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Dr Debbi Marais

Job Title
Professor (Teaching Focussed)
Department
WMS - Health Sciences
Phone
+44 (0)24 76522036
Research Interests

Pedagogical: Technology-enhanced teaching; Employability & Professionalism

Health: Technology-enhanced health education; Infant and young child feeding; Nutrition transition & Global health; Mixed methods
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9073-0706

Biography

Debbi is the Director of Postgraduate Education at WMS and a Principal Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, demonstrating strategic leadership to enhance student learning, with a focus on enhancing teaching quality, establishing effective organisational policies and/or strategies for supporting and promoting others (e.g. through mentoring, coaching) and championing an integrated approach to academic practice. She has more than 25 years of experience in the higher education environment gaining expertise in teaching and assessment (internally and externally) at under- and postgraduate levels; programme and course coordination; quality assurance, curriculum development and reform; student recruitment & selection and mentoring & pastoral care. Debbi originally qualified as a Dietitian and worked in the public sector in South Africa for 8 years. Thereafter she entered academia, at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, University of Aberdeen and is currently at the University of Warwick. As a Chair in Health Sciences Education, Debbi is committed to supporting and promoting innovative teaching, reflective practice and enhancing the student experience. Furthermore, Debbi is a post-doctoral researcher with a focus on Pedagogical and Public Health Nutrition research. She has a proven track record in successfully supervising postgraduate student research (PhD and Masters level) and experience of writing research proposals and securing external funding as part of collaborative teams. Debbi has excellent communication skills as evidenced by her publications, reviewer role and international, national and public engagement presentations in educational, nutrition and public health disciplines.

  • Marais, Debbi, 2015. Employability skills for masters students. Kneale, Pauline E. (ed.), Masters level teaching, learning and assessment : issues in design and delivery, London ; New York, Palgrave Macmillan