Dr Ali Ahmad

WMG

Ali leads the Innovation Teaching Team at WMG, is a Senior Fellow of the HEA and a Fellow of Enterprise Educators UK. He would like to work with University stakeholders in the design and delivery of universal entrepreneurship education across the campus to build student employability skills, which is in line with Warwick’s Education Strategy 2018-30.

Yinka Aresa

English and Comparative Studies & Department of History

My name is Yinka Aresa and I am currently a second year student at the University of Warwick studying English and History. With over 2 years of working in mainstream education both at secondary and sixth form level, as well as working with students with SEND needs, I am passionate about equity in education. This equity, I believe not only comes from dissecting/decolonising the curriculum that is being taught but also acknowledging the cultural aspect of the education experience that holds certain student back and propels others. Following the pandemic, I am interested in the means of blended learning becoming a common experience across schools from primary all the way to degree level. You can find more on the work I have been doing with my organisation ‘TIRAH’ (@tirahedu- on all social platforms) to promote the importance of culture in our everyday experience of life.

Dr Freeha Azmat

WMG

I am Associate Professor and Course Director of degree apprenticeship (DA) in Digital and Technology Solutions at Warwick Manufacturing Group. I worked with businesses to develop an industry-led DA curriculum that adheres to the national benchmarks and now lead on quality of student experience for the course while liaising with employers. I am a Senior Fellow of the HEA. I have experience of teaching in both the Asian and Western educational systems and during fellowship opportunity, I hope to be involved in developing inclusive curriculum development, authentic assessments, and work-based learning.

Dr Lory Barile

Department of Economics

I am an Associate Professor (T-Focussed) in Economics, Fellow of the HEA and Associate of The Economics Network (EN). I am Director of Graduate Studies (Taught Degrees), and among other responsibilities, within the Economics Department, Lory is also WP Co-ordinator and Co-chair of the Students’ Progression Working Group.

As well as being keen to bring my expertise on teaching and learning best practice in a blended learning environment, I would be delighted to introduce and lead on a new Learning Circle ‘Education for sustainable development’ aimed at embedding sustainability in the University curriculum, in line with the UoW Sustainability Strategy.

Rob Batterbee

Student Opportunity

I am the IT manager in Student Opportunity. I bring a wealth of education experience from teaching in both FE and HE sectors, on academic; vocational and apprenticeship programmes through to consulting on the design of learning spaces.

I have a keen interest in exploiting my previous experiences as a designer and the application of ‘design thinking’ to learning design. I’d like to explore how the production practice of digital learning is developed, leveraging my insight from IT. To develop this by borrowing principles from the open source community eg how teams which are temporally & geographically distributed operate; version controls; templating and automation to operate at scale. Employability is also a strong theme, having already supported some of the Warwick Core Skills digital delivery.

I look forward to gaining from the diversity of colleagues and students that WIHEA provides, to hear about others experiences and ideas.

Dr Deborah Biggerstaff

Warwick Medical School (WMS)

I’m a Chartered Psychologist, specialising in health and research methods. My interests include exploring the everyday, ‘taken-for-granted’, experiences. I consider teaching a core element of academic identity. Teaching undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students, my values-based approach is informed by my discipline. I am keen to explore initiatives that strengthen student enquiry, enhance wellbeing among students and staff, and reinforcing research connections with teaching.

Rohan Chakraborty

English and Comparative Literary Studies

With my work for Warwick STAR and current URSS research into South Asian feminist literature, I am excited to contribute my understanding of the importance of considering diversity and social issues within our education system - this will hopefully encourage all of us to create change in the work we deliver.

Samantha Cook

Warwick Foundation Studies

My areas of interest are broad, but in relation to my current role, I would like to work with colleagues to identify areas of the hidden curriculum and avoid working from a deficit approach to support our international students, neurodiverse students and those on alternative pathways effectively. I am also interested in interdisciplinary and authentic learning (as I am currently completing the PGA in interdisciplinary pedagogy) .
My areas of knowledge relate to developing students as researchers (we start this on the foundation programme), international students, assessment for learning and curriculum design and development.

Nathalie Cooper

Department of History

Having worked as a project intern on the Digital Pedagogy Library, I am delighted to join WIHEA as a Student Fellow. I hope to use my fellowship to think about how interdisciplinary and ‘undisciplined’ approaches to research might contribute to attempts to ‘decolonise’ the curriculum and widen access to higher education.

