About
Elise Ruffell is an experienced lecturer and course leader at the Royal College of Art specializing in creative education, art and design, and mathematics within Higher and Further Education. She joined the RCA in 2020 and serves as a tutor and unit lead on the MEd Creative Education program, as well as co-leading the PGCert in Creative Education for RCA staff. Additionally, she leads the Teaching Fellowship Scheme, supporting staff to achieve HEA Fellowships.
Elise holds an MA in Ceramics & Glass from the RCA, a BA (Hons) in Ceramic Design from Central St Martins, a BSc (Hons) in Statistical Science with Information Technology from the University of Exeter, and a Certificate in Education from the University of Plymouth.
Her research focuses on the intersection of creative education and mathematics. Currently, she contributes to a cross-institutional research project examining the impact of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education and Teaching Fellowship Scheme on staff and institutions. Previously, she researched "Embedding Maths in Creative Teaching" and has written on repurposing found objects as tools within ceramics and craft practice.
Elise is also an accomplished artist specializing in ceramics, glass, and printmaking. She combines her mathematical background with her love of color to create vibrant geometric forms in parian clay. Her preferred printmaking technique is monoprinting, where she utilizes found objects as surfaces for printing.
Her notable awards include:
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Elise has exhibited her work extensively, with recent exhibitions including "inDivisible" (2024, 2023), "The Power of Material" at the Design Museum (2021), and "24:4" at Wetherby Gardens (2020). Her work has been featured in publications such as Country Living Magazine, Emerging Potters Magazine, and Design Arts Magazine.
She has also collaborated externally, notably devising and running a CPD course for FE and HE lecturers on "Embedding Maths in Creative Teaching" for the University of the Arts London Awarding Body from 2014 to 2021.
