The latest winners of the annual Students’ Choice Teaching Awards have spoken of their thanks to colleagues and students as they were recognised for teaching excellence at a ceremony on campus.
Each year, students are asked to nominate a member of staff they feel deserves recognition for the work they do.
Peter Částka (middle) presented his award by Daniel Cole and Precious Ikchukuwu
Since the awards were set up in 2005, more than 10,000 students have nominated staff for the awards and approximately 250 awards have been handed out.
This year, more than 600 students put forward staff from across the university, including lecturers who brought their subjects to life and technicians who went above and beyond to show someone how to solve a problem.
The nominees were then put through a faculty judging panel before going through a secondary panel with students and members of the university’s Education Academy.
In total, five Students’ Choice Teaching Awards were handed out on the night, alongside the Unsung Hero award, which this year was won by Peter Částka.
Peter, who is a Technical Instructor for Video, Virtual Production and Photography, was described by students as “always helpful, always supportive, always funny” and “a constant source of technical guidance.”
Opening the evening, Daniel Cole, Teaching Recognition Lead in the DMU Education Academy, praised both students and staff who work tirelessly to enhance the quality of the student experience.
He said: “First and foremost, thank you, DMU’s students, for nominating your teachers for today’s awards – and thank you for coming along to support and celebrate with tonight’s winners.”
He was joined on stage by Precious Ikchukuwu from DMU’s Student Union to present the awards.
The first award of the night went to Talitha Bird, who scooped the Collaborative Teaching Award. Talitha was heavily involved with the establishment of DMU’s Teaching Degree Apprenticeship in Primary Education in 2025, which at the time was one of the first university courses of its kind in the UK.
From left to right: Precious, Talitha and Daniel
Talitha was described by students as having a “a unique ability to explain concepts clearly while encouraging discussion, helping us to think deeply rather than just memorise information.”
Enterprise Project Manager and head of DMU Made, Simon Baines, won the Community Minded Teaching award for the work his team does in helping students and graduates become budding entrepreneurs.
His team is responsible for many initiatives on campus, including TedXDemontfortU, Pitch2Win, grant opportunities, the Freelancing and Entrepreneurship Awards and trips abroad through DMU Global.
Simon Baines collects his award from Daniel and Talitha
Adrian Rogerson won the Compassionate Teaching Award, in which his students on Pharmacy courses praised him for his storytelling and ability to link their course to real-world scenarios to help immerse learners in engaging teaching sessions.
The Creative Teaching award went to Meryem Altaf, lecturer in Business Management, for thinking outside the box and using tools such as LEGO in her seminars to help teach concepts.
The final award of the evening, Academic Tutor of the Year, went to Bisola Ariyo, who is also a lecturer in Business Management.
Bisola was described by her students as “an exceptional educator whose impact extends far beyond the classroom.”
Dionne Barton, who presented the award, said: “Bisola is deeply committed to fostering a positive and inclusive school culture. She is a mentor and role model who encourages resilience, self-belief, and a love of learning.
“Students regularly seek her guidance, knowing they will be met with empathy, patience, and constructive support. She has made a meaningful difference to my university experience through her dedication, encouragement, and genuine care for student wellbeing.”
Collaborative Teaching award: Talitha Bird, Head of Division, Education
Community-minded Teaching award: Simon Baines, Enterprise Project Manager
Compassionate Teaching award: Adrian Rogerson, senior lecturer in Pharmacy Practice
Creative Teaching award: Meryem Altaf, lecturer in Business and Management
Academic Tutor of the Year: Bisola Ariyo, lecturer in Business Management
Unsung Hero of the Year: Peter Částka, technical instructor for Video, Virtual Production and Photography
The latest winners of the annual Students’ Choice Teaching Awards have spoken of their thanks to colleagues and students as they were recognised for teaching excellence at a ceremony on campus.
Each year, students are asked to nominate a member of staff they feel deserves recognition for the work they do.
Since the awards were set up in 2005, more than 10,000 students have nominated staff for the awards and approximately 250 awards have been handed out.
This year, more than 600 students put forward staff from across the university, including lecturers who brought their subjects to life and technicians who went above and beyond to show someone how to solve a problem.
The nominees were then put through a faculty judging panel before going through a secondary panel with students and members of the university’s Education Academy.
In total, five Students’ Choice Teaching Awards were handed out on the night, alongside the Unsung Hero award, which this year was won by Peter Peter Částka.
Peter, who is a Technical Instructor for Video, Virtual Production and Photography, was described by students as “always helpful, always supportive, always funny” and “a constant source of technical guidance.”
Opening the evening, Daniel Cole, Teaching Recognition Lead in the DMU Education Academy, praised both students and staff who work tirelessly to enhance the quality of the student experience.
He said: “First and foremost, thank you, DMU’s students, for nominating your teachers for today’s awards – and thank you for coming along to support and celebrate with tonight’s winners.”
He was joined on stage by Precious Ikchukuwu from DMU’s Student Union to present the awards.
The first award of the night went to Talitha Bird, who scooped the Collaborative Teaching Award. Talitha was heavily involved with the establishment of DMU’s Teaching Degree Apprenticeship in Primary Education in 2025, which at the time was one of the first university courses of its kind in the UK.
Talitha was described by students as having a “a unique ability to explain concepts clearly while encouraging discussion, helping us to think deeply rather than just memorise information.”
