Deborah Longbottom, Simon Chapman and Stephanie Smith were all recognised, photo courtesy Chemistry photography
Teachers from this department were recognised in three out of nine categories in the Student-Led Teaching Awards in June.
Stephanie Smith won in the Small-Group teaching category (Science and Technology), Simon Chapman was Highly Commended in the Inclusive Practice category and Deborah Longbottom was Highly Commended in the Student Support (Academic Staff) category.
Stephanie Smith
Dr Stephanie Smith is a Teaching Officer in this department and at Pembroke College, where she is the Director of Studies in Chemistry. Whilst her background is in organic chemistry and molecular modelling, she teaches a range of subject areas in the department.
Stephanie was awarded the Pilkington Prize for excellence in teaching in 2023, which recognises outstanding contributions to teaching within the university. She has also been the recipient of two previous Student-Led Teaching Awards.
Simon Chapman
Simon Chapman is a Teaching Laboratory Technician here in the department. He has previously received a Student-Led Teaching Award for Outstanding Student Support.
Deborah Longbottom
Professor Deborah Longbottom is Head of Postgraduate Education in the department and Director of Education for the School of the Physical Sciences. She is also a previous recipient of a Pilkington Teaching prize. Deborah says: “We were all absolutely delighted with the recognition. Overall, there were 645 nominations, so being shortlisted and then Highly Commended felt like a real honour!”
Student-led awards
The Student-Led Teaching Awards are hosted annually by the Cambridge Students’ Union to reward outstanding teaching and student support across the University of Cambridge.
The awards are entirely led by students, who submit the nominations, make up the panel of judges, and award the prizes. This makes the awards feel particularly special for the teachers involved.
The awards represent a unique opportunity for students to not only recognise the exceptional contribution of individual staff members to their education, but also to showcase the kinds of teaching and support they value.
The Cambridge Student Union site states: “The SLTAs exist to reward and celebrate outstanding teaching and student support across Cambridge, and 2024 marked the 10 year anniversary of the event. This year we received over 600 nominations, which truly is a testament to all the amazing work done by staff and clearly demonstrates the gratitude felt by students.”
See the full list of categories and winners.