Professor Alison Halstead

National Teaching Fellow 2005 Institution at time of award: University of Wolverhampton Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Strategic Academic Developments, Aston University Alison Halstead holds a physics undergraduate degree and materials engineering PhD from Imperial College as well as a postgraduate certificate in teaching and learning in higher education. Her early career was in industry, as a research engineer with Tube Investments before moving to Brunel University, Coventry University, the Open University and returning to Coventry in 1993 to become Head of Physics and Materials. In 2002 she became Dean of Learning and Teaching at the University of Wolverhampton, where she was responsible for the strategic development of the academic courses, quality and the student experience. Through successful income generation she enabled staff to develop and implement a range of innovative technologies within schools, colleges as well as the University. She gained the University of Wolverhampton a £4.5 million Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning, which she led for two years before taking up her current post as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching Innovation at Aston University. At Aston she is responsible for learner development, widening participation, the quality and standards of the student and staff experience and for the implementation and evaluation of the University's Learning and Teaching Strategy. Alison is interested in the implementation of technology to enhance learning and the design of learning space, as well as the development of mentoring, volunteering and work-based learning professional qualifications. Her publications include course text books, learning materials and video productions with the Open University, journal and conference publications as well as international keynotes in Ireland, USA, Malaysia and Jordan. As a former quality assessor she is committed to the enhancement agenda and has been involved in several national learning and teaching projects. In 2005 she received a National Teaching Fellowship for her innovative curriculum development and academic leadership and in 2008 became one of the first Senior Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. Alison will use her funding to develop a psychometric 'thinking styles' questionnaire to measure cognitive and linguistic preferences.