Congratulations to Dr Gemma Wattret from the School of Biosciences, who has been shortlisted for the Royal Society of Biology's Higher Education Biosciences Teacher of the Year award.
This annual award seeks to identify the UK’s leading bioscience higher education (HE) teachers, recognising the invaluable role they play in educating and inspiring the next generation of biologists.
A Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for the BSc Microbiology programme, Dr Wattret has a particular interest in the development of transferrable skills and employability to ensure student success. She was shortlisted for her innovative and inclusive approaches to embedding employability in the Biosciences curriculum to ensure that all students develop the skills required to succeed.
Dr Wattret said: "I’m genuinely thrilled to be shortlisted for HE Bioscience Teacher of the Year. Helping students build confidence, develop real-world skills that enhance their employability, and see a future for themselves in science—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—is incredibly important to me. It means a lot to have that work recognised."
Professor Susanne Voelkel, Dean of the School of Biosciences commented: "Gemma’s innovative work has transformed the way in which the School of Biosciences supports and develops students’ employability. In collaboration with the University’s careers team and employers, Gemma has created authentic tasks and experiences for our students.
"Under her leadership, initiatives such as the Enterprise Challenge and the development of digital interview skills have significantly improved the career prospects of thousands of students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds."
Dr Wattret has already been recognised by the University of Liverpool for her teaching excellence with three teaching awards for different projects, including the 2021/22 Sir Alistair Pilkington Award for ‘Developing Life Sciences students digital fluency and employability at scale through authentic assessment’.
The winner of the RSB Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year 2025 will be announced at the Heads of University’s (HUBS) Annual Meeting later this month.