Honouring the Star Award winners

Teesside University celebrated the success and commitment of colleagues at a prestigious annual awards ceremony.

Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Paul Croney OBE, and Michael Adewunmi, President (Education) of Teesside University Students’ Union, presented awards to the winners of the Team Teesside Star Awards 2023-2024 at the gala evening event which took place on Wednesday 15 May.

The Team Teesside Star Awards celebrate colleagues across the University who have provided exceptional performance, led by example, or worked to deliver an excellent student experience.

The event recognised colleagues in a wide range of categories from Outstanding Teaching to Unsung Hero and, this year, included a new category, Professional or Technical Service Excellence.

There was a total of 590 nominations made across the 10 Star Awards categories, a testament to the hard work, dedication and passion which is evident across the University.

Professor Croney OBE said: ‘These annual awards celebrate those colleagues who exemplify our University values and who, through their unwavering dedication and commitment to excellence, demonstrate these values in action each and every day.

‘I was delighted to meet so many of the shortlisted individuals at the awards event, and to thank them for their significant contribution.

‘We also celebrated those colleagues who have completed 25 and 40 years of service within the last calendar year. The contribution these individuals have made to the University throughout their careers is immeasurable and we were pleased to recognise their significant achievements.

‘Team Teesside is a community which pulls together to support each other, and this makes Teesside University such a special place to work and study.’

This year’s Star Award winners are:

Innovation, Enterprise, and Engagement
Dr Usman Adeel, Associate Professor of Enterprise, School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies

Outstanding Teaching
Deborah Greenwell, Lecturer in Dental Hygiene, School of Health & Life Sciences

Research Excellence
Professor Diana Feliciano, Professor of Climate Change and Sustainable Economic Development, Teesside University International Business School

Outstanding Student Support Service
Out of Hours – Mental Health

Living our Values
Heather Nichols, Marketing & Events Co-ordinator, Teesside University London

Outstanding Leadership
Dr Faizan Ahmad, Associate Professor of Research, School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies

Unsung Hero
Demi Falshaw, Student Adviser (Disabilities), Student and Library Services

Fantastic Feedback
Dr Alessandro Di Stefano, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies

Team of the Year
Initial Teacher Training Team

Professional or Technical Service Excellence
Matthew Skipper, Senior Administrator, School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies

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