Teaching and Learning Excellence award winners honoured at ceremony

The winners of this year’s Teaching and Learning Excellence Awards 2023 (TLAs) received their awards at an event held in the Tithebarn Building. 

The 2023 award winners were announced earlier this year but honoured at the event on Thursday 30 November. 

The TLAs recognise and celebrate the achievements of LJMU staff who support teaching and learning, as well as the broader student experience.  

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Power, PVC Student Experience, Professor Phil Vickerman, and Dr Phil Carey, Dean of the Teaching and Learning Academy, were at the awards to congratulate the winners and present their awards. 

Teaching and Learning Excellence Award Winners 

LJMU’s newest National Teaching Fellow, Dr Charlie Smith a Reader in the Liverpool School of Art and Design, was also honoured at the event alongside the newest Reader in Teaching and Learning, Ian Sadler. 

The five Teaching and Learning Awards 2023 were presented to the below winners in their respective categories: 

Rising Star 

Award winner: Susanne Zajitschek 

Individual Teaching Excellence 

Award winner: Áine Mac Dermott 

Excellence in Digital Education 

Award winner: Will Swaney 

Commended: Mohamed Qabshoqa 

Academic Leadership 

Award winner: Andrea Mallaburn 

Commended: Ian Sadler 

Diversity and Inclusion 

Award Winner: Journalism and Sports Journalism Team 

Commended: The Schools’ Observatory Team 

“Fantastic examples of teaching across the university” 

Phil Carey also congratulated over 50 individuals who had achieved an MA or Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice. 

PVC Student Experience, Phil Vickerman, closed the evening by congratulating the winners and reflecting on a positive year at LJMU, in which the university received an overall TEF Silver, with a Gold for student outcomes, an Ofsted: Good for Degree Apprenticeships, Ofsted: Good for our Primary and Secondary courses in the School of Education and great results in our NSS and PTES surveys: 

Professor Phil Vickerman said:

“What this evening has shown is the exceptional talent we have at LJMU within Teaching and Learning. It shows that education can be transformational and is powerful but hearing these testimonials also shows one clear theme: that we care, at LJMU, we truly care about our students.” 

On winning the Rising Star Award, Susanne Zajitschek said:  

“I am very honoured and grateful to receive a Rising Star Award. I deeply enjoy teaching and the interaction with my students, and I am looking forward to continually exploring, learning and improving in all that I do.” 

You can find out more about the Teaching and Learning Academy award winners and those commended on the TLA webpages.