Dan Derricott

Education Policy and Quality

As Director of Education Policy and Quality, I lead work to embed quality assurance, quality enhancement, policy development and academic governance across the University. I bring a long history of working on the enhancement of the student learning experience, the development of student communities and fostering student and staff partnerships, as well as HE policy expertise gained from work nationally and internationally.

Dr Valentina Donzella

WMG

Dr Valentina Donzella is an expert in automotive sensors, electronics, optics and silicon photonics. She is the director of WMG's MSc and Degree Apprenticeship in Smart Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, managing a suite of automotive modules. Valentina would be particularly interested in establishing a circle to discuss the specific challenges and best practice for Degree Apprenticeships (DA), work-based learning and part time students, and propose innovative teaching methods suitable for DA programmes.

Tejal Fatania

WMG

As a teaching focused member of staff, innovation and inclusion are at the core of my teaching and learning practice. I am keen on problem based learning and different learning environments to enhance student learning. I believe in an interdisciplinary approach, particularly transdisciplinarity, in order to enhance policy and practice.

Dr Peter Fossey

Academic Development Centre (ADC)

I am a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Academic Development Centre, where I have been working since 2018. I provide support and development opportunities for staff who teach, including by co-leading on APP TE, the ADC’s course for new starters at Warwick. I am particularly interested in academic integrity, and ways in which it relates to ethics, motivation, and assessment design; how students think about academic integrity, and the idea of academic integrity as a value. My other interests include course design, philosophy of higher education, and teaching philosophies.

Catherine Hale

Warwick Medical School (WMS)

I am delighted to be accepted as a WIHEA Fellow and hope to be able to not only be able to develop my expertise in learning and teaching through my period as a Fellow, but also be able to actively share my pedagogical experience and hopefully inform two of three key themes of WIHEA, namely ‘internationalisation’ and ‘interdisciplinarity’.

Tiana Holgate

Student Discipline and Resolution

Throughout my engagement with Warwick academically, professionally, and personally, I have developed a broad range of interest areas. These ultimately boil down to tackling social inequalities and bettering the wellbeing of society’s most vulnerable communities. My experience in activism grew whilst I was the Welfare & Campaigns Sabbatical Officer in 2019/20 – this season also allowed me to engage in WIHEA, namely through the ‘Wellbeing Pedagogies’ Learning Circle. Over the past year, I have also been able to work closely on the ‘Learning From Crisis: Taking our Pandemic Learning into the Future’ Project. I have recently graduated from Warwick with a Sociology degree, specialising in Race and Global Politics, and now work as a Student Liaison Officer within the Report & Support Team. As a WIHEA Fellow, I’m looking forward to seeing how challenging power dynamics and hierarchies can improve our access to, and experience of, education.

Esthie Hugo

English and Comparative Literary Studies

I am a final year PhD student at the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies. I lead a variety of Feminist Reading Groups, and have been involved in first-year teaching at Warwick since 2019. Over the summer of 2020, I played a key role within the English Department to create the Warwick Online Learning Certificate (WOLC) module. I helped lecturers and students transition to a blended learning approach, creating written resources and recommendations to assist learners and teachers in moving online. Over the past year, I have worked on strategies and activities to build a departmental community, including starting an annual newsletter, and working closely with the Head of Graduate Studies to provide successful social events and additional academic support activities. In my teaching, I focus on bringing into the classroom an anti-hierarchical, anti-racist feminist praxis inspired by bell hooks’ pedagogical methodology, which advocates for student-led interactive learning spaces. To this end, I am committed to transformative interdisciplinary teaching methods in which the expertise of all participants is emphasised and honoured.

Dr Modupe Olufunmilayo Jimoh

School of Engineering

I am a Senior Teaching Fellow (Civil and Humanitarian Engineering). My key area of expertise is Water and Environmental Engineering. As a WIHEA fellow, I hope to advance engineering education in these areas from focusing on technical knowledge to inclusion of the sustainability, social and humanitarian impact of engineering designs. I am particularly interested in global responsibility.

Kelly Mayjonade

School of Modern Languages and Culture

I am a Teaching Fellow in the French Section of the SMLC who actively promote internationalisation, diversity and inclusivity. I have a large expertise in online delivery / assessment, student mobility and developing new online ways to respond to and support students at a time of transition. I am interested in working on projects around the promotion of internationalisation, inclusion and diversity; specific learning differences, as well as diversifying feedback and assessment methods.

