Last year we asked you to nominate women who have made a significant contribution to teaching, learning or research, so that we could rename the Teaching and Learning Building in their honour.

We received over 100 nominations, which we have now been shortlisted:

• Meena Alexander, award-winning poet and scholar
• Helena Brownsword Dowson, magistrate, councillor, and champion of women’s suffrage and education
• Monica Partridge, the University of Nottingham’s first woman professor

Who would you like the Teaching and Learning Building to be named after? Vote now

The building will be named after the woman with the most votes. The runners up will have rooms within the building named after them, and the long list will now be put forward for future building names on campus.

Meena Alexander

Meena Alexander (1951-2018) was a multi award-winning poet and scholar. Born in India, she moved to Sudan with her family, and then to England where she began a PhD in Romantic Literature at the University of Nottingham. She completed her PhD aged 22 with a dissertation that she would later develop and publish as 'The Poetic Self'. After her studies, Meena taught at universities in India and the United States. She became a globally-renowned writer and gained many awards for her published works, which included a number of essays, eight books of poetry and two novels.

Helena Brownsword Dowson

Helena Brownsword Dowson (1866-1964) was an early 20th century educationalist, member of the Council of University College Nottingham and champion of women’s education who dedicated her life to fighting for girls to have the same educational and employment opportunities as boys.

In 1896 Helena became Secretary of the Nottingham Women’s Suffrage Society. She was also a member of the national Executive Committee, and was one of the first two women in Nottingham to become magistrates - serving in this role from 1920 to 1950. She was also the first woman to become a Nottingham City Councillor, elected in 1920 to represent The Meadows.

Monica Partridge

Monica Partridge (1915-2008) was the University of Nottingham’s first woman professor and a leader in Slavonic and European studies.

Professor Partridge read French at University College, Nottingham, before becoming interested in Russian during World War II. She joined Nottingham University College’s Department of Slavonic Languages as a tutorial assistant in 1947 and became an Assistant Lecturer in 1967. She established close links with universities in Slovenia and Croatia, paving the way for Nottingham students to study in Ljubljana and Zagreb.

She retired in 1980 and was made an Emeritus Professor of The University of Nottingham. In the same year her achievements were recognised internationally, with the Order of the Yugoslav Flag with a Gold Star for her promotion of Yugoslav studies in Britain. Monica died in 2008, leaving a generous legacy to the department in her will. The Partridge Bequest Fund continues to support students and staff in activities that enable contact with Russia and the Slavonic world.