Dr Meriel FitzPatrick

Personal Tutor for Stage 0 and 1 students and Project Advisor for Stage 4 dissertations.

Stage Tutor for the BSc Geology with Foundation Year 

Module Leader for GLY007 (Fundamentals of Geoscience) and GEOL1006 

Tutorial Co-ordinator for Stage 1 tutorials in Earth Sciences (2015 to date)

Peer Assisted Learning Scheme (PALS) Co-ordinator for Earth Sciences.

Senior Tutor for SoGEES. 

Member of the following committees:  SoGEES Teaching and Learning Committee (2017 to date); 

                               SoGEES Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee (2019 to date)

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Qualifications

Postgraduate Certificate in Learning & Teaching in Higher Education, University of Plymouth 2009

Ph.D. in Geology , University of Plymouth, 1992. "Turonian dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from southern England."

M.Sc. in Palynology University of Sheffield, 1988. "A study of Lower Cretaceous palynomorphs from the Porcupine Basin, offshore western Ireland."

B.A. Mod.(Hons) Natural Sciences (Geology) Trinity College Dublin, 1986

Teaching interests

I am involved primarily with the planning and delivering of tutorials for 1st and 2nd year geoscience students. The tutorials concentrate on general skills (e.g.finding information, summarising data, writing essays, making presentations etc.) which the students need for their university career. I also introduce and follow up the development of a PDP in the tutorials. 

I have extensive teaching experience at undergraduate level in various aspects of geology. This has involved the preparation and presentation of lectures and practical classes in stratigraphy, palaeontology, palynology and sedimentology.  I also lead and assist in the running of residential field-trips and local day trips for Stage 0,1 and 2 geoscience students. I have advised on final year students’ projects where my expertise has been appropriate. My main role recently has been to plan and deliver tutorial modules for Stage 1 and 2 geoscience students, developing students’ skills and learning strategies for university. I am Module Leader for four of these modules, being responsible for the smooth running, delivery and administration of them. I really enjoy engaging with the students and building up a rapport with them. I am active in helping the University with its outreach activities, running workshops/lectures for schools and have organised displays and exhibits for various events, more recently running workshops and a fieldtrip for Girls into Geoscience. Working with the next generation of scientists is very rewarding and I hope to inspire at least some of them.

Research interests

In recent years I have become interested in how students learn and have been active in developing mobile support for students in the field. This has resulted in contributions to conferences through talks and a field workshop. These methods are currently being developed for other field sites. Whilst my Ph.D. concentrated on a study of Cretaceous dinoflagellate cysts, my research has also investigated Quaternary assemblages. I am still interested in various aspects of palynology, particularly the application of palynological methods to elucidate palaeoenvironmental conditions. 

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