UCL Chemistry staff recognised at One UCL Awards

Previously known as the Professional Services Awards, the One UCL Awards are now open to any member of UCL staff who makes a contribution to the wider community. Nominations were open in the following categories:

• Leadership Award for Outstanding Contribution
• Ways of Working - Personal Excellence Award
• Ways of Working - Working Together Award
• Ways of Working - Outstanding Individual Contribution to Achieving our Mission
• Ways of Working - Outstanding Team Contribution to Achieving our Mission
• Community Spirit Award
• Outstanding Contribution to the Staff Experience

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, there was no on-campus event held for the awards - however, a congratulatory video was recorded by Fiona Ryland, UCL Chief Operating Officer, which can be viewed on the One UCL Awards page. Over 250 individual nominations were received, alongside 50 Team nominations, and of those, two winners were from the Department of Chemistry at UCL.

Ways of Working: Personal Excellence Award - Elizabeth Read: Departmental Manager, UCL Chemistry

The nominees for the Ways of Working: Personal Excellence Award have been nominated for their commitment, outstanding service and integrity. The winners and finalists of this category have gone out of their way to champion inclusivity, to support students, and to lead their team in providing cross-institutional support through UCL through the coronavirus outbreak.

Elizabeth has been Departmental Manager in Chemistry for many years, providing transformative support in both financial management and staff development. Despite carrying a huge workload, she always finds time to help and support colleagues from both in the Department and from across UCL.

Elizabeth is a champion of inclusivity and played a pivotal role in the Departments Athena-Swan submission. She has set up a support scheme for UCL colleagues working at Harwell, and served on a number of UCL committees including Technicians Management, Finance Strategy, MyHR and Transforming our Professional Services (TOPS). She prioritises finding solutions collaboratively and is always approachable and ready to help.

Leadership Award for Outstanding Contribution - Dr Dewi Lewis: Senior Lecturer and Departmental Tutor, UCL Chemistry

The nominees for the Leadership Award for Outstanding contribution were nominated by their teams and individuals with the winners selected by Fiona Ryland, UCL Chief Operating Officer. Although the nominations were not specific to the current pandemic, both winners have shown outstanding leadership in the way they have guided their colleagues and departments over the many hurdles thrown up by coronavirus, to the benefit of UCL and our staff and students.

As Departmental Tutor, Dewi has spearheaded initiatives to improve the student experience. In response to the coronavirus crisis he has gone above and beyond, taking on an exceptional leadership role in Chemistry.

He has led the team to develop and implement an innovative and forward-looking revised assessment schedule for this summer, and has pioneered a new teaching strategy for Chemistry for 20-21 – using virtual teaching to kick-start the Department into implementing a long planned change in teaching provision. Such changes will maintain ongoing student satisfaction in a practical subject like chemistry. On top of this Dewi is committed to college-wide work supporting widening participation.

The full list of nominees and winners can be found on the One UCL Awards page.

Source

UCL Professional Services