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Top Cambridge prize for 2 Indian-origin academics
The university said the awardees “demonstrate an impressive array of achievements, including developing innovative courses from scratch, incorporating the latest research into undergraduate teaching, pioneering the creative use of technology to support learning, and supporting and encouraging inclusive teaching”.
Two Indian-origin experts – Manali Desai and Nikku Madhusudhan – are among 13 University of Cambridge academics awarded the 2019 Pilkington Prize for excellence in teaching.
The university said the awardees “demonstrate an impressive array of achievements, including developing innovative courses from scratch, incorporating the latest research into undergraduate teaching, pioneering the creative use of technology to support learning, and supporting and encouraging inclusive teaching”.
Based in the department of Sociology, the university said Desai has helped deliver improvements in teaching at every level, from slight adjustments in classroom delivery to macro-level reforms of the curriculum.
“She works on a continuous feedback basis, incorporating immediate change where possible, and working creatively and collaboratively to plan and deliver larger reforms where necessary”, it said after the awards ceremony in Girton College.
Madhusudhan, based in the Institute of Astronomy, introduced a novel course on the theory of extrasolar planets which the university said has no precedent in Cambridge or elsewhere.
“He used a combination of the latest research literature, innovative pedagogical techniques, web-based tools and his engaging lecturing style to create a very successful course receiving excellent student reviews. He regularly goes above and beyond for his students with extra supervisions, careers guidance, and special consideration for inclusive teaching”, it said.
Graham Virgo, senior pro-vice-chancellor for Education, who presented the awards, said students had benefited immensely from the recipients of the year’s awards, from creative curriculum design to engagement with world-leading research, from support for outreach and inclusivity to careful and committed personal attention in supervisions.
