National Teaching Fellowship winner

Posted on Friday 8 August 2025

Her academic career focuses on innovation and creativity in teaching practice including learning on the move which she uses to teach crime and deviance, death studies, popular culture and celebrity. In addition to this, Professor Penfold-Mounce is driven to improve student learning experiences and enhance the student voice in Higher Education.

This year, sixty-one new National Teaching Fellows are recognised in 2025 for their outstanding contribution to excellent teaching in higher education in the UK. 

The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) celebrates and recognises individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in UK higher education. This year's cohort represents the largest number of National Teaching Fellows ever awarded, reflecting the exceptional quality of teaching talent across the sector as evidenced by the positive responses about teaching in the 2025 Student Academic Experience Survey and National Student Survey. 

Professor Becky Huxley-Binns, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at Canterbury Christ Church University, and chair of the teaching excellence awards panel, said, “These awards represent the very best of higher education during a crucial moment. As our sector faces its greatest challenges, these exceptional educators have risen to meet them with innovation, dedication and excellence that simply couldn't be ignored.  

 “The unusually high number of NTFS awards this year isn't just recognition of individual achievement - it's a testament to the remarkable resilience and quality of our teaching community. These fellowships celebrate educators who don't just deliver knowledge, but transform lives, inspire futures and demonstrate that even in uncertain times, educational excellence not only endures but flourishes.”

Professor Penfold-Mounce shared their thoughts on winning the award:
"I am genuinely thrilled to receive recognition of my leadership and creativity in teaching and learning by being awarded a National Teaching Fellowship. As the first Teaching and Scholarship Professor in the Sociology department, I have sought to drive forwards a strategic vision and collaborative approach to curriculum design and develop a vibrant teaching portfolio. 
In the future, I will continue championing the value of the Teaching and Scholarship career track and inspiring others to embrace innovative pedagogy to enhance not only student learning but the student voice."