Nicholas Monk is the new director of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Transformative Teaching. He officially assumed the position Sept 1.

“I am excited to welcome Dr. Monk to Nebraska. His experience co-founding and leading teaching and learning centers at a research-intensive university like ours will serve him well in this role.” said Amy Goodburn, senior associate vice chancellor and dean of undergraduate education. “He is an innovative thinker with ambitions goals and a clear vision of how to achieve them. I am excited for the future of the center under his leadership.”

Monk was the recent director of the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning at the University of Warwick in England. He co-founded the institute in 2010, which is an interdisciplinary teaching and learning body created to innovate in practical ways in higher education. He is also the co-founder of Open-space Learning at Warwick, which seeks to empower students in the co-creation of knowledge with academics. His scholarly interests include interdisciplinary teaching and learning, student research, and international collaboration.

“I am passionate about teaching and student-focused learning and firmly believe in the university’s N150 mission that every person and every interaction matters,” Monk said. “I’m excited to lead the center’s dedicated and talented team of instructional designers and to help elevate Nebraska’s already strong commitment to student success.”

The Center for Transformative Teaching collaborates with educators across the university to promote inclusive, innovative, research-informed, and scholarly teaching for all learners. Monk will provide leadership for the center, lead a team of dedicated instructional design staff, and promote pedagogical and instructional design principles to support teachers in creating learning environments for student success.

Monk has been a Higher Education Academy teaching fellow and has received Warwick’s Butterworth Award for Teaching Excellence. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours in English literature from University of Reading, United Kingdom, and a Master of Arts in English literature from Rutgers University. He also earned a Master of Arts in English literature and his doctorate in English and comparative literature from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.

An official welcome for Monk and grand opening for the Center for Transformative Teaching will be held at the Fall Teaching and Learning Symposium on Oct. 25.