Dr Leda Mirbahai

Warwick Medical School (WMS)

I am an Associate Professor at Warwick Medical School with an interest in bridging the gap between research and teaching, and to promote interdisciplinary learning and assessment (synoptic assessment). I have extensive experience of designing and launching interdisciplinary hybrid UG course with opportunities for international learning experiences. I lead the assessment and feedback strategy for an UG course with the main aim of promoting learning and enhancing student engagement with feedback.

Natasha Nakariakova

Academic Technology

I am Head of eAssessement support Service in Academic Technology group. I have vast experience in all aspects of online assessment, remote proctoring, question banking and all types of electronic exams. Becoming a WIHEA Fellow is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with Warwick colleagues, share enthusiasm, knowledge, and ideas.

Barbara Nastoll

School of Law

As a Senior Teaching Fellow and Director of International Programmes in the Law School I promote and support student learning through international learning experiences such as a year abroad. I am especially passionate about providing international learning opportunities for all students and about the internationalisation of the student experience.

Dr Dani Pearson

Department of Chemistry

My interests focus on laboratory teaching in Chemistry, including transferrable skills based in-lab assessment and investigating and improving well-being within the teaching laboratories. I think the time spent in lab as a STEM student has a profound impact on overall student experience and am always keen to improve this experience. I am also very interested in being involved in promoting Women in STEM, Inclusivity and Diversity and Outreach.

Dr Zeina Rihawi

WMG

I am a Senior Teaching Fellow at Warwick Manufacturing Group. For my teaching, I focus on engineering education and Technology Enhanced Learning. As a WIHEA fellow, I am interested in exploring and tackling the causes of work-related mental health problems, as staff well-being has a direct impact on the student experience. On the other hand, I would like to expand the university’s contribution to the community and investigate how to develop innovative approaches to engaging under-represented groups.

Evelin Sanderson-Nichols

Department of Philosophy

I am a second-year Philosophy and Literature student. I am involved in student experience and engagement: I am an active member of my department’s SSLC, and for the 2020-21 academic year I am the Part-Time and Mature Student Students’ Union Officer. During my fellowship, I hope to be involved in finding creative ways to incorporate mature (and part-time) students better to the Warwick landscape.

Charlotte Simms

Warwick Medical School (WMS)

I am a final year medical student and a nurse. I am passionate about student empowerment and engagement and have work hard at increasing student voice in relation to the curriculum and student experience at WMS through the Athena SWAN MBChB student group. We promote an inclusive student journey with the aim of developing inclusively practicing doctors by increasing awareness of ED&I issues as well as developing student networks to increase representation and support.

Amy Stickels

Warwick Foundation Studies

I am a Senior Teaching fellow in Warwick Foundation Studies where I have worked on the International Foundation Year Programme. My key areas of interest are in the experiences of International students, the transition of students to HE, engaging students online and the promotion of inclusion.

Ashley Storer-Smith

Governance & Influence - Students' Union

Ashley has a wealth of experience in student voice & engagement through academic structures. They have overhauled Rep Systems across the country to be more effective in engaging a wide range of students and getting their voices heard across the organisation. Ashley has presented at a range of conferences about their innovative work on data driven student voice, closing the feedback loop, and inclusive rep structures. They will be bringing a unique view on Student Voice and how Warwick can enhance its work around student partnership and change as well as encouraging staff from across the University to present and write about their experiences and perspectives of student engagement.

Farrah Vogel-Javeri

School of Life Sciences

As a woman of mixed ethnic background, I am excited to bring my experience of bridging the gap between cultures to WHIEA. In addition to this, as chair of my SSLC I have knowledge working in a team and can’t wait to start as a WHIEA Fellow!

Dr Naomi Waltham-Smith

Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies

My passions lie in decolonial and anti-racist pedagogy, interdisciplinarity, and approaches to learning based in listening and collaboration. In my teaching, I strive to incorporate democratic approaches to situated, community-based learning combining theory and practice and, as Chair of the Faculty of Social Sciences Education Committee, I aim to spearhead and promote initiatives to support inclusion, empowerment, and community-building.

Dr Amanda Wilson

School of Law

Amanda is a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellow at Warwick Law School. She has leading expertise in restorative justice and is actively involved in the ‘Restorative Justice in Higher Education’ Learning Circle, co-led by Imogen Davies and Jane Bryan. Amanda is committed to helping the Circle achieve its aims and objectives. She is also dedicated to the advancement of learning and teaching excellence at Warwick and looks forward to opportunities to work with and learn from the Academy’s Fellows, Members and Alumni in the pursuit of these goals.