Find out more about his work in the department and his passion for teaching.
What are you doing at the Department of Economics?
I am a teaching focused Senior Lecturer in the department. I have been a member of the academic staff since 2007. I primarily teach core modules relating to Finance and I am also part of the team teaching first-year Mathematics for Economics.
As well as teaching, I have many administrative responsibilities for the programme. Currently, my roles include being the Senior Tutor, which involves coordinating the personal advisor programme – this is a structured series of meetings between each student and an academic member of staff to discuss issues related to progression, module choices and their future career.
I am also one of the academic members of staff who sits on the Student-Staff Committee, this is where we discuss programme related matters with our student course reps. Through this committee, I am seen by many colleagues and students as a champion of the student voice.
What do you enjoy about teaching?
Where do I begin? On a fundamental level, economics and finance are very intriguing subjects, and sharing my knowledge with our students gives me great pleasure. One of the modules I teach covers the basics of the economics of financial markets, for many of our students, this is their first exposure to finance. Students have told me that the module has been helpful for their internship job interviews and motivated them to take on more challenging finance modules further down the line.
Teaching is not just about what happens in the classroom. I like to experiment with innovative ways to assess students, be it through using in-class presentations or peer assessment or through Moodle, our virtual learning environment.
Teaching during the pandemic has been challenging and has forced us to innovate. I designed and created a one-stop-shop within MS Teams to simplify student staff meetings. This replicated the simplicity and structure of the in-person meeting experience students would have had with academics. I was really pleased to be awarded a teaching commendation prize by the college over the summer for this work.
Tell us more about your recognition as a Senior Fellow in the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
The SFHEA recognises holders of their expertise against the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and learning support in higher education. To earn this, I needed to demonstrate leadership in teaching, feedback, assessment and student support. I also had to demonstrate the positive influences of my work on colleagues and students. These are all things I have done during my career and will continue to do.