Enterprise Project Manager and head of DMU Made, Simon Baines, won the Community Minded Teaching award for the work his team does in helping students and graduates become budding entrepreneurs.
His team is responsible for many initiatives on campus, including TedXDemontfortU, Pitch2Win, grant opportunities, the Freelancing and Entrepreneurship Awards and trips abroad through DMU Global.
Adrian Rogerson won the Compassionate Teaching Award, in which his students on Pharmacy courses praised him for his storytelling and ability to link their course to real-world scenarios to help immerse learners in engaging teaching sessions.
The Creative Teaching award went to Meryem Altaf, lecturer in Business Management, for thinking outside the box and using tools such as LEGO in her seminars to help teach concepts.
The final award of the evening, Academic Tutor of the Year, went to Bisola Ariyo, who is also a lecturer in Business Management.
Bisola was described by her students as “an exceptional educator whose impact extends far beyond the classroom.”
Dionne Barton, who presented the award, said: “Bisola is deeply committed to fostering a positive and inclusive school culture. She is a mentor and role model who encourages resilience, self-belief, and a love of learning.
“Students regularly seek her guidance, knowing they will be met with empathy, patience, and constructive support. She has made a meaningful difference to my university experience through her dedication, encouragement, and genuine care for student wellbeing.”
Collaborative Teaching award: Talitha Bird, Head of Division, Education
Community-minded Teaching award: Simon Baines, Enterprise Project Manager
Compassionate Teaching award: Adrian Rogerson, senior lecturer in Pharmacy Practice
Creative Teaching award: Meryem Altaf, lecturer in Business and Management
Academic Tutor of the Year: Bisola Ariyo, lecturer in Business Management
Unsung Hero of the Year: Peter Částka, technical instructor for Video, Virtual Production and Photography
The latest winners of the annual Students’ Choice Teaching Awards have spoken of their thanks to colleagues and students as they were recognised for teaching excellence at a ceremony on campus.
Each year, students are asked to nominate a member of staff they feel deserves recognition for the work they do.
Since the awards were set up in 2005, more than 10,000 students have nominated staff for the awards and approximately 250 awards have been handed out.
This year, more than 600 students put forward staff from across the university, including lecturers who brought their subjects to life and technicians who went above and beyond to show someone how to solve a problem.
The nominees were then put through a faculty judging panel before going through a secondary panel with students and members of the university’s Education Academy.
In total, five Students’ Choice Teaching Awards were handed out on the night, alongside the Unsung Hero award, which this year was won by Peter Peter Částka.
Peter, who is a Technical Instructor for Video, Virtual Production and Photography, was described by students as “always helpful, always supportive, always funny” and “a constant source of technical guidance.”
Opening the evening, Daniel Cole, Teaching Recognition Lead in the DMU Education Academy, praised both students and staff who work tirelessly to enhance the quality of the student experience.
He said: “First and foremost, thank you, DMU’s students, for nominating your teachers for today’s awards – and thank you for coming along to support and celebrate with tonight’s winners.”
He was joined on stage by Precious Ikchukuwu from DMU’s Student Union to present the awards.
The first award of the night went to Talitha Bird, who scooped the Collaborative Teaching Award. Talitha was heavily involved with the establishment of DMU’s Teaching Degree Apprenticeship in Primary Education in 2025, which at the time was one of the first university courses of its kind in the UK.
Talitha was described by students as having a “a unique ability to explain concepts clearly while encouraging discussion, helping us to think deeply rather than just memorise information.”
Enterprise Project Manager and head of DMU Made, Simon Baines, won the Community Minded Teaching award for the work his team does in helping students and graduates become budding entrepreneurs.
His team is responsible for many initiatives on campus, including TedXDemontfortU, Pitch2Win, grant opportunities, the Freelancing and Entrepreneurship Awards and trips abroad through DMU Global.
Adrian Rogerson won the Compassionate Teaching Award, in which his students on Pharmacy courses praised him for his storytelling and ability to link their course to real-world scenarios to help immerse learners in engaging teaching sessions.
The Creative Teaching award went to Meryem Altaf, lecturer in Business Management, for thinking outside the box and using tools such as LEGO in her seminars to help teach concepts.
The final award of the evening, Academic Tutor of the Year, went to Bisola Ariyo, who is also a lecturer in Business Management.
Bisola was described by her students as “an exceptional educator whose impact extends far beyond the classroom.”
Dionne Barton, who presented the award, said: “Bisola is deeply committed to fostering a positive and inclusive school culture. She is a mentor and role model who encourages resilience, self-belief, and a love of learning.
“Students regularly seek her guidance, knowing they will be met with empathy, patience, and constructive support. She has made a meaningful difference to my university experience through her dedication, encouragement, and genuine care for student wellbeing.”
Collaborative Teaching award: Talitha Bird, Head of Division, Education
Community-minded Teaching award: Simon Baines, Enterprise Project Manager
Compassionate Teaching award: Adrian Rogerson, senior lecturer in Pharmacy Practice
Creative Teaching award: Meryem Altaf, lecturer in Business and Management
Academic Tutor of the Year: Bisola Ariyo, lecturer in Business Management
Unsung Hero of the Year: Peter Částka, technical instructor for Video, Virtual Production and Photography
Posted on Wednesday 13 May 2026