People

Prof Sarah Gretton

Director of the University of Leicester Education Academy, Education for Sustainable Development Academic Lead

School/Department: Biological Sciences, School of

Telephone: +44 (0)116 252 2534

Email: sarah.gretton@leicester.ac.uk

Profile

After graduating with a BSc Hons in Medical Microbiology from the University of Edinburgh, Sarah Gretton worked on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV at the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the University of Edinburgh, before embarking on a PhD studying the cellular biology of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) at the MRC Virology Unit at the University of Glasgow. Upon completion of the PhD Prof Gretton continued working on HCV as a research fellow at the University of Leeds.

Prof Gretton worked as a sessional lecturer in Biological Sciences at Nottingham Trent University during the 2009-10 academic year, before joining the Genetic Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (GENIE) and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Science at the University of Leicester in 2010, teaching on the natural sciences and biological sciences programmes but also working on a number of educational projects.

Prof Gretton was appointed director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Science in June 2015, and also took on the role of institutional lead of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the same year.

In 2017 Prof Gretton was appointed as programme director of the newly launched Natural Sciences (Life and Physical Sciences) programme, and from 2019-2021 was director of taught postgraduate programmes for the College of Life Sciences. 

Prof Gretton is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), led the natural sciences team in their successful UK Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence 2017, and was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2021.
 

Research

Prof Gretton’s current research interests include:

  • Education for Sustainable Development
  • Skills development, particularly related to employability and research or problem-based learning.
  • Interdisciplinary science education.
 

Publications

A full list of Dr Sarah Gretton’s publications (including co-author papers) can be found on Google Scholar 

Supervision

  • Education for Sustainable Development
  • Student skills development and employability
  • Research/ Problem-based Learning
  • Interdisciplinary science education.

Teaching

Prof Gretton teaches biology and skills sessions on all four years of the natural sciences undergraduate degree programme, and virology to first year and MSc biological sciences students.

Press and media

Science Education

Activities

Prof Gretton is a member of the organising committee for the Horizons in STEM Higher Education Conference and a member of the Society for Natural Science national committee, chairing the Society for Natural Sciences Scholarship of Teaching and Learning group.

Awards

Prof Sarah Gretton has received the following teaching awards:
  • Finalist, Green Gown Award (Courses), 2012
  • University Distinguished Teaching Fellowship, 2014
  • Finalist, UK Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence, 2016
  • Finalist, Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year, 2017
  • Winner, UK Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence, 2017
  • Finalist, Green Gown Awards (Sustainability Champion), 2017
  • Winner, University of Leicester Discovering Excellence Teaching Award, 2017
  • National Teaching Fellowship, 2021
  • Student Union Superstar award for Best Implementer of Student Feedback, 2023
  • Finalist, Our Citizen Award University of Leicester Citizens’ Awards, 2023 

Qualifications

Prof Sarah Gretton holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Professional Practice (PGCAPP, Distinction) and a Senior Fellowship of Advance HE.

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