UCL Computer Science student wins coveted Student Rep of the Year Award

The Student Rep of the Year Award is part of the annual Education Awards held at UCL, which recognise the invaluable contributions of academic representatives in improving the university's educational environment.  

Ari Weiler-Ofek, a first-year Mathematical Computation MEng student at UCL Computer Science, was chosen based on his exceptional work in representing the interests of his peers and ensuring their views are taken into consideration when decisions are made.  

With nearly 2,000 Academic Reps across various disciplines, these individuals play a significant role in shaping students’ learning experiences and effecting positive change. 

The judging panel, consisting of both student representatives and UCL staff members, recognised Ari’s exceptional contributions and awarded him the Student Rep of the Year accolade.  

The award was presented by UCL's President & Provost, Dr Michael Spence, along with Professor Kathy Armour, Vice-Provost Education and Student Experience, and Hamza Ahmed, the Students' Union Education Sabbatical Officer. 

Commenting on his achievement, Ari said: “I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to represent my cohort this year. I enrolled to my first year at UCL with undiagnosed mental health issues. The fact that all lectures were pre-recorded made it even more difficult to stay on top of the workload. This culminated in the Central Assessment Period, causing me to repeat a year.

Over time, ideas brewed in my mind about how to improve the programme, namely in the areas of inter-departmental communication, module selection, mental health awareness and social life. Naturally, the transition back to on-campus learning made it easier to bring about improvements in social life and mental health.

It is very rewarding that ideas like the Math Comp Alumni Networking event translated into reality. For anyone who has initiative and a will to make positive contributions to their programme, I recommend that you nominate yourself as a student rep and make your voice heard".

Chair of the Student Staff Consultation Committee (SSCC), Professor Ivana Drobnjak, said: “It was a great pleasure to have Ari on the committee. He was motivated and committed from the start and took great care in representing the interests of his fellow students. He initiated and was part of many projects we did together and has contributed to many positive changes in our department. Congratulations to Ari!”