Glaciology PhD student awarded for exceptional teaching
The Postgraduate Researchers who Teach or Demonstrate Award recognises a postgraduate researcher who, while undertaking their own study, has exceptionally contributed to other students’ education.
This year’s winner is Liam Taylor, a PhD student in Glaciology, whose research focuses on finding novel ways to monitor Peruvian glaciers, due to their size and difficulty to observe.
Professor Paul Chatterton, from the School of Geography, was among those to nominate Liam for this award.
His teaching input and materials have been the highest quality I have seen from a postgraduate researcher in my 25-year career!
He said: “Liam has risen to the challenge of teaching and researching on our GEOG1000 module. He has developed some of the best pedagogical material I have seen for years and converting this online was superb.
Liam lectures on the climate science component of GEOG1000, which introduces first year undergraduates to the fundamentals of climate change. He has also taught on the field trips for this module which due to the pandemic, have taken place on Twitter this year using the hashtag #GEOG1000Eco.
He has been an inspiration and even mentor to senior colleagues in terms of teaching practice, and the student feedback directly named him as the most popular and effective member of the teaching team!”
Professor Chatterton continued: “Our module reported satisfaction rates above 95%, as a result of Liam’s input. His teaching input and materials have been the highest quality I have seen from a postgraduate researcher in my 25-year career!”
Liam said: “I’m incredibly shocked! I’d like to thank the brilliant students in the School of Geography, who have risen to the challenge of remote learning this year and have engaged with creativity and enthusiasm.
I feel very lucky to be able to work alongside such talented minds – it’s a complete joy to talk with them about the solutions to climate change, and I come away from every session more positive about the future of our planet.”
I feel very lucky to be able to work alongside such talented minds – it’s a complete joy to talk with them about the solutions to climate change, and I come away from every session more positive about the future of our planet.
Leeds Partnership Awards 2021 Winners
Liam’s award is just one of 14 categories, which celebrate those people who truly put into practice the Leeds Partnership – an agreement setting out our shared commitment to work together to support all aspects of our University community.
Ranging from mentoring to innovation – as well as an overall award presented to a person or group who’ve had an exceptional impact – the awards are a wonderful opportunity to discover and celebrate the inspiring work of our staff and students.
Research impact
Liam’s research involves using archive satellites to find out what the glaciers looked like in the 1960s, the latest images, to see how they are responding to warming today. He is also developing sensors to capture hazardous events.
Watch this video to hear more about Liam’s research on new satellites and new technology for monitoring glaciers in Peru.
Further information
