Dr Isabelle McNeill has been awarded a 2025 Pilkington Prize for her “creative, critically vibrant and exemplary contributions to French and to Film & Screen in MMLL.”
Dr McNeill has been posthumously commended for her invaluable contributions to teaching practices and curriculum development in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics (MMLL), and for her exceptional teaching and support of her students. In particular, Dr McNeill spearheaded “inclusivity and the diversification of materials and approaches” and has been repeatedly “singled out by students for her exceptional teaching”. In 2021, Dr McNeill was highly commended for student support in the CUSU teaching awards. Her students have excelled at all levels, from prize-winning undergraduates to PhD students producing highly original research.
Alongside her unwavering support of students and their continued development, Dr McNeill has been praised for her “innovative and transformational” pedagogical approach, describing her seminar series Tactis and Practice as “an outstanding model of creative, inclusive practice”.
Dr McNeill was a gifted teacher and committed tutor who passed away on 21 February 2025. Her dedication to excellence leaves an enduring legacy that continues to inspire her students, colleagues and the wider community.
The Pilkington Prize awards were endowed and inaugurated in 1994 by Sir Alastair Pilkington to acknowledge excellence in teaching. The prizes are awarded to individuals who make a substantial contribution to the teaching programme of a Department, Faculty or the University as a whole. Twelve prizes of £1000 are awarded each year, with nominations made by each of the six Schools. The prizes are awarded annually by the Vice-Chancellor.
