WELS news

Portrait photograph of Professor Mimi Tatlow-Golden. She is wearing glasses and looking directly at the camera. Behind her you can see the OU buildings

Mimi Tatlow-Golden promoted to Professor

Dr Mimi Tatlow-Golden has been promoted to Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies of Childhood and Youth. Her research centres on issues of contemporary consequence for childhood and youth, examining the self, schooling, food, and fun.

5th January 2024

Portrait photograph of Professor Erica Borgstrom. She is looking at the camera in a garden setting, and she is smiling,

New Professor of Medical Anthropology

Dr Erica Borgstrom has been promoted to Professor of Medical Anthropology, within the OU’s Faculty of WELS. Erica’s specialist area in research and teaching is death and dying, with an emphasis on end-of-life care. She is the lead for the interdisciplinary Open Thanatology research group, which educates on death and dying.

20th December 2023

Dr Janice Gorlach is pictured holding her MBE. She is dressed smartly in navy blue and is wearing a hat.

WELS alumna recognised for services to education

Dr Janice Gorlach, OU alumna, has recently received an MBE for her services to education and the positive impact her work has had on children’s lives.

19th December 2023

A woman writing in a notebook with a laptop beside her

New policy briefs and papers series

The Centre for the Study of Global Development (CSGD) has launched a policy brief and positioning and research papers series to profile the Centre’s work in global development and human wellbeing.

7th December 2023

Three women sit at a table, they are all watching a mobile phone intently.

Trainer in Your Pocket selected as one of the top 15 EdTech innovations in Bangladesh

Trainer in Your Pocket, an initiative from the OU’s Centre for the Study of Global Development, has been selected as one of the top 15 EdTech innovations in Bangladesh. Since the initiative's launch, over 54,000 teachers have used Trainer in Your Pocket to improve children’s learning, reaching 7.4 million students in Bangladesh.

5th December 2023

New report highlights ways to improve sexuality education for refugee youth in Western Uganda

Refugee youth in Western Uganda are at a high risk of poor sexual and reproductive health, with little access to formal sexuality education.

30th November 2023

Chris Packham stares into the camera. His hands are clasped beneath his chin, he is in a wooded area.

‘Inside Our Autistic Minds’ wins at Grierson Awards

'Inside Our Autistic Minds', An Open University/BBC co-production, supported by academics from the OU’s Faculty of WELS has been honoured at the prestigious Grierson Awards, which recognise innovative and exciting documentary films.

24th November 2023

Jane stands outside Windsor Castle. She's dressed very smartly and is displaying her MBE in its presentation case.

WELS alumna receives MBE

OU alumna Jane Green recently received her MBE, awarded for her work as founder of SEDSConnective, a volunteer and user-led neurodivergent and symptomatic hypermobility health charity.

23rd November 2023

The backdrop at an awards ceremony shows a slide. Copy reads: ICDE Awards Honorary Membership to Alan Tait, with a photo of Alan in the centre

Emeritus Professor recognised for contribution to distance education

Professor Emeritus Alan Tait, former Pro-Vice Chancellor of The Open University, has been awarded Honorary Lifetime Membership of the ICDE (International Council for Open and Distance Education), one of only 13 honorary memberships granted during the organisation’s 85-year history.

23rd November 2023