Students' Union Awards Evening 2023
On the 26th of May, almost exactly a year from our previous SU Awards, we once again welcomed students and staff alike to a wonderful night of appreciation and celebration of peer effort and success.
This year, the annual SU Awards Evening was held in the Birkbeck Central Building for a night of food, fun, drinks and, of course, awards.
The award for Outstanding Contribution to the Birkbeck Community was presented to Student Leader Pedro Malheiro, whose dedication has been highly regarded by students and peers alike:
“As a Student Leader, he has been able to create the international student officer position and make it a paid role. Having online examinations, partial student tuition discounts, and fundraising for Ukraine, are other goals he has been able to accomplish. These are only a few of many important and meaningful positive changes he successfully implemented. Furthermore, with highest respect and admiration it should be mentioned that he fulfilled almost all of his goals stated in his manifesto. The students chose wisely.”
The Event of the Year award, which was particularly focused on student group events, was awarded to the Iftar organized by the Albanian Society. The event was praised for both turnout and the contributions to the community via collected donations during the event:
“So much care went into this event, more than two cars full to the brim with food, and no one left hungry that’s for sure. Best event at Birkbeck this year!”
For outstanding contribution and work in the student group community, the Committee Member of the Year was awarded to Dean Ismay:
"Dean is very knowledgeable, passionate about social justice and activism and has stepped into the committee with great leadership right away. Dean is very involved and very active in the role."
For the outstanding contribution when providing the university with student feedback in pursuit of the improvement of the academic environment, the Course Rep of the Year award was presented to Louis-Alexandre Lobanov, whose work has succeeded in both communication between students/university and strengthening the community of his department:
“He works hard to include everyone in our dept and is loved and valued by everyone in it; it’s inspiring to have someone so young bring so many people together the way he does. We couldn’t ask for a finer course rep.”
The title for Team of the Year went to the DanceSport Club who have been beyond active with their contribution to the Birkbeck student group profile, and student life in general.
As per student nominations, Student Group of the Year was awarded to the Indian Society, which has gone above and beyond to make students feel at home while away:
“Within the short interval of its opening, it has not only benefited a large number of students coming from various countries but also made Indian students feel at home here. It has performed various activities to showcase the traditions of India and organised various events for the students not only to learn more about their traditions but also for them to follow their traditions away from home just like they did being at home.”
As part of the Student-Led Teaching Awards, the award for Outstanding Contribution to the Birkbeck Experience was awarded to Zita Hentes, who is an invaluable part of the OP MSc team:
“If I ever wonder who to ask a question of, I inevitably reach out to her, she is the font of all knowledge when it comes to administrations and Birkbeck processes. She is super responsive, always happy to help and follows up on matters in such a timely manner. Her communications are always so friendly and supportive, she is a great asset to the team!”
The award for Best Non-Teaching Staff Member was presented to Mark Pimm for his incredible work in the Birkbeck Disability Service:
"Mark has gone above and beyond to help me this year. No question is too much trouble or too stupid. His knowledge is immense, and he knows how to deal with any situation related to my disability. He helped me navigate working with my GP to get what I was entitled to - I’d never in a million years have achieved on my own what he has helped me to do. With Mark in my corner, I always feel as though I have help and support at Birkbeck and someone has my back. He’s not just made this past year at Birkbeck better, he’s made it possible."
For her outstanding work in the Department of Economics, Mathematics & Statistics, the title for Best Lecturer/Seminar Teacher was awarded to Lois Rollings:
“Lois’s lectures are a delight and have been the absolute highlight of my week. Despite the fact that this course has probably had the most new material to grasp over and above A levels, I’ve found it the easiest to understand because Lois explains so well and is so thorough in making sure everyone has grasped what she means. She’s friendly and never makes me feel as though a question is too stupid or not worth answering but takes the time to properly answer. Her classes feel friendly and as though you are going to a nice warm meeting of like-minded people. Her lectures have kept me going this year through times when I might otherwise not have done.”
As part of the Department of Psychological Sciences, lecturer Ori Ossmy was presented the award of Best Dissertation/Project Supervisor, who is praised to be knowledgeable and attentive in his work:
“Dr Ossmy has been available to meet and talk about different topics in my Birkbeck experience since before I started having lectures with him. He is an amazing lecturer and an amazing person. He has been extremely helpful, provided advice and opportunities to volunteer within the Birkbeck CBCD. He has also provided me with insights about future decisions and continues to be a big part of my experience within Birkbeck.”
The Best Personal Tutor title was awarded to Esther Ramsey-Jones who is a highly regarded lecturer in the Department of Psychosocial Studies:
“As a personal tutor she supports us far beyond the expectations of her role, is attentive, and always listens actively and with empathy, which has made me feel heard and valued when seeking her support. Whether I’ve needed advice or just someone to listen to me, I have always been able to rely on her, and I know that no matter how hopeless things seem before speaking with her, after every interaction I will feel that bit more able to cope with everything. I would not be here without her, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of recognition for everything they do.”
By vote of her peers, the award for Colleague of the Year was presented to Aura Rico, who is a Counselling Service Manager here at Birkbeck:
"...I think she has worked incredibly hard during a very difficult time for the university and particularly our service. She has taken initiative to step up from a member of the team, to deputy manager and then team manager in a very short period of time. We have lost several members of our team and she has stood her ground and lead with clarity and humility. I can speak for our team when I say she has been a great leader and colleague and we have felt supported through a very shaky time to do the difficult work as counsellors that we do. She does lead by example and is a thoughtful and hardworking person who has filled the gaps that are there across services in hard times. "
A massive thank you to all the amazing nominees, nominators, winners, staff and attendees for making this beautiful evening possible. As always, it was an immense pleasure to celebrate ourselves and our peers amongst the wonderful Birkbeck community. We are beyond proud of every nominee and winner, and we look forward to continuing the celebration of your achievements in the following year!
