Winners of inaugural Professional Services Awards announced

Four Professional Services colleagues who have been shining lights through their work at Reading have been named winners of our first ever Professional Services Awards.

A successful first year for the awards saw more than 200 nominations received by the committee, in four categories recognising contributions towards our four strategic principles - Community, Excellence, Sustainability and Engaged University.

The winners were announced at an event in the Meadow Suite on Tuesday (4 June), attended by the Vice-Chancellor.

Each winner will receive £750, while all 11 shortlisted colleagues were recognised at the event.

Winners and shortlisted colleagues

Community

Winner: Leanne Ley (ICMA Centre)

Leanne has had a huge positive impact on colleagues and students in the ICMA Centre within Henley Business School, and beyond, by leading multiple projects to create a more cohesive community and celebrate diversity.

Examples include running a gingerbread house competition to help acquaint international students with Western Christmas traditions, and creating a Celebrating and Remembering newsletter that summarises cultural events from around the world.

Runners up: Caroline Vidler (Agriculture, Policy and Development Executive Administration); Tracy McAuley (Procurement)

Excellence

Winner: Muhammad Shamraiz (Security Services)

Muhammad, known as Sham, has created an environment where both staff and students can excel.

He offers mentoring and advice to his colleagues, and welfare support to students by acting as a first responder to wellbeing concerns, providing a calm and caring presence to those in need and even helping clean up after callouts.

Runners up: Lauren Norbury (Henley Business School Undergraduate Programmes); Claire Wyllie (Research Development)

Sustainability

Winner: Dawn Aggas (Marketing and Campaigns)

Dawn has been instrumental in delivering the University’s work around climate education, as part of our institutional commitment to environmental sustainability.

She has forged connections with other universities, organisations, schools and policy makers as part of recent initiatives to help younger generations across the country learn about climate change, in partnership with the UK Government.

Dawn has also worked to highlight these initiatives to prospective students to aid recruitment.

Runner up: Dr Olga Khutoryanskaya (Technical Services)

Engaged University

Winner: Anna Jones (Museums and Special Collections)

Anna’s work to connect the University with our local community and support local organisations has embodied our Engaged University principle.

Through running interactive sessions on environmental sustainability, biodiversity, storytelling and more, she has supported public libraries, community groups and deprived neighbourhoods.

Her Museum on Wheels initiative also brought our University Special Collections to marginalised neighbourhoods in Reading that may otherwise have not engaged with them.

Runners up: Molli Cleaver (Community Relations); Yvonne McMeel (Food, Nutrition and Health KIC Partnerships)