Previous Winners

Previous Winners

The Principal’s Excellence Awards are an annual celebration of the outstanding achievements of University of Aberdeen staff, students and alumni. 

Staff and students are invited to nominate members of our community who have made significant contributions in categories ranging from: excellence in teaching; exceptional contributions in professional and support services; outstanding research and engagement; and more!

2023 Winners
Alumni Awards

Alum of the Year              
Jolene Moore

Alumni Volunteer of the Year      
Alison Thain

Alumni Volunteer of the Year      
Marcia Primus

Young Alum of the Year 
James Mcllroy

The Emily Drouet Award
Sanjana Sitara Shivdas
Excellence in Professional and Support Services

Excellence in Creativity & Innovation      
Laura Benvie

Excellence in Customer Service  
Harris Munro

Excellence in Equality, Diversity & Sustainability 
Women's Development Network - Steering Group: Marion Malcolm (Chair), Amanda Lee, Clare Trembleau and Rhiannon Thompson

Excellence in Leadership               
Louise McKenzie

Excellence in Partnership Working           
Morag Beedie

Outstanding Contribution to a Team or Role         
Darren Coutts

Outstanding Team           
Science Teaching Hub - Technical Team
(Lynne Lumsden, Nicholas Vaughan, Julie Taylor, Kelly Reid, Kevin Bruce, Alison Davidson, Hazel Fyfe, Nigel Graham, Laura Howell, Victor Olayzola Torrejon, Rebecca McQueen, Claire Gordon, Malgorzata Witkowski, Jason Donald, Rosemary MacKenzie, Kirsty McLeod, Sandra Ross, Prince Korsah, Timothy Stephen, Matthew Morrison, Leonard Ross, Rita Briede)

Rising Star          
Kelly Gray

Principal’s Teaching Excellence Award  

Susan Caie

Principal's Prizes for Research and Engagement

Outstanding Postgraduate Research Supervisors Award  
Sumeet Aphale

Outstanding Research Award: Individuals at Further Stages of Career Development (STEM)
Alexandra Johnstone

Outstanding Research Award: Individuals at Further Stages of Career Development (STEM)
Katie Gillies

Outstanding Research Award: Interdisciplinary Research Award  
Roslyn Henry

Outstanding Research Award: Postgraduate / Early Career Researcher Award (Arts, Humanities & Social Science)
Anna Kaminska

Outstanding Research Award: Postgraduate / Early Career Researcher Award (Arts, Humanities & Social Science)
Nejc Sedlar

Outstanding Research Award: Postgraduate / Early Career Researcher Award (STEM)        
Andrea Zampiron

Outstanding Research Award: The Outstanding Research Team Award     
Rowett Institute Gut Microbiology Group

Positive Research Culture Award              
Lesley Anderson

Public Engagement with Research: Main Award 
Magdalena Rzewuska, Sharon Gordon and the ACHDS PPIE Group

