UCL Inclusion Awards 2020: Award winners

The Inclusion Awards are a way of highlighting people who are making a difference to equity, diversity and inclusion at UCL, and a chance to recognise what they have achieved.

The awards night was hosted by Femi Otitoju from Challenge Consultancy. The event celebrated the achievements of approximately 80 nominated colleagues and teams from across the institution.

Winners were announced in four categories:

1. Provost’s award for Embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

This award recognises an individual’s or team’s effort to embed EDI into mainstream work; through their approach and undertaking of all tasks, be it day-to-day tasks or larger projects.

Winners: Faye Gishen, Jane Dacre, Jayne Kavanagh, Katherine Woolf, Amali Lokugamage & Hope Chow, UCL Medical School

Nominated by Sarah Bennett, Faculty of Medical Sciences

“The belief in the importance of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) drives this team’s practice.... They live their values; role modelling inclusive practice, ensuring colleagues, students, and patients from under-represented/minoritised groups are heard and benefit from concrete opportunities; joining committees to embed EDI within policy and practice; and speaking out against injustice and to champion fairness.”

2. Sarah Guise award for Catalyst for Change

This award recognises a person or a team doing things differently by incorporating EDI values into the way they work resulting in a positive shift in organisational culture.

Winner: Elpida Makrygianni, Engineering Faculty Office

Nominated by John Mitchell, Faculty of Engineering Sciences

“Her vision of how...engagement activities should promote diversity and ensure inclusivity are now embedded across the faculty and central to the activities and ethos of all departments. She trains over 300 new students and staff to be STEM Ambassadors per year. Within these programmes Elpida has worked tirelessly to ensure that all engagement...targets diverse groups and is fully inclusive. The impact of this commitment has been felt throughout the activities that the faculty undertakes but also much more widely.”

3. Sir Stephen Wall award: Inspiring Role Model

This award recognises a person who has taken the opportunity to engage with staff, speaking openly about their personal experiences in a visible forum that encourages and champions diversity and inclusion in a way that new and existing staff can relate to.

Winner: Kamna Patel, The Bartlett

Nominated by Christoph Lidner, Sian Lunt, The Bartlett

“Kamna was appointed as the first Vice Dean for EDI at UCL and immediately started to have an impact as a leader on EDI....Kamna adds to every discussion by helping us to understand some of the unseen effects of decisions we are taking and exposing the institutional norms that are excluding others from opportunity... Her voice is powerful and respected.”

4. Challenge Consultancy Award for Race Equality

This is a special category award, very kindly sponsored by Challenge Consultancy and awarded by the UCL Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Team. It is awarded to an inspiring student who has demonstrated a strong commitment to culture change and tackling race inequality, in the last two years.

Winner: Nick Anim from The Bartlett

"Nick Anim has been chosen for this award due to the inspiring work he undertakes at UCL and outside of it too. Nick joined the Development Planning Unit (DPU) in the Bartlett as a master’s student in 2012 on the Environment and Sustainable Development programme. On completing his masters, Nick re-joined the DPU as a doctoral candidate.

Nick is a deeply committed campaigner and activist and is heavily involved in addressing the lack of inclusion in community-based sustainability initiatives and campaigns."

Thank you to each of you who took the time to recognise your colleagues by making a nomination. Award recipients were honoured at a ceremony, with awards presented by President and & Provost Professor Michael Arthur, Sir Stephen Wall and Fiona McClement. Award recipients will also receive £2000 to be spent on furthering equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives at UCL.