Daniel has earned prestigious national recognition for his work in guiding Teesside University chiropractic students as they navigate the transition towards their chosen healthcare profession.
The Senior Lecturer and Chiropractic course lead in the University’s School of Health & Life Sciences has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in acknowledgement of his contribution to excellence in teaching and learning.
Daniel, who is the first chiropractor to have received a National Teaching Fellowship, said: “I've been involved in education and training for many years, as an instructor in the military working with The Parachute Regiment, and as an affiliate medical tutor with the Football Association.
“I moved from clinical practice into higher education full-time in 2020 to develop and lead the chiropractic degree. I’ve enjoyed building partnerships with industry to benefit both higher education and our professional, community and industry partners.
“In pioneering a new structure for chiropractic education in the UK, the aim was to build on the symbiotic partnership between the profession and education, narrowing the gap between the two environments.”
Daniel, who has built an international profile as a musculoskeletal health educator and regularly speaks at events worldwide, said: “I’ve worked to position myself to be able to positively influence national strategies and standards in professional education, sitting on national and international committees linked to healthcare education.”
In 2021, in recognition of his services to education and the profession, Daniel was awarded the nationally prestigious British Chiropractic Association title of Chiropractor of the Year. He is also a member of the General Chiropractic Council's Education Committee, and the Education Task Force for The Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health (G-MUSC).
Daniel added: “I’ve always sought opportunities to develop excellence and exceptional practice and have published national policy frameworks for education, and regularly keynote at national and international events on topics related to learning and teaching and enhancing student success.
“I remain keen to share ideas and promote good practice as widely as possible, inspiring educators and students alike. It is a significant privilege to be awarded a National Teaching Fellowship, and I aim to continue to advocate for outstanding education as widely as possible.”
The National Teaching Fellowship scheme celebrates and recognises individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education.
Daniel is among 55 winners of the prestigious National Teaching Fellowship and Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE), which were announced this month by Advance HE.
Rosie Jones, Director of Student and Library Services at Teesside University, was also part of the CATE Playful Learning Association team which picked up a collaborative award for teaching excellence.
Alison Johns, Advance HE Chief Executive said: “Advance HE has the privilege of running these prestigious awards on behalf of the sector and we are extremely proud of the way these teams and individuals enhance the quality of teaching in higher education. “We know that higher education has the power to transform lives, but this doesn’t happen by default. Outstanding teaching is the result of knowledge, commitment, passion, energy and creativity. All of these 2024 winners demonstrate these attributes and put them into practice with excellent results.”