The President's Awards are annual awards that serve to recognise staff who have made outstanding contributions in various fields.

The President's Awards are annual awards that serve to recognise staff who have made outstanding contributions in various fields. This year's awards saw three of Skempton Building's own academics winning awards for their outstanding contributions to the fields of Education, Research and Societal Engagement.

Professor Sue Grimes won a President's Award for Excellence in Education. In her nomination, it was stated that "Sue’s natural openness and clearly caring attitude towards all students engenders a positive atmosphere in which they can be confident and know that any issues they have will be dealt with considerately and in a professional, appropriate and balanced manner, to gain the most positive outcome and experience possible" and said that Sue herself was "a clear example of an academic who works significantly beyond the roles for which she has been appointed with the aim of providing the best student experience".

Among the winners for the President's Award for Excellence in Societal Engagement was Dr Izhar Shah. Dr Shah was recognised for such endeavours as leading his research group’s “Future Explorers” exhibition at the Science Museum last year, delivering his “Climate Pledge Calligraffiti” workshop specifically designed for children under 5 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and for delivering a “Sustainable Materials” exhibition at the public gallery inside the COP26 Green Zone in Glasgow last November.

Dr Emilio Martinez-Paneda was recognised with a President's Award for Excellence in Research. His nomination stated that "Emilio is an outstanding early career researcher, achieving above and beyond the usual expectation of new lecturers within their first few years and he is on track to have an incredibly successful academic career within the Department. His early research grant successes are particularly astonishing".

We hope you will join us in congratulating all President's Award winners within the department.