to developing independent, critical thinkers who make a difference to the world around them

“Leeds is a Russell Group university that has always placed an emphasis on recognising and rewarding teaching excellence alongside its exceptional research expertise. The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme is an important recognition of that excellence and it is with great pleasure that I congratulate Samantha.”

Dr Pugh’s work focuses on helping students to improve their prospects in the long term. This includes working with them to embed specific skills into their courses that employers will recognise, and involving both employers and students in how courses are shaped, particularly through the Group Industrial Project in Physics. She also established the popular Peer Assisted Learning Scheme across the Faculty of Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

She established Industrial Advisory Boards in Chemistry, Maths and Physics: a major step in enhancing employer engagement with the University. She is also renowned for inspiring and mentoring colleagues to shape teaching through pedagogic research and scholarship at Leeds and beyond.

Dr Pugh has also secured a prestigious Leeds Excellence and Innovation Fellowship sabbatical at the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence, leading the project Reimagining University Assessment by Learning from Secondary Education.

Further information

The HEA manages the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme on behalf of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, and the Department for the Economy (DfE) in Northern Ireland.

High Education academy has praised the impact of Dr Pugh’s work.