Chancellor’s winners announced
The University has honoured five staff members with Chancellor’s Awards for their teaching and research excellence and impact.
Beth Biller, David FitzPatrick, Pete Higgins, Richard Morris and Dave Reay were congratulated by the Chancellor and the Lord Lieutenant and Rt. Hon. Lord Provost of Edinburgh at a gala dinner held at the Palace of Holyrood House.
Established in 2003, the Chancellor’s Awards now reward staff in four categories for teaching, research, impact and showing great potential in early career research.
Innovative teaching
There were two awards for teaching presented - to Professors Pete Higgins and Dave Reay.
Professor Higgins hold the Chair of Outdoor and Environmental Education in Moray House School of Education, and the Teaching Award recognises Pete’s devotion to developing and inspiring world-class learning experiences for students at all levels and across many programmes.
Professor Reay holds the Chair in Carbon Management & Education in the School of GeoSciences.
Dave’s Teaching Award recognises his development of a world-class suite of climate change and environmental programmes, in collaboration with the Schools of GeoSciences, Economics and the Business School, that are having a global impact.
Research excellence
Professor Morris was the recipient of this year’s Chancellor’s Award for Research in recognition of his outstanding internationally regarded research in the field of the neurobiology of learning and memory.
Richard is a Professor of Neuroscience in the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, part of the Edinburgh Medical School.
Rising star
Dr Beth Biller received the Rising Star Award, which honours early-career colleagues who demonstrate great potential.
Dr Biller is a Chancellor's Fellow at the Institute for Astronomy in the School of Physics and Astronomy.
The Rising Star Award is in recognition of Beth’s outstanding work in the rapidly growing field of direct imaging of exoplanets.
Impactful work
Professor David FitzPatrick received the Award for Impact, which honours colleagues whose outstanding research has made a demonstrable contribution to society, globally or locally outside direct academic recognition.
Professor FitzPatrick was recognised for the impact of his research on families who have a child affected by severe developmental disorders.
David is Joint Section Head: Disease Mechanisms in the MRC Human Genetics Unit of the MRC Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, part of the Edinburgh Medical School.