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VC Awards winners announced 2021 – Bath Spa University
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Vice-Chancellor's Awards winners announced

Tuesday, 27 July, 2021

For the second time, Bath Spa University staff and students came together online for the Vice-Chancellor's Awards.

This annual ceremony recognises outstanding individual and team achievements across the University, and were broadcast via YouTube and Facebook Live on 24 June.

The VC Awards are run in partnership with the Students' Union, and each nomination is assessed by an awards panel comprising staff from across the University, Sabbatical Officers from the SU, and student representatives.

Presented by Vice-Chancellor Professor Sue Rigby and Students' Union President Emily Casey, the awards ceremony is now available to watch again, for anyone who was unable to tune in live.

You can also read the winners' responses below.

Award categories

Click on the categories below to read what the winners had to say.

Colleague of the Year

Academic: Charlie Berney

 

"I was both humbled and honoured to have been nominated by my peers for the Colleague of the Year award. Their comments were so lovely and appreciative and made me quite teary. It is, however, easy to be a good colleague when your colleagues are so wonderful! Thank you, BSU for these awards - they really do bring us all together."

Professional Services: Beth Humphries

 

"It was so nice to be shortlisted for the VC Awards in the Professional Service Colleague of the Year and Unsung Hero categories, and a lovely surprise to win both! I was so touched reading the lovely nominations and I wish I knew who they were all from so I could say a big thank you for all the kind words."

Manager of the Year

Academic: Polly Derbyshire

 

"I'm delighted to receive this award. It has been a great pleasure working with BSU London colleagues and welcoming them to Bath Spa University. The academic Team of the Year award for Bath Business School is also in recognition of our work with BSU London; this has been a huge team effort and I'm very proud to be part of it."

Professional Services: John Evered

 

"I have only been doing this job for two years, and feel I have made a real difference to not only the staff I manage but other departments and the students. My team won Team of the Year last year and where finalists this year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my staff, the staff that voted for me and the massive support I get from my managers. Thank you."

Unsung Heroes / Heroines

Academic: Tanvir Bush and Stuart Read

 

"We are delighted to have won this award for our work into inclusion for disabled people at BSU. Being a disabled person in academia can be a difficult and frustrating experience at times, but it is wonderful to see that our commitment to equality has been recognised. We hope that this award helps other disabled students and members of staff to recognise the power of our collective voice in promoting change."

Academic Achievement

Creative Industries: Lily Felipe

 

"I am humbled and very appreciative of being awarded, and I can not thank my amazing lecturers enough for their constant support and guidance."

Bath School of Design: Ayse Ozdemir

 

“I was so thrilled to have been awarded the VC Award for Academic Achievement for the School of Design. It’s been a challenging year in many regards, and I feel truly honoured to have gained this recognition for my efforts throughout my university experience - which I have so thoroughly enjoyed.”

School of Sciences: Sarah N'Guio

 

"It has been an honour to be a part of Bath Spa and ending with such high recognition from the institution that helped me grow into the powerful wise woman I am today is the best ending to an amazing adventure. Thank you all, I am forever grateful and will always remain #BathSpaProud."

School of Education: Kate Wilson

 

"I feel honoured to have been noted in this way, as it has similarly been a privilege to study my Masters at Bath Spa. I have been led and inspired by the most insightful tutors who have greatly contributed to my achievements. What I have learned has built upon both my academic knowledge but also, and most importantly, has enhanced my practice and the lives of the children I care for."

School of Humanities: Rachael Denning

 

"It was a lovely surprise when I found out that I had won a Vice-Chancellor's award; I feel honoured and I couldn't have done it without the support and guidance from all of my lecturers, family and friends. I have really enjoyed my time at Bath Spa so this was an exciting and rewarding way to end my degree and move onto the next chapter."

Bath Business School: Kirsty Soper

 

"I was so surprised to have been considered as I felt like I did nothing to deserve it. All I did was attend classes and finish coursework. After viewing the youtube video I know now how my course leader views me and I feel more confident in my career as a student. It's an honour to receive this award and to be recognised for my progress in university."

Student of the Year

Bath School of Design: Ali Al Amine

 

"My time at Bath Spa included some of the most wonderful, the strangest, and the most exciting moments in my life so far and it is a bittersweet feeling to see it come to an end. Though this nomination came as a bit of a surprise, I am immensely thankful for the opportunity to represent the School of Design. An opportunity that wouldn't have been a possibility had it not been for the supportive and tight-knit learning environment in my course, and specifically the tutors that have supported me over the past three years."

Bath School of Music and Performing Arts: Rosie Patton

 

"I’m absolutely honoured to have received this award in my final year of study, and so grateful to everybody who donated to the #SaveOurVenues campaign after seeing the Commercial Music cover of 'God Only Knows'".

School of Creative Sciences: Bethany Buckingham

 

"I am touched to have been named student of the year in my school. I am so pleased that my hard work has paid off."

 

School of Education: Elizabeth Figg

 

"Over the past three years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from some incredibly inspirational School of Education students and staff, all of whom deserve the recognition that I have received through this award. Without the support of those around me (including my family and friends), I would not have been able to thrive and advocate for others in the way that I have. I am incredibly grateful to have received this award, in what has been a memorable year... to say the least."

 

School of Humanities: Lucie Bloomfield

 

"Getting Student of the Year came as such a surprise and made the COVID-bound end of year much more exciting. With job applications looming it was really encouraging to receive this award as it made me feel that hard work pays off."

 

Bath Business School: Anna Savage

 

"I think I am still in shock at winning a VC Award! No one will know just how much it means to me that my hard work and determination to succeed in university was recognised. It was an honour to be selected and I will forever be proud of myself for putting in the hours to achieve it. I couldn't have done it without the support network of my lecturers and wonderful peers, especially through these trying times. Thank you so much!"

 

Impact

Academic Impact: Lauren Stone

 

“Receiving this award was such an honour, and to be recognised by the university for all of my hard work is extremely rewarding.”

Student Life Impact: Lauren Glasgow

 

“I was so grateful to receive a Vice-Chancellor’s award this year! I’ve really tried my best to ensure that Bath Spa is a place where people feel comfortable enough to speak up and talk. I have loved my three years at university and to know that I have positively impacted at least one person has truly made these three years of value. I hope that the university continues to invest in their students and that the students continue to invest in themselves. Thank you!”

Community Impact: Amber Hayward

 

“It was such a surprise to win the Community Impact Award. It has been a bit of a challenge to reach students and get good engagement with campaigns and events this year, so it meant a lot to be nominated, knowing that my work on sustainability had had an impact.”

Student Champions

Lecturer of the Year: Dr Stephen Moss (joint winner)

 

"I am both delighted and humbled to win the VC's Lecturer of the Year award. It means all the more, because I was nominated by my wonderful and talented students on the MA Nature and Travel Writing - thank you all so much for your kind words."

Supervisor of the Year: Gerasimos Markopoulos

 

"Considering project supervision is a collaborative process, I would like to express my immense gratitude to my students. I thank them not only for nominating me, but mostly for their hard work under particularly adverse conditions. Their perseverance was truly inspiring."

Outstanding Support: Gail Simmons

 

"Whilst it's wonderful to have won the Outstanding Support award this year, I'm only one member of an immensely supportive team on the MA in Nature & Travel Writing - one that includes Stephen Moss, Katharine Reeve and, of course, our talented and rewarding students."

Student Champion of the Year: Róisín Ní Mhocháin

 

"I already felt like a winner when I read the lovely things students said in the nominations, actually winning it then was the cherry on top!"

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