Research and Impact Director of The Brilliant Club, Dr Lauren Bellaera, has received a Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award to enable her to undertake research at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell on one of the most well-regarded and impactful scholarship programmes in the world.
As a participant, Lauren has been selected to carry out an educational research project. Lauren’s project will examine the critical thinking skills that are prioritised in higher education, and the learning strategies that are most beneficial for promoting these skills in university students.
As part of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar programme, the Scholar Awards provide the only scholarships available to academics and other professionals for lecturing and/or research in any discipline at any accredited US university. The Awards form part of the US-UK Fulbright Commission’s work to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange.
Commenting on receiving the Award, Lauren said: “this is a wonderful opportunity for me to carry out research with leading academics in my field. As a Fulbright Scholar, I will build networks and collaborate with US educational academics and practitioners to better understand how critical thinking can be developed in higher education. This work will enable me to disseminate evidence-based learning strategies to teachers, students, and other educators globally through my own applied research role and that of my host, Dr Yana Weinstein (see, AccessEd, The Brilliant Club, The Learning Scientists).”
Dr Chris Wilson, CEO, The Brilliant Club said:
“The need to adequately prepare young people with the skills they need to access and succeed in higher education has never been clearer. Dr Bellaera’s research will have a direct impact on our programmes at The Brilliant Club and the 12,000 young people we work with every year. As a charity that puts research and researchers at the heart of everything we do, we’re delighted that Lauren has been recognised with this prestigious international award.”