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Teaching Excellence

Innovative, Research Led Teaching

We see your education as the key to the success of Warwick Chemistry. Our academics are dedicated to delivering your Chemistry courses to the highest of standards and acting as your teacher, mentor and personal advisor. We are known for our innovative, research-led teaching, with staff using a combination of well-established practices (e.g. small group tutorials across all subjects) and state-of-the-art, creative teaching methods.

Chemistry at Warwick has strong links with both industry and other universities worldwide, opening the doors for you to a variety of placements to build your CV and increase your employability. Our MChem courses are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), a guarantee that you have the breadth and depth of knowledge to be a professional chemist.

Peer Dialogue

The Department has adopted a robust programme of peer observations as a mean to ensure excellent quality of teaching and consistently good practice is shared. Every year, each teaching academic is observed during class facing activities by at least two colleagues, who will highlight potential for improvement as well as take advantage of good practice for their own teaching.

Warwick Award for Teaching Excellence (WATE)
Our academics continue to be amongst the best Warwick University has to offer. Since 2009 our achievements in teaching have been recognised annually by the Warwick Award for Teaching Excellence (WATE). The award gives students and academics the opportunity to recognise and celebrate excellence in teaching, and aims to reward members of staff who have had an exceptional impact on the student learning experience. The Chemistry Department has a very strong track record with the WATE Awards, which is testament to how our staff view the importance of teaching at Warwick. Previous WATE winners from Chemistry are:

  • Dr Russ Kitson (Senior Teaching Fellow): WATE Winner 2018. Read interview here.
  • Nat Das Neves Rodrigues (PhD student): WATE Winner 2018
  • Max Saller (PhD student): WATE Commendee 2017
  • Dr Vas Stavros (Professor of Physical Chemistry): WATE Commendee 2015, WATE Winner 2011

  • Dr Gerald Willey (Emeritus Reader): WATE Commendee 2014
  • Mr Jamie Young (PhD student): WATE PGR Award Winner 2014
  • Mr. Nick Barker (Teaching Fellow in Chemistry and Outreach Officer): WATE Winner 2012

The Andrew McCamley Award for Teaching Excellence
Vas Stavros

The excellent teaching practices in the Department of Chemistry have also been recognised through the Andrew McCamley Award for Teaching Excellence. This annual, student-nominated award is conferred by the Department of Chemistry to recognise the lengths that academics go to in order to enhance the education of their students. Our 2018-19 winner is Professor Vas Stavros (left). Students commended his enthusiasm for his subject, his engaging teaching style, and his willingness to "go above and beyond in his lectures, workshops and outside the classroom to ensure that students understand his content... and [develop] a deep understanding of the wider context of his lectures." Well done, Vas!

Textbooks

To give you the best possible start, we provide access to electronic copies of the three recommended textbooks which cover all of the Year 1 and 2 chemistry modules.

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"For me, teaching is about sharing. I have learned some things and I enjoy showing people that they can learn some things too. I only learned quite recently that “educate” comes from Latin. It means to “draw out” – as in a person’s potential. I love my work because, using Chemistry as a tool, I can draw out someone’s potential, see them surprise themselves and plant a seed in their mind that they are "better than they know”."

Nick Barker, Senior Teaching Fellow, WATE Award Winner 2012

 

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"It is clear that the people who work here in Chemistry love their jobs and this really reflects in their teaching. If there is something you find difficult, lecturers will be more than happy to help. There are such great facilities for undergraduates and many links with research and industry. Now that I have graduated, I am applying for PGCE courses so that I can inspire people to do Chemistry too ."

Samantha Daubney - Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry BSc Graduate 2012