Faculty academics honoured in 2024’s Times Higher Education Awards shortlist
Faculty academics have been shortlisted in three prestigious categories in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2024, often referred to as the “Oscars of higher education”.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the awards, which celebrate excellence across the UK and Ireland’s universities. Despite strong competition, members of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences have been selected for their valued research, commitment to student support, and groundbreaking international collaborations.
Professor Helen Gleeson – Research Project of the Year: STEM
Helen Gleeson, Cavendish Professor of Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy, has been recognised for her pioneering work on auxetic materials. Her research team has developed a new liquid crystal elastomer that thickens when stretched, a unique property known as auxeticity. The material has vast potential applications in industries such as electronics, construction, and renewable energy.
Professor Helen Gleeson
Professor Gleeson’s spin-off company, Auxetec, is currently exploring commercial uses for this material, with support from a £2 million investment from Northern Gritstone.
Dr Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero – Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year
Dr Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero, Associate Professor of BioResource Systems in the School of Civil Engineering, has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year award. Dr Camargo-Valero is known for his dedication to supporting postgraduate students, creating a tailored supervision approach that caters to the needs of a diverse student body.
Dr Miller Camargo-Valero (left) in Civil Engineering's environmental labs.
His commitment to mentorship and fostering inclusion in STEM subjects has earned him widespread recognition, including the Mentorship Award at the Leeds University Union Partnership Awards 2024.
International Collaboration of the Year – University of Leeds and University of Pretoria
The partnership between the University of Leeds and the University of Pretoria has been nominated for International Collaboration of the Year, specifically the work of the Global Food and Environment Institute, which has developed expertise in food security and climate-smart agriculture in a strategic relationship to enhance research capabilities and empower institutions in the Global South. This joint effort also extends to the Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) project, led by Professor Melvin Hoare of the School of Physics and Astronomy, which has trained more than 300 students and postgraduates in eight countries since its launch eight years ago.
Professor Melvin Hoare, alongside DARA students.
In March, DARA secured a new £6.5 million cash injection to train a further 225 people over the next three years, giving them skills in radio astronomy and data science which are critical skills to address local development challenges including water, agriculture and deforestation.
The wider partnership continues to focus on food security and climate-smart agriculture in the Global South, strengthening research capacities and influencing policy in Africa.
That’s not all for the University at 2024’s THE Awards. The Student Communications Team was shortlisted for Outstanding Marketing/Communications Team for its dynamic content campaign that aimed to empower students in the face of the cost of living crisis, strategically supporting effective money management in line with student insights and needs, structured around key milestones in the academic calendar.
The winners will be announced on 28 November at a ceremony held at the ICC in Birmingham, as part of THE Campus Live UK&IE.
Further information
- Read the full shortlist at the Times Higher Education Awards 2024 website.
- For further information, contact Faculty Communications Manager Matt Gardner via M.D.Gardner@leeds.ac.uk.
