Professor Neil Williams

Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education
Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry
Penrhyn Road

Professor of Higher Education Pedagogy

[email protected]

ORCID

About

I am a professor of Chemistry Higher Education Pedagogy and was Associate Dean (Education) for the Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education (2022-2025). Previously, I was interim Associate Dean (Education) (2021-22) and Director of Undergraduate Studies (2016-2021) in the Faculty of Science Engineering and Computing. I have a long-standing commitment to supporting the widening participation, retention and attainment of students from under-represented backgrounds in the chemical sciences and, more broadly, across STEM. A key recent focus has been on developing socially just and inclusive curricula, including decolonisation of the science curriculum. Key achievements have been the following:

Improved student outcomes by adopting student-centred teaching methods like project-based learning and flipped classrooms.
Supporting STEM academics across the UK in adopting inclusive and socially just curricula.
Establishing with other UK colleagues the National Horizons in STEM Higher Education conference programme to promote SoTL in STEM and help enhance the student experience.
Developing two major student-staff research partnership schemes: a Faculty Summer Undergraduate Research Internship scheme to enhance STEM research skills and a Student Academic Development Research Associate Scheme (SADRAS) focused on pedagogic research.

This work has been recognised by the National Teaching Fellowship (2023), KU Inclusive Curriculum Bursary (2021), Learning Science Teaching Innovation award (2020), Advanced HE Good Practice Grant (2020) and Principal Fellowship of the Education Academy (2018).

I obtained my PhD in surface organometallic chemistry under the supervision of Professor John Evans from the University of Southampton in 1992. Subsequently, I did post-doctoral research in inorganic chemistry and surface chemistry at the National Institute for Materials and Chemical Research, Japan, the University of Sussex, and the University of East Anglia. After a period at the University of Central Lancashire, I joined Kingston University in 1999.

Qualifications

2018 Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
2001 Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Kingston University
1993 PhD An In Situ Spectroscopic Investigation of Titania-Supported Rhodium and Ruthenium Organometallics, University of Southampton
1989 BSc (Hons) Chemistry, First Class, University of Southampton

Domains

Much of my teaching and work with colleagues focus on improving the retention, progression, and attainment of students from underrepresented and diverse backgrounds. I have instigated a range of schemes to support this aim, such as our Support for Academic Progression Programme, Summer Undergraduate Research Internships, and the Student Academic Development Research Associate Scheme. Integral to a range of my initiatives has been an evaluation of the impact of the projects on awarding gaps and graduate outcomes.

My teaching philosophy and practice are based on a constructivist theoretical framework focused on developing and using Active Learning methods. These approaches align closely with my focus on addressing award gaps; research has shown that they favour all students, but students from under-represented backgrounds benefit the most. In 2005, I was an early adopter of a blended learning/Flipped classroom approach to teaching inorganic chemistry. The positive impact and student satisfaction and outcomes have been published. This approach is still used in the Chemistry degree programme, and I have supported other staff across the faculty to implement such an approach, most recently in the revalidation of engineering degree programmes in 2018.

More recently, informed by the university's inclusive curriculum framework, I replaced a lecture series in a first-year chemistry module with a Project-Based Learning approach, where students are encouraged to co-create the curriculum. In addition, I provided a range of online resources to support students' laboratory practical skills and developed smart worksheets to help students in their laboratory assessments. This improved average module marks and helped close a module awarding gap. The work was recognised by a Learning Science Teaching Innovation Award in 2020.

A current learning and teaching interest is promoting discussions on "decolonising the science curriculum" across the UK through the work of the Creative Curriculum Collective based in Bristol. Since 2020, I have helped facilitate discussions and share some of my work on the topic at the Universities of Leeds, Keele, Bristol, Edinburgh Napier, Warwick, Aberdeen, King's College London, St Andrews and Exeter, as well as an Advance HE LTHE chat. In addition, since 2020, I have given seminars at Universities of Central Lancashire, Liverpool, York, Edinburgh, Dundee, Sussex, Newcastle and UCL on inclusive curricula for Chemistry. I successfully gained an Advance HE Good Practice Grant to develop materials to support this CPD, available on the AdvanceHE website.

