OU academic recognised for “outstanding contributions” to equality in science

Posted on 10 November 2017 • Science, maths, computing and technology

Associate Director for Academic Professional Development (APD), Dr Anne Adams and her team, have been announced the winner of the WISE Tech Innovation Award  for the WISE Awards 2017.

The WISE Awards 2017 recognise the outstanding contributions to gender balance in science, technology and engineering, of individuals and organisations. The entry submitted by the all-women team at the OU focused on a shared understanding of how we think and learn combined with creative story-telling to inform technology innovations and skills development.

The award was presented by Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal – a Royal Patron of WISE.

“An enthusiastic winner”

The panel of judges commented: “[Dr Anne Adams is] an enthusiastic winner who has seen a gap in training and supporting; using accessible technology, simulations, and creative videos to address issues within the police force and schools.”

The research project was funded by the College of Policing and HEFCE (Centre for Policing Research and Learning), European Commission, The Leverhulme Trust, ESRC, and EPSRC.

Recognition of collaborative innovation

Dr Adams, said:

“It is excellent for the team to receive recognition for the innovations we use to develop the OU and organisations such as the NHS and the police.”

This award is recognition for the close and productive collaboration between our team with faculties and external organisations to effectively use innovations like games, participatory video making, and crowd sourcing to developing individual’s skills.

The winners were announced at a gala dinner and Awards ceremony in Central London on Thursday 9 November 2017.