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Education and Research Awards 2024

| Project Management Educator of the Year

This award recognises academics whose innovation and passion have transformed a course and inspired students.

The category is open to institutions, academics themselves or their colleagues, but in all cases the institution must support the submission and student testimonies must be included in the supplementary documentation. Entrants can either self-nominate or be nominated by their employer or academic institution. Entrants can be members or non-members of APM, both from in and outside of the UK.

Entries must take the form of a 1,000-word personal statement addressing the criteria below, and up to three letters of support, one of which must be from the entrant’s department head, others may be from students or other colleagues. Entrants may also submit up to two additional pieces of supporting evidence which must only include:

  • images and/or graphics (no text, just short captions)
  • a link to a video no more than 2 minutes in length

Congratulations to our winner...

Winner  Dr Éamonn V. Kelly, University of Limerick

Judges comments
Éamonn’s extensive industry experience brings valuable real-world insights into his pedagogical approach. This experience allows him to bridge the gap between academia and industry, providing students with relevant and practical knowledge.

Judges noted Éamonn’s dedication to fostering sustainable project management is something he should be proud of. Alignment with global challenges and incorporation of initiatives like Sustainable Development Goals, Agile Hackathons and social impact projects create dynamic and impactful learning environments.

Éamonn goes above and beyond in his role of educator. His commitment to student engagement, experiential learning, and social responsibility fosters a passion for STEM, project management, and global citizenship among students. He should be commended for his outreach to engage with schools that encourages students into the industry.


In the ever-evolving landscape of project management education, aligning pedagogical strategies with global challenges and opportunities is imperative. My approach, deeply rooted in innovation and student engagement, has expanded to incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agile Hackathons, collaboration with younger generations through initiatives like the F1 in Schools competition, and social impact projects. These enhancements diversify the curriculum and broaden our educational impact beyond academia, positively affecting the wider community. This fosters global citizenship among students, connecting classroom learning with real-world applications and community engagement, enriching their educational journey and societal contribution.

Finalist  Michelle Littlemore, Northumbria University

My privileged position as an educator means that I get to support, develop, and create opportunities for students. I always aim to deliver interesting and innovative ways of teaching, learning and assessment to engage and enthuse students. I see myself as a steppingstone in the students future and as a result I ensure that they get to the next stage in their academic and professional career fully equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Finalist  Lina Simeonova, University of Kent - Kent Business School

Project Management is a discipline where academic excellence and professional practice are beautifully intertwined and I feel most inspired working on this Golden Frontier of knowledge exchange. My ambition is to design programmes and modules, which are practice-oriented, underpinned by innovative and inclusive pedagogy and driven by impact. I am committed to fostering an inclusive, engaged and intellectually stimulating environment through innovative and industrially focused teaching approaches for life-long learning. I am proud to say that I witness the incredible growth of my students and their transformation into responsible and ambitious project management professionals beyond the classroom.

Category criteria and weighting

Professional pedagogy development  10%

  • Evidence of how the nominee evaluates and develops their professional progress with regard to teaching, learning and assessment.

Student engagement  30%

  • Exceptional engagement with students and how this has impacted positively in and beyond their academic role. If applicable, explain how this has had an effect beyond their institution in the careers of their students.

Continued commitment to student experience  30%

  • Evidence of a sustained commitment to advancing and positively influencing the student experience.

Innovation in curriculum development  30%

  • Evidence of successful innovation in curriculum development based on cutting-edge knowledge and practice.