Department of
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
 

Image of Leah Ridgway

Leah Ridgway

Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering

Contact

Biography

Faculty of Engineering Advisor - Postgraduate Certificate of Higher Education (PGCHE)

Leah was a 4 year old who knew what an axle was and wanted to be an engineer from a very young age! After completing an MEng and then a PhD in Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham, they went to teach the subject at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China for a semester.

Upon returning to the UK Leah taught for 3 years at the University of Liverpool in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics and took on the role of Head of Year 1. This included induction and pastoral care and taking a latitudinal view of the degree programmes in the Department. During their time in Liverpool Leah reviewed and updated the Year 1 laboratory curriculum and revitalized the Year 1 Robot Race by involving Departmental Alumni.

Leah founded the EEE School Outreach Team in 2012 which included current students supporting outreach and widening participation activities both off and on campus and also in recruitment events.

In 2014 they returned to the University of Nottingham to join the Department of Foundation Engineering and Physical Sciences - with a specialism in the electrical and electronic engineering areas. Working as part of a small interdisciplinary team, Leah learnt a lot about how to engage students with a subject that is not their main area of interest - teaching a group of Mechanical Engineering minded students about why electrical systems are important was a great challenge! Highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of modern engineering is a key theme in their teaching. Leah took the role of Director of Admissions for the Department for two of three years in the Department and is proud of the rise in applications and acceptances from students from non-traditional university backgrounds in response to more flexible admissions policies they introduced.

As of 2017 Leah has returned to the Department they were a student within many years ago and is based within the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. They work with students from all year groups on the electronics side of the discipline with final year projects in intuitive control of electronic devices - the glove controlled 3D printed hand being one of the most popular and visible around the Department.

Expertise Summary

Faculty Director of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion 2016 - 2021 nottingham.ac.uk/engineering/edi

I specialize in teaching engineering well (engineering education) outreach with schools, widening participating and working to increase the numbers of traditionally under represented people in STEM (science, technology, engineering & maths). I have a strong interest in gender roles in engineering (and breaking them) and have experience as part of the Athena SWAN initiative which works to move towards gender equality in universities.

Teaching Summary

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2020 - 2021):

EEEE 1041 - Contemporary Engineering Themes A. Theme 1 - Sustainability

EEEE 2044 - Electronic Processing and Communications

EEEE 3099 / EEEE 3100 - Professional Studies A/B

EEEE 4109 - MEng Group Project

EEEE 3001 / EEEE 4008 - Third Year Project / Industrially Orientated Project - human-machine interaction themes

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2019 - 2020):

  • EEEE 2046 - Practical Engineering Design Solutions and Project Development - Electronics Project
  • EEEE 2044 - Electronic Processing and Communications
  • EEEE 3099 / EEEE 3100 - Professional Studies A/B
  • EEEE 3001 / EEEE 4008 - Third Year Project / Industrially Orientated Project - human-machine interaction themes

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2018 - 2019):

  • H61AEE - Applied Electrical and Electronic Engineering: Construction Project
  • H62PEP - Practical Engineering Design Solutions and Project Development (Electronics Project Lead)
  • H62EPC - Electronic Processing and Communications
  • H63EFP/H63EFR - Professional Studies A/B
  • H64GRP - MEng Group Project
  • H63PRJ/H64IOP - Final Year Project/Industrially Orientated Project - human-machine interaction themes.

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2017 - 2018):

  • H61AEE - Applied Electrical and Electronic Engineering: Construction Project
  • H62EPC - Electronic Processing and Communications
  • H64GRP - MEng Group Project
  • H63PRJ/H64IOP - Final Year Project/Industrially Orientated Project - human-machine interaction themes

Department of Foundation Engineering and Physical Sciences (2014 - 2017):

  • H10EMA - Electricity and Magnetism
  • H10EMB - Electrical Circuit Principles
  • H10ESS - Study Skills

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

The University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD


telephone: +44 (0) 115 95 14081