Suzanne Fergus

I am a Principal Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Hertfordshire and in 2017 was awarded a Higher Education Academy National Teaching Fellowship. I am also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. After completing my BSc (Chemistry) at University College Dublin, I continued there to attain my PhD under the supervision of Prof Frank Hegarty, investigating nitrile ylide dimerisation and the carbene reactivity of nitrile ylides. I then undertook post-doctoral work at the University of Milan and University of Cambridge.I obtained my MA in Education focusing on student engagement in chemistry.I am extremely passionate about learning and teaching and appreciate the challenges students encounter in relation to learning chemistry. I have developed my teaching approach evaluating the impact of innovations and new ideas that are underpinned by pedagogic research. I strive to help students bridge the gaps in their understanding of chemistry concepts by working with them within their own frameworks of cognition to promote a learning gain.An immense personal honour was receiving the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Higher Education Teaching Award in 2016.