OUSU Teaching Awards

History received a thumbs-up from students last term, as Jonathan Healey and Janet Dickenson both won Oxford University Student Union Teaching Awards.

Jonathan Healey, who is course director for our Diploma in English Local History and our online Advanced Diploma in Local History, won an 'Outstanding Tutor' award; Janet Dickinson, who teaches on our weekly and online classes programme and who wrote our online Elizabeth I course, won a 'Most Acclaimed Lecturer' award.

The Oxford University Student Union Teaching Awards are entirely student-led and aim to recognise great teaching, and student support in Oxford.

Jonathan Healey works on early-modern British social and economic history., and teaches 16th to 18th century papers on the History Faculty's BA in Modern History, and early-modern papers on the Department's MSc in English Local History. He has published on the development, politics and economic context of the Poor Law, on changing social structures in the Lake District, and on the epidemics of 1727-30. Jonathan is keen to foster a public engagement with social history more generally; in 2012 he was picked as one of the winners of BBC Radio 3's New Generation Thinkers competition, and has made a number of appearances on BBC radio.

Jonathan said: 'I was absolutely thrilled to even be nominated for this, given this was actually my first foray into online teaching. To win the award was just fantastic. Thanks to OUSU for running this excellent scheme, and thanks to Tawney Group on the ADLH 2012-13 for being such a brilliant group of students.'

Janet Dickinson specializes in the history of early modern England and Europe, with particular interests in cultural and political history. Her first book, Court Politics and the Earl of Essex was published in 2011 and she has also contributed to a number of works on Elizabethan and early modern European history. Current projects include work on the Tudor nobility and the last years of Elizabeth I's life as well as court history in general. She has held lectureships at a number of English universities and spends her summers teaching programmes for several American universities in association with the University of Oxford. She is currently Conference Secretary for the Society for Court Studies, and teaches for the University of Reading and New York University in London as well as for the Department.

Of her 'Most Acclaimed Lecturer' award, Janet said, 'I was very surprised and delighted to win the award. Apparently my students commented on my 'inspirational scholarship', which is perhaps the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, so I am keen to repeat it as often as possible!'

For full information on the Oxford University Student Union Teaching Awards, please see: teachingawards.ousu.org

Published 21 July 2014