Shortlists announced for the Psychology Teacher of the Year Awards 2024

Dr Andrew J. Holliman, BSc (Hons), MA, MSc, Ph.D., is associate professor (teaching) and programme leader of the BSc Psychology with Education, at the UCL Institute of Education. He currently serves as BPS chair of the Psychology of Education Section and is recognised as a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol.), Science Council Chartered Scientist (CSci), Fellow of the British Psychological Society (FBPsS), and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). 

His research interests and expertise include the psychology of education, teaching and learning in higher education and the development of children's literacy. His current research focuses mostly on understanding the personal and contextual/situational risk and protective factors associated with a successful transition through compulsory schooling and onto university. He has also edited international books on Educational Psychology, Education and New Technology, and Overcoming Adversity in Education. Underpinning his work, is a passionate commitment to helping people learn and develop, to feel positive and of value, and to achieve their goals and make the most out of their lives. 

Social Media 

• X 

Dr Alex Reid is a senior lecturer in the Psychology Department at the University of York. He is involved in a wide range of educational provision including taught modules on Infancy, the Brain Mechanisms of Action and Decision Making, and Consciousness and Free Will. 

He is passionate about developing critical thinking skills in both his students and the public, as well as enhancing career-related opportunities for his students and colleagues at York. He likes to collaborate with his students on outreach-related initiatives in science literacy and communication, including helping them run their own departmental magazine, Psychout. His pedagogical work has aimed to foster student collaboration and integration through various initiatives relating to employability, alumni engagement, and widening participation. In 2020, he was awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Teaching Award for his outstanding contributions to teaching at the University of York.

Social media

• Bluesky
• LinkedIn

Dr Zayba Ghazali-Mohammed is a lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow. Her research focuses on advancing equity and inclusion within higher education, contributing to the Access, Inclusion, and Wellbeing strand of the Pedagogy and Education Research Unit.

Dr Ghazali-Mohammed's work critically explores strategies to decolonise the psychology curriculum, create inclusive spaces for diverse student communities, and embed inclusive teaching practices in psychology education.

In 2021, Dr Ghazali-Mohammed founded the Race and Equality Network within the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, providing a platform for advancing race equity initiatives based on the lived experiences of students and staff. She also serves as a board member on the BPS Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Board, where she helps embed EDI principles in the organisation's strategic objectives. 

In 2024, Dr Ghazali-Mohammed launched the Psychologists in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (PEDI) Network, a UK-wide network uniting psychology educators dedicated to promoting inclusive teaching practices and sharing expertise to foster equality and diversity within the field.

Social media

• X   
• LinkedIn

Dr Nilu Ahmed is associate professor of psychology and inclusion at Bristol Dental School where she is the lead for communication skills and previously created and held the position of antiracism and inclusion lead.

Her research and pedagogy focus on Inclusion and Engagement and is situated in an antiracist and intersectional framework. Her areas of expertise include health inequalities, social disadvantage, identity, and belonging. Her teaching focuses on equipping students to become empathic healthcare professionals who can work confidently and safely with a diverse patient population.

She is an advanced qualitative researcher who uses decolonial and inclusive research methodologies including storytelling, coproduction, and creative approaches with students and local communities. She is regularly invited to comment in the media on all things psychology.

Outside of academia, Nilu is a practicing psychotherapist specialising in working with issues of race and inclusion, and a diversity and inclusion consultant delivering antiracism and inclusion training for institutions of all sizes ranging from small charities to global multinationals, helping them achieve their visions of cultural change and inclusion. She has delivered training, keynotes, and consultancy services across sectors including HE, business, and Government.

Social media

• X 
• Bluesky
• LinkedIn

Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel (CPsychol, SFHEA) is a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow. She is an expert in applying cognitive psychology to education, and an enthusiastic science communicator.

She leads the TILE Network and is part of the Learning Scientists. She obtained her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Mannheim, Germany, and pursued postdoc positions at York University in Toronto, Canada, and the Center for Integrative Research in Cognition, Learning, and Education at Washington University in St. Louis, USA. Before joining the University of Glasgow, she was a lecturer in psychology at the University of Dundee.
She has delivered workshops and talks on research-informed teaching worldwide. 

Carolina is convinced that psychological research should serve the public and engages in scholarly outreach activities. She is passionate about research-informed teaching and aims to provide her students with the best learning experience possible. She is on the advisory boards for Evidence-Based Education and for a project of the National Institute of Teaching. In her free time, Carolina enjoys books, vinyl records, running, and movies and series.
 

Harriet Ennis is the head of psychology at Bootham School in York, a chartered psychologist, and an Associate Fellow of the BPS. She is an active committee member of the Association for the Teaching of Psychology (ATP) and represents England, Wales, and Northern Ireland at the European Federation of Psychology Teaching Associations (EFPTA).

In addition to her school leadership, Harriet delivers masterclasses and courses to students across York's secondary schools through the York Independent-State Schools Partnership (YorkSSP). She also provides national CPD and training for both teachers and students through Keynote Educational and Psychology in Action. 
 

Social media

• LinkedIn

Nick Serifin is a psychology teacher at Stockport Grammar School. A big focus of his work has been "Psych Boost," a YouTube channel that started as a project to support students. Over time, it's grown into a free resource used by thousands of students and teachers across the UK, with over 10 million views and 78,000 subscribers. 

While he love teaching in the classroom, Nick has found making psychology accessible more widely through Psych Boost incredibly rewarding. He is also involved in CPD through sharing ideas with other teachers and contributing to projects like the AQA Unit Award Scheme.