We’re very proud to announce that Will Hughes, Programme Leader for BSc (Hons) Animal Management at University Centre Hadlow, has been awarded the Higher Education Teacher of the Year Award at the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards.
The award was announced on 16th October at the virtual awards ceremony run by KM Charity Team and Inspire Schools. 50 awards were presented to individuals and teams representing the cream of the crop at primary schools, secondary schools and colleges for each local authority area. 22 winners were crowned the best in the whole of Kent - and they received a recorded message of congratulations from comedian, actor and writer David Walliams.
Winners were chosen by a panel of organisations including representatives from the University of Greenwich, Kreston Reeves, Social Enterprise Kent, Medway Youth Trust, Canterbury Christ Church University, Loop CR, Diggerland, Kent Further Education, Kape HR, KCS, Towergate Insurance, The Education People, Kent Sport, Kent County Council, Medway Council, Salus, Streetspace and Three R’s Teacher Recruitment.
Will said “Discovering that I'd be chosen for this award earlier on this year came as a total surprise! Nearly 8 years ago, I started teaching on the undergraduate programmes at University Centre Hadlow and never thought I would have stuck at it for this long or enjoyed the journey as much as I have! It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with so many fantastic people during the time I’ve been teaching at Hadlow, both the staff and the students. I'd like to thank them all for their continuous support and encouragement over the years which has kept me so motivated to do my very best as a lecturer at the College.”
Will is an experienced Programme Leader and Lecturer who started working at Hadlow College in 2012, shortly after completing his BSc (Hons) and MRes at the University of London. He has since gained a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education and Training with Canterbury Christchurch University.
Will has a passion for helping students learn about wildlife and the natural world by gaining practical experience in the field and he has a particular interest in how technology can be used in conservation science as an engagement tool.
During his time at Hadlow, Will has helped to lead study tours for students to locations such as South Africa and the Scottish Highlands, and has previous field experience working in Iceland, Sweden and the Norwegian Arctic.
As part of his Higher Education teaching, Will regularly collaborates with a range of key conservation organisations, including Kent Wildlife Trust, Medway Valley Countryside Partnership and The Mammal Society.
He is currently involved in the College’s Turtle Tally research project, in collaboration with the National Centre for Reptile Welfare and British Herpetological Society, and also works as the Grants and Research Coordinator for Kent Mammal Group.
Huge congratulations to Will – a fantastic and well-deserved accolade!