Sport lecturer Hannah Ripley achieved distinction grades in her MSc in education, and has been awarded the Len Almond Memorial Prize for Academic Excellence and a project prize for the highest overall marked dissertation in her cohort.

Hannah started working at University College Isle of Man in January 2020, lecturing in sport and taking on the role of digital learning co-ordinator, a position which has linked into her recent academic studies.

Having already achieved her PGCE from Loughborough University, Hannah began her masters studies in September 2020 with an aim to complete her masters degree.

Her studies focussed on the online learning experiences of staff at UCM, a topical area of exploration after Covid restrictions caused a significant shift in the delivery of teaching.

Hannah said: ‘The literature, research and results I obtained also helped me to develop strategies which I put forward as ideas to improve and support blended learning at UCM, and implemented through my role as digital learning co-ordinator.’

The Len Almond Memorial prize is named after a former lecturer who dedicated almost 40 years to Loughborough University as director of physical education, a founding director of the British Heart Foundation and an honorary doctorate, before his passing in 2017.

The award was presented to Hannah for the impressive quality of her work and for achieving the highest overall mark on the MSc in education programme.

Hannah is a committed and active member of UCM, recently participating in The Children’s Centre’s Sunrise to Sunset ‘Race the Sun’ challenge, where she opened the event for team UCM and raised over £1,000 for charity.

Hannah added: ‘I am proud to have achieved the Academic Excellence prize and to have been marked with the highest dissertation results amongst my peers. Although carrying out the project was a challenge at times, I am very proud of the work I produced, and I am grateful for the support of my supervisor.’