Colleagues across the University share their highlights, as well as the changes that have affected their professional lives, at the annual Long Services Awards.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice expressed heartfelt gratitude to staff members who have dedicated 25 years to the University at a celebratory event held at the Cambridge Union Society. A total of 102 employees reached this impressive milestone this year, with 54 of them, along with their guests, gathering in the historic debating chamber for a memorable ceremony on 17 July.
In her speech, the Vice-Chancellor took a moment to reflect on the world as it was in 1999, highlighting how both the University and the global landscape have transformed over the years.
She thanked staff for their commitment and service to the University, recognising their vital role and experience. “A university can only be as good as its people – Cambridge is an excellent university, and we rely on excellent people,” she said.
“Reaching this milestone of 25 years is not just about longevity, or persistence. It is also about embodying the culture of the place. In an institution as complex as collegiate Cambridge, experience counts for a lot, and you are the keepers of that institutional memory.”
Staff reflections and highlights
Many of those who were awarded highlighted the transformation of the University estate, with vibrant new spaces across the Biomedical Campus, West Cambridge and Eddington, as one of the most significant changes that had happened during their time here. The growth and modernisation of facilities have made the University feel more dynamic and inspiring place to work, many said.
Others spoke about how technology had evolved. Dawn Edwards, Assistant Director of Research Administration Systems said: “Technology has impacted our work for the better, moving us from lots of paper to electronically managed services.” Barry Widmer, Technology Lead at the Cambridge Integrated Data Environment, reminisced that “25 years ago, we would receive messages delivered on a bike by the internal post service”.
Others reflected on their impact within the academic community. Julia Skinner, who is a Placement Coordinator at the General Practice Education Group, said: “I take great pride in my work - I place around a thousand medical students in general practice each year, and I have met more than a few who are now GP partners. It’s nice to feel that I have been slightly instrumental in this.”
Guy Williams, a Professor of Imaging Science at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, added: “I am very proud of the research we've done and enabled at the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, which has been integral to translating imaging methods to clinical and neuroscience research questions. I am also delighted to have been able to help students access and get the most they can from the collegiate University through work with doctoral training programmes and my college roles.”
Advice to new colleagues
So what advice would our wise owls offer new members of staff? Many of them said that it can take time to understand the complexity of the University, as well as its quirks and different systems. But despite this and its size, they agreed that it was an inspiring and welcoming place. They also encouraged staff to get involved in the many training and development opportunities, and to take part in networking events to connect and meet people outside of their own departments.
Hear more
You can view the awards event highlights and hear more from colleagues achieving their 25 years in service in this short video (access internal-only on Stream).