I have taken a learning-teaching pathway in my career, and I aim to do as much as I can to develop pedagogic practices in other STEM staff both within my institution and beyond. I have achieved this by supporting them to experiment with their teaching and assessment based on evidence-informed practice.

Qualifications

Active learning
Inclusive curricula and decolonising the science curriculum
Student staff partnership schemes

Courses taught

Publications

Bioepoxy matrices reinforced with wheat straw-derived nanobiochar (NBC) or cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)

Grant, Che L., Williams, Neil A., Koutsonas, Spyridon, Turner, Matthew, Shahidi, Ebby and Hadavinia, Homayoun, 2026, Cellulose, E-pub ahead of print

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Natural fibre and carbonaceous filler-reinforced polymer composites: interphase engineering, modelling, and sustainability - A review

Grant, Ché L., Hadavinia, Homayoun, Williams, Neil A. and Koutsonas, Spyridon, 2026, Polymers and Polymer Composites (34), Published

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Calculation of interphase elastic properties of esterified cellulose nanocrystal/epoxy bio-nanocomposites using analytical and finite element methods

Grant, Ché L., Hadavinia, Homayoun, Williams, Neil A. and Koutsonas, Spyridon, 2025, Science Progress (108), 1, Published

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From the scholarship of teaching and learning to the scholarly institution: a STEM perspective

Collins, Trevor, Butler, Diane, Gretton, Sarah and Williams, Neil, 2025, Teaching and Learning Inquiry (13), Published

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Performance of polyurethane and polyurethane nanocomposites modified by graphene, carbon nanotubes, and fumed silica in dry and wet environments

Zweiri, Feras, Williams, Neil A. and Hadavinia, Homayoun, 2024, Polymers and Polymer Composites (32), Published

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Graphene/sol-gel modified polyurethane coating for wind turbine blade leading edge protection: properties and performance

Dashtkar, Arash, Johansen, Nicolai Frost Jensen, Mishnaevsky, Leon, Williams, Neil A., Hasan, Shadi W., Wadi, Vijay S., Silvello, Alessio and Hadavinia, Homayoun, 2022, Polymers and Polymer Composites (30), Published

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Using an inclusive curriculum framework to address an awarding gap in a first-year chemistry module

Williams, Neil A., 2022, Journal of Chemical Education (99), 1 pp 171-176, Published

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An investigation of students' views on decolonising the science curriculum

Williams, Neil Anthony and Benjamin, Audrey, 2022, Compass: Journal of Learning and Teaching (15), 1, Published

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Nanoengineered graphene-reinforced coating for leading edge protection of wind turbine blades

Johansen, Nicolai Frost Jensen, Mishnaevsky, Leon, Dashtkar, Arash, Williams, Neil A., Fæster, Søren, Silvello, Alessio, Cano, Irene Garcia and Hadavinia, Homayoun, 2021, Coatings (11), 9, Published

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Quantifying damping coefficient and attenuation at different frequencies for graphene modified polyurethane by drop ball test

Dashtkar, Arash, Hadavinia, Homayoun, Barros-Rodriguez, Jose, Williams, Neil A., Turner, Matthew and Vahid, Samireh, 2021, Polymer Testing (100), Published

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Rain erosion-resistant coatings for wind turbine blades: a review

Dashtkar, Arash, Hadavinia, Homayoun, Sahinkaya, M. Necip, Williams, Neil A., Vahid, Samireh, Ismail, Fanya and Turner, Matthew, 2019, Polymers and Polymer Composites (27), 8 pp 443-475, Published

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An evaluation of a STEM summer undergraduate research internship scheme: student-perceived learning gains

Williams, Neil, Hussain, Humma, Manojkumar, Pinali and Thapa, Asim, 2016, New Directions in the Teaching of Physical Sciences (11), 1, Published

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The synthesis and characterisation of immobilised palladium carbene complexes and their application to heterogeneous catalysis

Tyrrell, Elizabeth, Whiteman, Leon and Williams, Neil, 2011, Journal of Organometallic Chemistry (696), 22 pp 3465-3472, Published

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Synthesis of Silver (I) Complexes of Iminoalkyl Functionalised N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

