IBILTA26 Awards
Excellence in Teaching (Early Career)
Awarded to:
Dr. Nyasha Dzenga, University of Montana Western, United States
Dr. Dzenga is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Montana Western in the United States. Her work touches on how faculty can successfully integrate major research projects with full-time teaching in an intensive 18-day block model, demonstrating how strategic planning, time and energy management, perseverance, and student collaboration can make research directly relevant to classroom practice while supporting professional growth.
Excellence in Teaching
Awarded to:
Dr. Gayathri Rajaraman, Victoria University, Australia
Dr. Rajaraman is a Senior Lecturer, teaching and research academic at Victoria University in Australia. She is also a foundation member of the First Year College and holds a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education from Victoria University. Her work entails how higher education can redesign assessment for the GenAI era while preserving academic integrity, equity, and student well-being through evidence-based, inclusive, and data-informed approaches, while keeping student welfare in mind.
Excellence in Teaching
Awarded to:
Dr. Ali Reza Alaei and Dr. Reza Ghanbarzadeh, Southern Cross University, Australia
Dr. Alaei is a senior lecturer of Information Technology and Computer Science at Southern Cross University in Australia. Dr. Ghanbarzadeh is a senior lecturer at the School of Business and Tourism at Southern Cross University. The winners’ work evolves around reconceptualising block delivery as a pedagogical amplifier, showing that improvements in student success, GPA and satisfaction are contingent upon curriculum alignment, teaching quality and assessment design rather than compressed timeframes alone.
Excellence in Pedagogical Research
Awarded to:
Associate Professor Amanda Muscat, Victoria University, Australia
Dr. Muscat is a Senior Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education and Course Chair for the Master of Teaching (Primary) at Victoria University in Australia, and a Research Fellow with the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities (ISILC). Her work encompasses qualitative research of the VU Block Model across three disciplines, which found that deliberate scaffolding, purposeful sequencing, teacher presence, clear learning intentions, and formative feedback support student engagement and learning, while compressed delivery and diverse cohorts present key teaching challenges.
Congratulations to you all. IBILTA recognises your commitment to excellence and passion for education.
IBILTA25 Awards
Congratulations to our outstanding IBILTA25 award winners!
At our IBILTA25 conference dinner, we celebrated and recognised some outstanding individuals for their contributions in block teaching and research. We are delighted to publicly announce the recipients of the International Block and Intensive Learning and Teaching Association 2025 Awards:
Excellence in Teaching (Early Career)
Awarded to:
Gabrielle La Forest, Southern Cross University
Excellence in Teaching
Awarded to:
Reilly Anne Dempsey Willis, University of Suffolk
Excellence in Excellence in Curriculum Design
Awarded to:
Dr Christina Siyu Tao, Senior Lecturer in Law, Victoria University; Pam Christou, WIL Coordinator, Victoria University
Excellence in Pedagogical Research
Awarded to:
Associate Professor john weldon, Victoria University, Professor Loretta Konjarski, Victoria University
Outstanding Contribution
Awarded to:
Associate Professor john weldon, Victoria University
IBILTA 2025 Research Poster Award
Awarded to:
Dr Carmen Maria Ortiz Granero and Alexandra Read, BA (Hons), MA, FHEA, University of Suffolk
Congratulations to you all! Your commitment to excellence and passion for education has made a remarkable difference, and we are proud to honour your contributions.
IBILTA24 Awards
Congratulations to our outstanding IBILTA24 award winners!
We are delighted to publicly announce the recipients of the International Block and Intensive Learning and Teaching Association 2024 Awards:
Excellence in Teaching (Early Career)
Awarded to:
Dr. Georgina Dimopoulos, Southern Cross University
Excellence in Teaching
Awarded to:
Kathleen Raponi, Victoria University
Excellence in Teaching (Programs that Enhance learning)
Awarded to:
Dr. Neil Fernandes, Victoria University
Dr. Melissah Thomas, Victoria University
Associate Professor john weldon, Victoria University
J Andrew Welsman, Wyndham Tech School
Sam Nikolsky, Wyndham Tech School
Jethro Pugh
Excellence in Pedagogical Research
Awarded to:
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Quality) Thomas Roche, Southern Cross University
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Innovation) Erica Wilson, Southern Cross University,
Dr Liz Goode and Dr John Mckenzie, Southern Cross University
IBILTA 2024 Research Poster Award
Awarded to:
Nguyen Thithao Trinh, Victoria University
Dr Amir Ghapanchi, Victoria University
Dr Afrooz Purarjomandlangrudi, Victoria University
Congratulations to you all! Your commitment to excellence and passion for education has made a remarkable difference, and we are proud to honour your contributions.