Dr Elena Balcaite and Dr Kathryn Coleman awarded 2026 GEM Scott Teaching Fellowships

Dr Elena Balcaite and Dr Kathryn Coleman have been awarded the 2026 University of Melbourne GEM Scott Teaching Fellowships for excellence in educational scholarship and practice.

The annually awarded fellowships reflect the University's Strategy 2030 commitment to exceptional education, recognising emerging leaders who are undertaking significant teaching and learning projects that demonstrate excellence in their field of educational scholarship and practice.

The fellowships honour the legacy of medical practitioner George Ernest Mueller Scott. Each fellowship is awarded up to $70,000 for the project.

Dr Elena Balcaite from the Faculty of Arts received the fellowship for the project ‘A Durable Curriculum for Uncertain Futures: Realising the Real-World Value of the Melbourne Curriculum’.

Dr Kathryn Coleman from the Faculty of Education received the fellowship for the project ‘Designing assessment for uncertain futures: Micro-credentials, capability, and the GenAI shift’.

“We are committed to exceptional education and the GEM Scott Teaching Fellowships support this through innovation in educational practice. This year these projects will be critical in preparing our students for the future through assessment transformation and curriculum innovation.” said Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Gregor Kennedy.

The projects undertaken by the GEM Scott Teaching Fellows are of strategic significance and the Fellows themselves will act as leaders and mentors in teaching and learning at the University.

The impact of previous Fellowships continues across the University, with research from Dr Eduardo Oliveira’s Fellowship shaping how we build GenAI capability in higher education and supporting staff and students to navigate rapidly evolving learning environments.