Williams, Neil, Merzouk, Mahboub and Hitchcock, Peter B, 2010, International Journal of Inorganic Chemistry (2010) pp 1-5, Published

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A comparative evaluation of fluoridated and non-fluoridated mouthrinses using a 5-day cycling enamel erosion model

Venasakulchai, Anan, Williams, Neil A., Gracia, Louise H. and Rees, Gareth D., 2010, Journal of Dentistry (38), Suppleme, Published

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Sonogashira Cross-Coupling Reactions and Construction of the Indole Ring System Using a Robust, Silica-Supported Palladium Catalyst

Tyrrell, Elizabeth, Whiteman, Leon and Williams, Neil, 2009, Synthesis (2009), 5 pp 829-835, Published

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Synthesis of amidoalkyl imidazol-2-ylidene ligands and their application to enantioselective copper-catalysed conjugate addition

Moore, Theo, Merzouk, Mahboub and Williams, Neil, 2008, Synlett (2008), 1 pp 21-24, Published

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Improving student achievement and satisfaction by adopting a blended learning approach to inorganic chemistry

Williams, Neil A., Bland, Will and Christie, Gillian, 2008, Chemistry Education Research and Practice (9), 1 pp 43-50, Published

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A study into asymmetric Nicholas cyclisation reactions

Tyrrell, Elizabeth, Millet, Julien, Tesfa, Kibur Hunie, Williams, Neil, Mann, Alastair, Tillett, Caroline and Muller, Christophe, 2007, Tetrahedron (63), 51 pp 12769-12778, Published

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Synthesis of chiral iminoalkyl functionalised N-heterocyclic carbenes and their use in asymmetric catalysis

Merzouk, Mahboub, Moore, Theo and Williams, Neil A., 2007, Tetrahedron Letters (48), 50 pp 8914-8917, Published

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Palladium or platinum complex catalysed reactions of carbonyl and imine compounds with disilanes

Williams, Neil A., Uchimaru, Yuko and Tanaka, Masato, 2003, Dalton Transactions (24), 2 pp 236-243, Published

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A reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) investigation of the low-temperature heterogenous hydrolysis of bromine nitrate

Gane, Matt P., Williams, Neil A. and Sodeau, John R., 2001, Journal of Physical Chemistry A (105), 16 pp 4002-4009, Published

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An ab initio and experimental study of bromine on low-temperature water clusters and ice surfaces

Ramondo, Fabio, Sodeau, John R., Roddis, Tristan B. and Williams, Neil A., 2000, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (2), 10 pp 2309-2318, Published

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Mechanism of the heterogenous reaction of hydrogen chloride with chlorine nitrate and hypochlorous acid on water ice

Horn, Andrew B., Sodeau, John R., Roddis, Tristan B. and Williams, Neil A., 1998, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part A : Molecules, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment and General Theory (102), 30 pp 6107-6120, Published

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Low temperature reaction of chlorine nitrate with water ice: Formation of molecular nitric acid

Horn, Andrew B., Sodeau, John R., Roddis, Tristan B. and Williams, Neil A., 1998, Journal of the Chemical Society - Faraday Transactions (94), 12 pp 1721-1724, Published

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Reflection-absorption IR spectroscopic investigation of the photolysis of thin films of dichlorine monoxide and chlorine dioxide

Gane, Matt P., Williams, Neil A. and Sodeau, John R., 1997, Journal of the Chemical Society - Faraday Transactions (93), 16 pp 2747-2754, Published

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Platinum catalysed regioselective ortho-silylation of benzylideneamines via intramolecular C-H activation

Williams, Neil, Tanaka, Masato and Uchimaru, Yuko, 1995, Journal of the Chemical Society D: Chemical Communications (11) pp 1129-1130, Published

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Effect of the interphase properties and elastic modulus of acetyl grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)/epoxy on bio-composite performance

Grant, Che, Williams, Neil, Koutsonas, Spyridon, Turner, Matthew and Hadavinia, Homayoun(2025). [Published]

Professor Neil Williams

About

Qualifications

Domains

Teaching and learning

Research

Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

Leadership and management

Publications

Articles

Book Sections/Chapters

Conference Items

Gallery of work

National Teaching Fellowship award ceremony 2023

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