UWTSD’s Kara Lewis shortlisted for FindAUniversity’s Postgrad Awards 2022

UWTSD lecturer, Kara Lewis, has been shortlisted for a FindAUniversity postgraduate award in the category of ‘Masters Student of the Year’. 

As well as working as a lecturer and project coordinator at Rhagoriaith, the University’s Welsh language services centre, Kara Lewis has been studying for an MA in Professional Practice at UWTSD’s Wales Academy for Professional Practice and Applied Research (WAPPAR).

The ‘Masters Student of the Year Award’ recognises those who have made a difference, in the academic sphere and beyond.  Following the news, Kara Lewis, commented:

“I’m delighted to be shortlisted for this award and I’d like to thank everybody for their support.  For me, this MA was so much more that writing essays – I believe that as educators we must strive to improve and adapt – and we must collaborate and share findings. I plan to continue my research, be that formally or informally and share my passion for education and the pursuit of engaging, but most of all, useful research.”

Kara wants to continue to develop her research skills which have had an integral impact on her professional practice, and she intends to use what she has learned in order to improve her workplace professional environment as well as continuing to progress her career at the same time.  Discussing her recent research, Kara added:

“The focus of my final essay was on this pastoral aspect of our work as educators and how we can use the Microsoft Teams app Reflect to monitor our learners' wellbeing when we are not seeing them face to face. Reflect (2020) is relatively new, so there is little research thus far.

I chose this subject area as I wanted to produce guidelines and create opportunities that would enhance our provision in my department, but also throughout the whole institution. I teach teachers and trainee teachers and believe that my findings can provide opportunities for schools in Wales to take advantage of such technologies in both face-to-face learning and online and blended environments.”

The shortlist was announced by postgraduate experts FindAUniversity, which received hundreds of nominations, and whose expert judging panel will now select the winners – with an announcement to come on Tuesday, 28 June. 

Further Information

For more information please contact Arwel Lloyd, Principal PR and Communications Officer, on 07384 467076 / arwel.lloyd@uwtsd.ac.uk