Professional services recognition scheme - winners

Two hundred people gathered at the Postdoc Centre in Eddington on Monday 11 December to find out who had won this year’s Employee Recognition awards. Emma Stone, the Director of HR, presented awards to five individuals and six teams, and the winners, nominees and invited guests stayed to enjoy a reception with drinks, nibbles and live entertainment.

The Professional Services Recognition Scheme (formerly known as the UAS Employee Recognition Scheme) exists to celebrate and recognise outstanding performance and achievement of individuals and teams who provide professional support services across the University. One hundred and thirty nominations were received for this year’s awards, and 20 individuals and 16 teams made it to the shortlist. Awards are made to both individuals and teams against four categories.

The winners were:

1. We deliver an effective and high-quality service
   • Individual: David Johnson, Senior Research Grants Administrator in the Department of Pathology. David was commended for his exceptional worth ethic, willingness to help with grant applications and consistent, successful track record. 
   • Team: Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPdA). In a very short space of time, the OPdA has built a highly effective service that addresses the challenges faced by the University's 4000+ postdocs and their families.
      
2. We collaborate and work in partnership
   • Individual: Emma Marron, Business and Operations Manager in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care. Enma's award recognises her exceptional contributions to effective collaborations and partnerships between the University, the NHS and external sponsors.
   • Teams: The Strategic Planning and Change Team in PRAO was nominated for the calmness, professionalism and effective manner in which they operate in often difficult circumstances when there are often competing priorities from Schools, Institutes and Departments.
     The Research Grants Administration Team in the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences was nominated for the exceptional support it provides, which has been instrumental in the success of the Schools’ applications, ultimately bringing in significant funds to the University.
      
3. We are open, responsive and innovative
   • Individual: Siobhan Hoffman Heap – Administrator, Social Sciences Research Methods Centre, Department of Sociology. Siobhan has been nominated for her excellent administration, innovation and responsiveness: her constant drive for improvements has led to many successful iniatives to support teaching and research in the department.
   • Team: Communications Team, Office of External Affairs and Communications. This team was nominated in particular for its work with Cambridge Admissions Office (CAO), which enabled CAO to showcase its activities more effectively and helped the University to reach wider audiences among potential students.
      
4. We respect others and value diversity
   • Individual: Kusam Leal, Deputy Secretary in the School of Physical Sciences. Kusum was nominated for her impressive contribution to citizenship in the wider University in sitting on the University’s E&D Committee, the Interconnect steering group, the Women’s staff network and being Chair of the BME Staff network.
   • Team: Cambridge-Africa Support Team, Department of Pathology.This team is recognized for its efficient work, which supports Cambridge's great track record in building African research capacity and partnerships across the disciplines in more than 60 institutions and 25 Sub-Saharan African countries.

The judges used their discretionary powers to make two further awards that did not fit into the given categories. One was to Odette Rogers, Secretary of the Department of Pathology, who received multiple nominations and whom colleagues praised as the person they turn to when they have a problem and need a solution. Her calm competence and comprehensive knowledge of the department make her an invaluable member of the team both at times of crisis and in its everyday operations.

The other additional award was for a particularly successful cross-departmental team partnership between Agustina Martinez Garcia of the Office of Scholarly Communication, Owen Roberson of the Research Office, and Dean Johnson of UIS. These three staff were instrumental in preparing, implementing and evaluating the synchronisation of two internal research systems, a complex and challenging project that succeeded because of effective collaborative working.

Professor Eilis Ferran, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional and International Affairs, speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, extended her thanks to all professional and support staff and praised the quality of support staff at Cambridge, saying she had experienced first-hand that there were "fantastic people everywhere across the University."