Departmental success in the VC awards 2024
The Vice-Chancellor's Awards recognise achievements and celebrate success across the University - from academics and researchers to professional, technical and support staff, whether they are in colleges, divisions, departments, central services, libraries, museums or elsewhere. This year there were 250 award entries across 11 categories, with 1,500 individuals included in the nominations.
The 2024 Vice-Chancellor's Awards event
Building on the department's success in the 2022 Vice Chancellors awards it was great to see an even more diverse portfolio of nominations featuring members of the department amongst the 65 shortlisted nominations and winners this year.
Andrew Allan, our new head of facilities management was part of a team shortlisted for the 'Enhancing Oxford's Professional Services Award' for his work in planning the shared building operations model for the new Life and Mind Building. This building in the university science area will be home to the Biochemistry Teaching Labs when it opens in 2025.
Professor Weston Struwe, a Principal Investigator in the department, was shortlisted for two awards. The first of which (which he went on to win) was the Community Engagement awardthat was based on the project My Place, My Science that helps young students from African families access science capital. This was in partnership between the community organisation African Families in the UK and a number of university researchers and staff from the History of Science Museum, the Department of Physics and Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology. Weston was also shortlisted and came highly commended within the Innovation and Commercialisation Award for his involvement in the university spin out company Refeyn. Refeyn is a spinout from the Department of Chemistry based on mass photometry - a completely novel approach for weighing molecules using light scattering.
Last but certainly not least, the Department's teaching was recognised by being shortlisted for the Innovative Teaching and Assessment Award. This was for the work of Professors Alison Woollard, Mark Roberts, Phil Biggin and Jane Mellor in the design and implementation of our new immersive Part 1 programme, covering years 2 and 3 of the undergraduate biochemistry course. The new course uses an immersive block structure where students explore biochemical topics in depth for a week through a wide mix of learning styles including lectures, practicals and journal clubs. The first cohort of students taking the course with the new style of teaching and assessment will complete their degrees this summer.
L-R: Jane Mellor, Alison Woollard, Phil Biggin and Mark Roberts
All the shortlisted projects took part in the showcase event at the Weston Library, culminating in an awards ceremony at the Sheldonian where the awards were presented by The Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey, CBE FRS FMedSci.
A full list of winners and highly commended nominations can be found on the awards webpage
Mark Roberts
14th May 2024
