Dr Dawn Lees wins prestigious teaching excellence award

University of Exeter Student Employability and Development Manager Dr Dawn Lees has won a prestigious award for her work to widen participation to higher education and career development.

Dawn, who works in the university’s Career Zone and for Student Employability and Academic Success (SEAS), has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to excellent teaching with an Advance HE National Teaching Fellowship and Collaborative Award.

Dawn’s PhD was in Palaeoclimatology and in 1998 taught physical geography but decided her future was not as an academic. 

At the University of Exeter she has developed initiatives such as the Employability Monsters project, examining the barriers students may face engaging with careers, and has drawn on her research background to develop careers education for sustainability, influencing institution-wide policies such as the Curriculum for Change.  

Dawn said: “I feel deeply privileged to have initiated and led research and provision that has influenced the career decision making of thousands of students and which have enabled staff to flourish in their roles. I’m grateful to work alongside colleagues who share this vision and I’m extremely grateful for their support.” 

Dawn is the only Professional Services Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy at the University of Exeter, demonstrating her leadership as an educator and led a successful CATE nomination in 2023 for the internationally renowned Grand Challenges programme

Alison Johns, Advance HE Chief Executive said: “We know that higher education has the power to transform lives but this doesn’t happen by default. Outstanding teaching is the result of knowledge, commitment, passion, energy and creativity.All of these 2024 winners demonstrate these attributes and put them into practice with excellent results.  

“It is vital for student success that we invest in higher education teaching and promote the value of excellence.