Rachel van Duyvenbode

Professor Rachel van Duyvenbode serves as Professor of Education and the Humanities at the University of Sheffield's School of English. An award-winning educator and national leader in inclusive pedagogy, she holds a National Teaching Fellowship (2020) and multiple Senate Awards for Excellence in Teaching. Her career spans two decades of advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion through innovative educational frameworks and sector-leading initiatives.

Her academic foundation includes undergraduate studies in American Studies (1996) and a PhD on representations of white women in African American women's literature (2004) at Sheffield, supplemented by prestigious opportunities at Cornell University's School of Criticism and Theory (2003) and the Salzburg Seminar (2003). She also holds ILM Level 7 certification as an executive coach-mentor (EMCC).

• Undergraduate: American Studies, University of Sheffield (1996)
• PhD: University of Sheffield (2004)
• School of Criticism and Theory Fellowship, Cornell University (2003)
• Salzburg Seminar Fellowship (2003)
• ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching Certification (EMCC)

Van Duyvenbode's research trajectory evolved from critical analysis of American and African American literature to pioneering work in inclusive higher education. Her early scholarship examined race, gender, and miscegenation in literary representations, while recent work focuses on experiential pedagogy for EDI transformation. She bridges literary theory with practical applications through frameworks like the Sheffield SEED Project, which applies critical race theory to staff development and curriculum design.

Her publications reveal a strategic shift from literary criticism (2001-2008) toward actionable EDI methodologies (2015-2020), demonstrating consistent engagement with social justice. The most recent works analyze vulnerability in teaching, inclusive curriculum development, and systemic equity interventions, reflecting her commitment to translating academic theory into institutional change.

Key recognitions include:

• National Teaching Fellow (2020)
• Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching (2014-2015)
• Senate Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (2016)

As a supervisor, van Duyvenbode has guided PhD completions on topics including antiblackness in higher education and race narratives in Hong Kong fiction. She pioneered five fully-funded student internships addressing racial justice through projects on transatlantic slavery history, decolonizing curricula, international student belonging, and antiracist classroom development. Her collaborative approach extends to co-teaching initiatives and founding the Students' Union #readingfordiversity campaign.

She founded the Sheffield SEED Project (2015), an innovative EDI staff development programme recognized by Advance HE and HEFCE, and served as inaugural Faculty Director of EDI for Arts & Humanities (2018-2022). In this role, she designed the faculty's EDI strategy, launched the university's first student Race Equality training, and led decolonizing curriculum initiatives with student interns. She also applies her executive coaching expertise as an equity coach for institutional transformation.