Research Impact Award Muhammad
Azizul Islam

Success in Engagement with Industry Award       
Andrew Starkey

Students' Union and University of Aberdeen Excellence Awards

Best Postgraduate Research Supervisor  
Mark Moseley

Best Postgraduate Taught Lecturer           
Christopher Vannart

Best Student Ambassador            
Rebecca Taylor

Best Student Class Rep  
Irmine Roshem

Best Support Staff           
Lucy Leiper

Best Support Team or Service Award       
Multi-Faith Chaplaincy

Best Undergraduate Lecturer      
Jessica Pugsley

Best Undergraduate Supervisor 
Patricia Zivkovic

Community Champion  
Chinedu Etteh

Funniest lecturer              
Prem Ballal

Mental Health Champion             
Lorraine Hawick

Most Accessible Lecturer              
Malcolm Hole

Most Inspiring  
Douglas Martin

Personal Tutor of the Year            
Gerry Hough

2022 Winners
AUSA and University of Aberdeen Excellence Awards

Best non-academic team or service          
GoAbroad Team

Most Inspiring 
Chinedu Etteh

Best Postgraduate (Taught) Lecturer        
Cheryl Dowie

Best Student Ambassador            
Elspeth Cherry

Best Student Class Rep  
Emmanuel Osarfo

Best Supervisor (Postgraduate Research)              
Brian Brock

Best Supervisor (Undergraduate)             
Asha Venkatesh

Best Support Staff (individual award)      
Joanna Kunzlik

Best Undergraduate Lecturer      
Flora Gröning

Mental Health Champion             
Jane Mackenzie

Most Accessible Lecturer              
Roozbeh Rafati

Outstanding Innovation in Digitally Enhanced Learning    
Dan Paget

Personal Tutor of the Year            
Justin Borg-Barthet

Outstanding Interdisciplinary Course Team           
Stuart Durkin

The Emily Drouet Award
Lorna Barron
Principal's Prizes for Research and Engagement

Outstanding Postgraduate Research Supervisors Award  
Tom Greggs

Individuals at Further Stages of Career Development (Arts, Humanities and Social Science)
Abbe Brown

Postgraduate / Early Career Researcher Award (Arts, Humanities and Social Science)         
Alisdair MacPherson

The Outstanding Research Project – COVID-19 Response and Recovery Award.    
Muhammad Azizul Islam

Postgraduate / Early Career Researcher Award (STEM)    
David Fisher

Postgraduate / Early Career Researcher Award (STEM)    

Heidi Gardner

The Outstanding Research Team Award 
iCAIRD Team

The Outstanding Research Team Award 
Lighthouse Field Station Team

Public Engagement with Research: Early Career prize       
Ilinca-Ruxandra Tone

Public Engagement with Research: Early Career prize       
Kadie-Ann Sterling

Public Engagement with Research: Main Prize - Further career stage         
Mirela Delibegovic

Public Engagement with Research: Outstanding Achievement in the Biomedical Sciences 
Derek Ball

Research Impact Award
Godred Fairhurst

Success in Engagement with Industry Award       
Tara Marshall

Development Trust Award for Philanthropy Alumni Engagement 2022      
Mark Paterson

Principal's Awards for Excellence in Professional and Support Services

Excellence in Creativity & Innovation      
Karen Grant

Excellence in Customer Service  
Agnieszka Kruk-Omenzetter

Excellence in Equality, Diversity & Sustainability 
Janine Chalmers

Excellence in Leadership               
Nick Edwards

Outstanding Contribution to a Team or Role         
Nele Beutels

Excellence in Partnership Working & The Development Trust Award for Philanthropy Alumni Engagement  
Yu Qi

Outstanding Team           
Desktop Support Team

Outstanding Team           
IT Service Desk Team

2021 Winners
AUSA and University of Aberdeen Excellence Awards

Best Personal Tutor         
Heidi Mehrkens

Best Postgraduate Taught Lecturer           
Tania Fahey Palma

Best Student Class Rep  
Ibim Diri

Best Supervisor (Postgraduate Research)              
Katharina Schnitzspahn

Best Supervisor (Undergraduate)             
Asha Venkatesh

Best Support Staff           
Melanie Viney

Best Undergraduate Lecturer      
Richard Hepworth

Funniest Lecturer             
Alexander Brasier

Mental Health Champion             
Gundula Sharman

Most Accessible Lecturer (Champion for students with Disabilities)            
Colin North

Most Inspiring  
Bedour Alshaigy

Outstanding Contribution to Accessibility and Inclusivity in Blended Learning        
Colin North

Outstanding Contribution to Blended Learning (assessment)        
Rosa Moreno Lopez

Outstanding Contribution to Blended Learning (teaching)              
Cheryl Dowie

The Emily Drouet Award 
Kirsty Stirling
Principal’s Teaching Excellence Award 
Graeme Nixon
Principal's Awards for Excellence in Professional and Support Services

Covid-19 Heroes              
Hillhead Team

Excellence in Creativity & Innovation      
Morag Beedie

Excellence in Customer Service  
Graeme Euington

Excellence in Equality, Diversity & Sustainability 
Owen Cox

Excellence in Leadership               
Lauren Howarth

Excellence in Partnership Working           
Information Governance Team

Outstanding Contribution to a Team or Role         
Pat Rowand

Outstanding Contribution to Continuity and Resilience    
Estates & Facilities Directorate

