Poet Meredid joins Trinity

Renowned poet Mererid Hopwood will be joining the staff at Trinity University College in the New Year as part of the Associate Faculty team responsible for the AUR/Going for Gold programme launched last year.
Already 34 secondary schools have joined the scheme which provides opportunities for school pupils to study at university level.
Dr Hopwood shot to fame in 2001 as the first woman to win the Chair in the National Eisteddfod and since then she has won the Crown in 2003 and Literature medal in 2008.
Programme Director, Vaughan Salisbury said “I’m very pleased that Dr Mererid Hopwood has been appointed to the new Faculty. Dr Hopwood is a national personality who is renowned as an academic, teacher and poet and I look forward to her contribution and to collaborate with her to develop a stimulating and innovative programme for schools in south west Wales.”
The Scheme enables Year 12 and 13 pupils to study Level 4 modules in such areas as key skills as well as curriculum subjects in order to develop their abilities as well as bridge the gap between secondary school and university.
"We welcome Mererid to the staff at Trinity at a very exciting time in the University’s history,” said Vice Chancellor Dr Medwin Hughes.
“This is innovative scheme is the first in Wales and it underpins the University’s response to the Welsh Assembly Government’s Transforming Education agenda. In planning for the future, it is the intention of Trinity University College, in association with the University of Wales Lampeter, to provide a range of appropriate educational experiences for Year 12/13 pupils which, hopefully, will encourage them to continue with their studies in the future at a university of their choice. Mererid’s contribution will strengthen the team and I’m sure she will inspire young people to make the most of their abilities”.
"I very much look forward to joining the staff at Trinity University College and in particular to continue teaching pupils and students across a wide range of courses,“ added Dr Hopwood.
Mererid Hopwood was raised in Cardiff although her family hail from Pembrokeshire originally. After gaining a first class honours in Spanish and German from Aberystwyth University she complete her doctoral studies at University College London. She has been a university lecturer, modern languages tutor and worked for the Mid and West Wales Arts Council.
She become known in 2001 when she won the Chair in the National Eisteddfod in Denbighshire – the first woman to do so. She has since won the Crown in the National Eisteddfod in Meifod and Literature Medal in the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff in 2008. She is renowned as a poet, author and television presenter.
She lives in Carmarthen with her husband Martin and they have three children - Hannah, Miriam and Llewelyn.