Professor of Learning and Teaching Enhancement, Director of Academic Development and Learning Enhancement
Catriona is a Professor of Learning and Teaching Enhancement and Director of Academic Development and Learning Enhancement. She is also a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS).
- Overview
- Research Interests
- Research Publications
- Teaching and Learning
- Activities and Awards
Professor Catriona Bell joined QMU in October 2021 as the new Director of Academic Development and Learning Enhancement. She provides strategic leadership of the enhancement of learning, teaching and assessment across the portfolio of the University, including our domestic and international collaborative partnerships and online learning portfolio. As part of this, she has established our new Learning Enhancement and Academic Development (LEAD) Centre.
Her early portfolio was achieved in her ‘home discipline’ of Veterinary Education - she is a qualified veterinary surgeon, and she then built on this strong foundation to translate and apply her leadership skills in cross-disciplinary contexts at both Advance HE and the University of Edinburgh.
Catriona has gained the highest level of professional recognition for learning and teaching, becoming a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) in 2015 and a National Teaching Fellow (NTF) in 2018, the first year that the NTF scheme ran in Scotland. She now champions teaching excellence and practice sharing through a variety of channels, including the Scottish networks for Principal Fellows and national Teaching Excellence Award winners, both of which she initiated in collaboration with colleagues.
She has particular expertise in cross-disciplinary academic development and veterinary medical education. Her key areas of interest include Leadership of Learning and Teaching (particularly around empowering Programme Leaders), and championing both Students as Partners and Inclusive Curricula approaches. Her research portfolio has focussed on veterinary medical education, academic (faculty) development, assessment of clinical skills, peer-assisted learning, and knowledge transfer with farmers in the global south.
Affiliations/Memberships to Other Organisations:
- Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS)
Professional Social Media:
- @catrionaebell
Leading projects, initiatives and programmes that enhance the Student Experience, advocating a Students as Partners approach wherever possible, and collaborating with relevant sector agencies and colleagues.
Contributing to the body of published evidence to further advance the fields of Academic (Faculty) Development, veterinary and allied health professions education to inform interdisciplinary practice, and knowledge transfer with farmers in the global south.
Active research interests:
- Academic Development
- Students as Partners
- Peer Assisted Learning
- Assessment of Clinical Skills
- Knowledge transfer with farmers in the global south
Research Methods:
- Mixed methods research
She has particular expertise in cross disciplinary academic development and veterinary/medical education within Higher Education, and her key areas of interest include Leadership of Learning and Teaching (particularly around empowering Programme Leaders), and championing Students as Partners approaches in curricula.
She also has a keen interest in enhance institutional and sector support and recognition for teaching, learning and assessment related activities, whilst also aligning these with research and scholarly activities where appropriate.
Principal Fellow (PFHEA) – 2015
Internationally recognised professional recognition for ‘sustained, effective record of strategic impact at institutional, national or international level and a wider commitment to academic practice and strategic leadership in teaching and enhancing the student learning experience’.
National Teaching Fellow – 2018
One of only five successful Scottish applicants across the entire sector in the inaugural year that these national Advance HE Teaching Excellence Awards were introduced in Scotland.
British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Amoroso Award Winner (2019): Prize awarded for contributions to undergraduate teaching of small animal studies (preclinical or clinical) in its widest context by a qualified veterinarian.
Higher Education Academy International Scholar (2012):
One of only 14 prestigious scholarships awarded across all disciplines and UK Higher Education institutions in 2012
