Celebrate Our Staff – March 2019
Here we celebrate our colleagues’ achievements across the University this past month.

Dr Richard Blackburn, Associate Professor from the School of Design, has become the first person ever to win The Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) Centenary Medal in two consecutive years. Dr Blackburn won the award for the first time last year for his paper concerning historical aspects of dyeing with madder. This year, his winning paper is entitled Food colourants: their past, present and future, which was written with Dr Tom Coultate, formerly of London South Bank University.
Dr Blackburn said: I was absolutely astonished and highly delighted to find out I had won the SDC Centenary Medal for a second time. Im very much looking forward to the ceremony in May and receiving the medal alongside my terrific co-author, Tom Coultate.
Read more about Dr Blackburns award.
The Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Employability Team has
been named one of the Best Employability Services in the country at the National Undergraduate
Employability (NUE) awards. The
team was a finalist in a category that awards services that go above and
beyond, providing the best provision for students in their university, helping
them to apply and maximise their work experience opportunities.
To be recognised as one of top five employability services in the UK is reflective of the success the team has had during the past five years, winning three NUE awards to date, most recently being awarded the Best University Placement Service award in 2018.
Read more about the teams award.
Professor Chris Nash,
Research Professor from the Institute for Transport Studies, has been
awarded a silver medal for his services to Masaryk University in the Czech
Republic, where he has held the position of Visiting Professor for almost four
years. He has helped develop major research programmes there, organised a
series of workshops and brought in academics as visiting researchers to boost
collaboration.
Read more about Professor Nashs award.
The School of Physics and Astronomy has been awarded a Juno
Practitioner status for its proactive approach to achieving equal gender
opportunities and encouraging best practice among staff. Project
Juno (Institute
of Physics) recognises and rewards physics departments, institutes
and organisations that demonstrate their commitment to an equitable working
environment. The School was recognised for progressing its equality and
diversity agenda, which resulted in the award.
Head of School, Professor Helen Gleeson, said: "We're delighted to have been awarded Juno Practitioner status, which is reflective of the action we have taken to promote a culture that encourages students and staff to reach their full potential."
Read more about the schools award.
Commercial and Campus Support Services (CCSS) has been awarded the Customer Service
Excellence® accreditation a Government standard that recognises an
organisations commitment to putting customers first. It was particularly
praised by the accreditation assessor for achieving eight Compliance Plus
awards the most ever received by any first-time participating organisation.
Stewart Ross, Director of CCSS, said: I am delighted we have achieved this important accreditation for six of the large professional services that comprise CCSS and particularly proud of the way the teams have worked together to share best practice and integrate a customer-led set of processes and systems.
Thanks to all those involved in undertaking the preparatory work for the assessment, which was considerable, and all in CCSS for their ongoing commitment to making a difference to the experience of our University community on a daily basis.
Dr Sarah Harris, of
the Astbury
Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and the School
of Physics and Astronomy, has been awarded a scientific heirloom by
a peer at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Suffrage Science Awards. The
awards celebrate women in science and engineering and encourage others to enter
science and reach senior leadership roles.
Dr Harris said: I am very grateful for this award. It gives me the opportunity to share my personal experience of the benefits of having an inclusive mind in science.
Read more about Dr Harris award.
Mark Stuart,
Montague Burton Professor of Human Resource Management and Employment Relations
from Leeds University Business School (LUBS), has been conferred as a Fellow of
the Academy of
Social Sciences. Awarded Fellows are recognised after an extensive
peer review process for the excellence and impact of their work through the use
of social science for public benefit. Mark received this honour for his
extensive contribution to academic leadership in the social sciences and his
impactful research in the field of employment relations, including high profile
policy engagement in the area of workplace learning.
Mark said: It is a great honour to have been nominated and awarded this fellowship from the peer community in the social sciences, in recognition of my contributions to academic research and policy engagement in the field of employment relations."
Maria Paton, John Gierula and Judith Lowry, from the School of Medicine, have won the Excellence in
Research and Innovation award at the 2019 Healthcare Science Awards. The awards, now in their
13th year, celebrate the tremendous contributions and achievements of the
healthcare science workforce and the impact they have on patient outcomes.
Please contact Internal Communications if you or one of your colleagues would like to appear in this monthly feature. This is open to all staff professional and academic.
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