Announcements & Acknowledgements

December 2023 - January 2024

  • The PPF RTG welcomes the following new members of staff:
    • Professor Brianna Kennedy - Professor of Education
    • Dr Mark Peart - Lecturer in Teacher Education (Primary with specialism in Technologies)
  • Dr Mark Peart will be participating on an International Advisory Board for aHorizon Europe project titled, STRIDE: Strategies for achieving equity and inclusion in education, training and learning in democratic Europe.
  • Aileen Kennedy has been invited to sit on the Project Review and Monitoring Committee of a longitudinal Irish study, ‘Teachers’ professional journeys: The first decade’. The €2.8 million study funded by the Irish Teaching Council and the Department of Education will explore the first decade of teachers’ careers in Ireland. It is led by a team from the University of Limerick, the Economic and Social Research Institute and Mary Immaculate College, providing an excellent opportunity to learn from and further develop networks with teacher educators in Ireland.

October - November 2023

  • The PPF RTG welcomes the following new members of staff:
    • Professor Aileen Kennedy - Professor of Teacher Education
    • Claire Ramjan - Lecturer in Education
  • After two years as President of the Scottish Educational Research Association (SERA) Dr Angela Jaap has demitted office and the Association now welcomes Dr Julie McAdam into the role. As we move into the 50th anniversary of SERA and its sister association BERA, it is a welcome bonus that another University of Glasgow colleague will hold the office of President at this time, particularly given the significant role Glasgow had in the formation of SERA. We look forward to the joint SERA & BERA celebration here at the University in 2024.

July - September 2023

  • Many thanks to Dr Jennifer Farrar for completing her term as PGDE Programme Leader.
  • Congratulations to Dr Clare Smith and Dr Cristina Mio for their joint appointment to the role of PGDE Programme Leader.
  • Many thanks to Mr Mark Breslin for completing his term as BTechEd/MDTechEd Programme Leader.
  • Congratulations to Mr Brian Leslie for taking the role of MDTechEd Programme Leader.
  • The PPF RTG welcomes the following new members of staff:
    • Paul McHugh - Lecturer in Catholic Religious Education
    • Fr Charles Coyle - Lecturer in Education  & Coordinator of Spiritual and Pastoral Formation
    • Jo Gallagher - Lecturer in Teacher Education (Expressive Arts)
    • Catherine Reid - Lecturer in Teacher Education (English/Highly Able Learners)
    • Eilidh Soussi - Lecturer in Teacher Education (Primary)
    • (John) Matthew Sutherland - Lecturer in Teacher Education (PE/Social Research)
    • Angela Jaap - Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education (Music)
    • Angela Curley - Lecturer in Teacher Education (Social Subjects)
  • The RTG hosted a special guest, Professor Lynn M. Gangone, President of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) as part of ECER in August 2023. Lynne met with a number of staff regarding internationalization strategies and participated in a panel discussion led by Scotland's Council of Deans of Education with input from Deans / Heads of Schools of Education from Scotland, Ireland, and Australia.
  • The RTG hosted Maria Balinska, Executive Director of the US-UK Fulbright Commission for strategic discussions regarding programmes, awards, and scholarships for students and scholars. Fulbright is one of the most widely recognised and highly regarded international exchange programs to improve intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy and intercultural competence between the United States and partner countries. For the programme’s 75th anniversary, theUS-UK Fulbright Commission announced a significant increase in funding. The College is keen to encourage colleagues and students to apply for awards, and as former Fulbright Scholars, Dr Sarah Anderson and Professor Thomas Scotto are happy to talk to potential applicants about their projects. The College of Social Sciences newsletter (September 15th) highlights some of the standard awards for academics and those that may be less familiar.
  • Congratulations to Professor Willie McGuire for being promoted to the professorial position.
  • Congratulations to Mary Lappin for being promoted to the Senior Lecturer role.
  • Congratulations to Dr Cristina Mio for being promoted to the Senior Lecturer role.
  • Congratulations to Dr Gabriella Rodolico for being promoted to the Senior Lecturer role.
  • Congratulations to Dr Clare Smith for being promoted to the Senior Lecturer role.
  • Congratulations to Dr Philip Tonner for being promoted to the Senior Lecturer role.
  • Congratulations to Clare Fodey for taking the role of Interim Deputy Chief Adviser.
  • Congratulations to Ms Lynne Cooper for taking the role of Course Leader for School Experience (ITE).
  • Congratulations to Dr Leonardo Franchi for his half-time full professorship position (Professor of Catholic Education) at the University of Notre Dame Australia, School of Philosophy and Theology, Australia.
  • Angela Curley was successful in her application to join the Global Citizenship PLC (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education - AACTE). This sees Angela engage with a global peer support network to collaborate and share best practices and resources.
  • Professor Stephen McKinney has been elected as the new President of the Catholic Theological Association of Great Britain. He has already served as the vice president for two years. The election took place at the annual conference at St. Andrew’s University in August 2023.
  • Professor Stephen McKinney has been invited to join the editorial board of the International Journal of the Study of the Christian Church. This is a peer-reviewed Taylor & Francis journal.
  • Christine Mckee has been selected as one of the University of Glasgow’s participants in the Aurora leadership programme during the academic year 2023-24.
  • Dr Utkun Aydin was elected to the College of Social Sciences Committee as an Ethics Reviewer in September 2023. She will work closely with the College Leadership Team for Ethical Review to ensure the delivery of ethics reviews within the College.

