Associate Professor (Reader) Dr Elena Riva at the University of Warwick has been awarded a 2023 National Teaching Fellowship award, Advance HE has announced today.

Dr Riva is the Head of Department at the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning at the University, and is among 55 new National Teaching Fellows from across the UK, and 15 teams winning the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE).

The awards recognise and celebrate those who are making an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in UK higher education.

Dr Riva has been awarded for her work leading the development of institutional, national and international strategies to enhance students’ learning experience, particularly in the areas of interdisciplinary education and wellbeing in the curriculum.

Elena creates new modules, events and activities that explore complex topics and issues, creating connections between the scientific disciplines and the humanities.

As a result, students from any disciplinary background and level (from ‘freshers’ to post-graduates) feel empowered to engage with global topics such as wellbeing, genetics and water, developing an understanding of the crucial role of interdisciplinarity when tackling the issues of our times and expanding their own learning horizons and practices.

Elena plays a key role in the Higher Education sector, creating and promoting interdisciplinary education, enabling the development of wider interdisciplinary programmes at Warwick as well as supporting UK and international colleagues in this task. In doing this, she is also committed to creating learning experiences and environments that sustain positive student and staff wellbeing.

Her work, funded by several UK bodies, shows how to best support students’ wellbeing throughout their learning experience, enabling them to fulfil their potential and how to effectively embed wellbeing in the curriculum. Her multi-awarded wellbeing teaching practices developed at Warwick University have been adopted by several UK and international institutions.

For her work in the fields of wellbeing and of interdisciplinary teaching practices, Elena was the recipient of the Warwick Teaching Excellence Award twice, in 2018 and in 2020.

She said: “I am absolutely delighted and truly honoured to have been awarded the National Teaching Fellowship.

“I would like to thank my Academic Development Centre mentors - I would never have won this award without their support and insights.

“Becoming a National Teaching Fellow will give me an incredible platform to share even more widely my pedagogic vision for the higher education sector, and it will allow me to celebrate and renew my commitment to learning and teaching.

“I also look forward to joining the wider community of National Teaching Fellows, and to being further inspired by this wonderful network of colleagues.

“Whilst this accolade recognises my teaching approaches and strategic pedagogic impact, I appreciate how much of what I have achieved would not be possible without the wisdom and support of many generous and inspiring colleagues, and the collaboration with many talented students.”

Professor Lorenzo Frigerio, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Warwick said: “I’d like to offer huge congratulations to Elena on this fantastic news. Elena’s commitment to interdisciplinary and inclusive learning experiences is a fantastic demonstration of the quality of teaching excellence happening at Warwick, and we are all extremely proud of Elena’s achievements.”

This year, the new National Teaching Fellows represent all four UK nations and cross a broad range of disciplines including Nursing, Medicine and Paramedic Science, Sports Science, Architecture, Art and Design, Marketing, Music and the Performing Arts, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Degree Apprenticeships, Careers and Employability.

Alison Johns, Chief Executive, Advance HE, said: “Congratulations to all of the new National Teaching Fellows and CATE teams on this prestigious accolade which recognises and rewards their commitment to teaching and learning and the impact it has on student success.

“It is with great pride that we run these awards for the UK higher education sector designed to celebrate these passionate people who make such a difference to students’ education and to the practice of their colleagues. We look forward to working with the new NTFs and CATE winners and sharing their excellent practice with colleagues around the sector.”

View the full list of 2023 winners of the National Teaching Fellowship here.Link opens in a new window

View the full list of 2023 winners of the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence here.Link opens in a new window

The 2023 awards ceremony will take place on 28 September at The Library of Birmingham.

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University of Warwick media contact:
Natalie Gidley, Communications Officer (Media Relations)
Email: natalie.gidley@warwick.ac.uk Phone: 07824540791

3rd August 2023