Outstanding Contribution to Supporting the Academic Community to Prepare for Blended Learning
The Centre for Academic Development

Rising Star          
Katie Bouchet

Principal's Prizes for Research and Engagement

Development Trust Award for Philanthropy Alumni Engagement
Professor William Naphy

Interdisciplinary Research Award 
Jennie Macdiarmid

Outstanding Research Awards: Individuals ECR & PGR     
Greta Bocedi

Outstanding Research Awards: Individuals Further Stage Of Career – Non Stem    
Gordon Noble

Outstanding Research Awards: Individuals Further Stage Of Career - Stem              
Abbie Mclaughlin

Public Engagement with Research Awards 2021
Amy Irwin

Public Engagement with Research Awards 2021: Early Career       
Ana Payo-Payo

Success in Engagement with Industry Award 2021            
Srinivas Sriramula

Outstanding Research Project – Covid-19 Response & Recovery Award 2021         
Dora Corzo-Leon

Outstanding Research Project – Covid-19 Response & Recovery Award 2021         
Craig Ramsay

Outstanding Research Team Award 2021              
Pete Smith

Outstanding Research Team Award 2021              
Graeme Maclennan

Public Engagement with Research Awards 2021 Biomedical          
Samantha Wileman

Public Engagement with Research Awards 2021: Biomedical         
Katie Bannister

2020 Winners
AUSA and University of Aberdeen Awards 

Best Undergraduate Lecturer
Dr Asha Venkatesh

Best Supervisor (Undergraduate)
Dr Samantha May

Best Postgraduate Taught Lecturer
Dr Corina Weir

Best Supervisor (Postgraduate Research)
Dr Tania Fahey Palma

Best Support Staff
Jessica Pugsley

Funniest Lecturer
Dr Steve Tucker

Personal Tutor
Dr Clare Kirtley

Most Accessible Lecturer
Dr Nicholas Spedding

Mental Health Champion
Dr Timothy Baker

Most Inspiring
Dr Elizabeth Curtis

Principal’s Awards for Excellence in Professional and Support Services

Excellence in Customer Service
Janine Jack

Excellence in Leadership
Lucy Leiper

Excellence in Partnership Working
Doha Graduations Team

  • Tommy Daly
  • Nicholas Edwards
  • Yvonne Gordon
  • Michael Harris
  • Emma Hay
  • Duncan Stuart
  • Sherine Tabsh

Excellence in Equality, Diversity & Sustainability
LGBT Network 

  • Ian Robotham
  • Zee Allison
  • Kathleen Cronie
  • Nicholas Edwards
  • Teodor Nikolov

Excellence in Creativity & Innovation
Chris Souter

Rising Star
Staff Development Team (Clare Trembleau and Max Hope-Stone Bell)

Outstanding Contribution to a Team or Role
Erika Magnago

Principal’s Teaching Excellence Award
Dr Pietro Marini
Principal’s Prizes for Research & Engagement

Outstanding Research Award – Team
Environmental Fluid Mechanics Group 

  • Vladimir Nikora
  • Stuart Cameron
  • Thomas O’Donoghue
  • Dubravka Pokrajac
  • Dominic Van Der A

Outstanding Research Award – Individuals at Further Stages of Career Development
Robert Frost

Outstanding Research Award – Individual Postgraduate Researcher / Early Career Researcher
Emmanuel Owoichoechi Momoh

Outstanding Research Award – Interdisciplinary Award
Joint winners - David Anderson & Davide Dionisi

Success in Engagement with Industry
Joint winners 
Bruce Scharlau & TESLA Group 

  • Jorg Feldman
  • Eva Krupp
  • Shaun Lancaster
  • Martin Mueller
  • Daniel Ruhland

Public Engagement with Research – Early Career Researcher 
Orsolya Czere

Public Engagement with Research – Main prize
Madalina Neacsu

Public Engagement with Research – Outstanding Achievement in Biomedical Sciences
Clare Robertson

Development Trust Award for Philanthropy / Alumni Engagement
Gwen Smith