May - June 2023

  • The PGDE Mathematics Team at the School of Education has won the College Teaching Excellence Award (Team Award) for the 2022-2023 academic year. Congratulations to Dr Ismail O. Zembat, Dr Cristina Mio, Dr Utkun Aydin, Susie Marshall, Julie Robinson and Evelyn Mclaren. https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/add/teachingexcellenceawards/
  • The School of Education has won the bid to host ISATT Conference 2025. The application process was led by the PPF RTG members.

February - April 2023

  • Dr Sarah Anderson has been appointed as the new Scotland Convenor of the Teacher Education & Development Special Interest Group for the British Educational Research Association (BERA), working alongside fellow convenors from Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. https://www.bera.ac.uk/community/teacher-education-and-development
  • The PPF RTG welcomes colleagues who have been contributing to the School of Education for some time and have recently been appointed as Lecturers in Education on staff; we welcome Pauline Cooney, Lindsay Gibson, and Lynne Cooper.
  • Dr Willie McGuire has been awarded a National Teaching Repository Award for Innovation - https://twitter.com/NTRepository/status/1631025262447202304
  • In a previous College of Social Science newsletter, Dr Gabriella Rodolico and Dr William McGuire showcased a new way to approach knowledge exchange and scholarship dissemination through praxis by teachers for teachers. Dr Gabriella Rodolico and Dr William McGuire have been awarded the National Teaching Repository Founders Award for their innovation in their work.  
  • Dr Utkun Aydin has been selected as an Editorial Board member for an education journal, Educational Research and Evaluation, starting March 6, 2023.

January 2023

November 2022

  • RTG Leader Dr Sarah Anderson is serving as a reviewer with The Teaching Council of Ireland contributing to the accreditation of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.
  • Dr Willie McGuire has been invited by the Staff and Educational Development Association to mentor candidates for their highest award, the Senior Fellowship of SEDA. He has also been invited by HEA to review the international Collaborative Awards for Teaching Excellence (CATE) awards as well as the National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) awards.
  • Dr Willie McGuire has accepted External Examiner roles from Sheffield and Roehampton universities for their masters' programmes in advanced professional studies as well as acting as an External Reviewer for the Leadership in Education Awards Programme (LEAP) for the University of Manchester for Senior and Principal Fellow HEA levels.

October 2022

  • Dr Beth Dickson has recently retired. We thank her for her invaluable contribution to PPF-RTG and the School of Education and wish her the best in this new chapter of her life.
  • Congratulations to Dr Clare Smith and Dr Cristina Mio who have been accepted for the Aurora Leadership Programme.
  • Congratulations to Dr Sarah Anderson and Dr Yulia Nesterova (ELP) who have been awarded an ESRC Festival of Social Science small grant to conduct arts-based workshops with secondary pupils.

August 2022

  • Congratulations to Prof. Roisin Coll for being promoted to the professorial position and Dr Jennifer Farrar for being promoted to the Senior Lectureship role.
  • Congratulations to Dr Cristina Mio for taking the role of ‘Deputy Director ITE/UG’ and Leon Robinson for taking the role of ‘Chief Adviser of Studies’.
  • Stephen McKinney has completed his term as an RTG leader for Pedagogy Praxis and Faith Research and Teaching Group. We would like to thank Prof. McKinney for all his contributions to PPF-RTG. We also thank Prof. McKinney for his invaluable work and leadership for over a decade. He will continue to be an essential part of the PPF team and contribute to the School of Education activities in different capacities.
  • Congratulations to Dr Sarah Anderson, who recently took up the RTG leadership role for Pedagogy Praxis and Faith.
  • Many thanks to Dr Philip Tonner for completing his term as PGR Convenor.
  • Congratulations to Clare Fodey and Rachel Lees for being accepted to the Building Racial Literacy (BRL) programme with Education Scotland
  • We wish Mary Lappin all the best for her Study Leave during the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year.