Department of the Year Award for English and Creative Writing

The Department of English and Creative Writing won the hotly contested title of Department of the Year at the Aberystwyth Students’ Union Staff and Students Awards 2021.

The annual awards, which celebrated their tenth anniversary this year, took place online on 6 May 2021.  Organised by Aberystwyth Students’ Union with the support of the University, the awards recognise and commend the contributions of staff and students to the Aberystwyth student experience. 

Student nominations for the Department of English and Creative Writing praised not only the department’s academic excellence and outstanding efforts during a challenging year, but also its dedication to the wellbeing of its students through the creation of a supportive community beyond the classroom.

Chloe Wilkinson-Silk, Aberystwyth Students’ Union Academic Affairs Officer for 2020-21 said: “For the last decade, these awards have recognised people that show exemplary dedication to the student experience and community here at Aberystwyth University, and whose contribution helps to make living and learning here very special.

“In this new world, staff have been challenged to come up with fun, imaginative and innovative ways to make learning accessible, and this year’s nominations have made it clear that we have many creative individuals here at Aberystwyth University.

“The awards also recognise students who have helped to make the Aberystwyth University education and experience the best it can be, such as academic representatives that champion the voice of students, student mentors who coach their peers with empathy and encouragement, and those who volunteer within the University and the local community.”

Professor Tim Woods, Aberystwyth University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor: Learning Teaching and Student Experience, said: “Working through the nominations for this year’s awards, I have been moved by the exceptional praise and extraordinary tributes by our students for the dedication of the Aberystwyth University staff.  Given the circumstances in which the University has had to work over the past year, I am overwhelmingly proud to be associated with such tremendous colleagues across the institution who have lifted their teaching to new heights in the face of the considerable challenges posed by the pandemic. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for this year’s awards.” 

The winners of the AberSU Staff and Students Awards 2021 are:

Department of the Year
Department of English and Creative Writing

Lecturer of the Year
Panna Karlinger, Department of Mathematics and the School of Education

Personal Tutor of the Year
Dr Susan Chapman, School of Education

Supervisor of the Year
Dr Simon Payne, Department of Psychology

Support/Service Staff Member of the Year
Lorraine Spencer, Student Support & Careers Services

Academic Representative or the Year
Jake Christie, Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies

Postgraduate Teacher of the Year
Yuyao Wang, Aberystwyth Business School

Student Mentor of the Year
Cat Oliver, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences

Student Staff Member of the Year
Tom Mumford, Department of Computer Science

Student Volunteer of the Year
Adam Burlingham, Department of Law and Criminology

Open Category Award
Beth Wright, Geography and Earth Sciences & Joel Adams, Department of Computer Science

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