Double teaching awards for Criminology and Sociology

Dr Thomas Thurnell-Read (Senior Lecturer in Sociology) and Dr Chris Kay (Lecturer in Criminology) have both been awarded Research-informed Teaching Awards by Loughborough University.

Dr Thomas Thurnell-Read was awarded the prize for translating his research into teaching content and curriculum design on the new module Intoxication and Society, where students were assessed through weekly Group Blog using Microsoft Sway and Problem Sets involving the application of theories and concepts to life-like scenarios. The award also recognised Tom's impact on methods training, evidenced by an increased number of students applying for and securing placements and graduate positions in research related roles.

Dr Chris Kay was awarded the prize for integrating his research on the lived experience of rehabilitation and recovery and criminal justice policy into the teaching content and assessment on the Rehabilitation and Recovery and the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales modules. Students on these modules are placed in the shoes of criminal justice officials and policy makers who are tasked with supporting people on the road to rehabilitation, while also experiencing the practicalities of transforming the criminal justice system from within. The award also recognised Chris’s work in supporting students to realise that they are active agents in this process, reflecting upon their own perceptions of criminal justice (and the people subject to it) and analysing the impact such perceptions can have on the decisions they are making.