I AM BCU Awards

This award recognises a student who has thrown themselves into University life. They've taken their studies in their stride, engaging in learning, connecting with lecturers, peers and beyond, and taking pride in their work and community. They will have made an impact on those around them - whether it's encouraging and supporting others with their work, creating opportunities through meet-ups or society events, or coming up with solutions and ideas for any problems.  

Winner:

Gia Dhami, School of Law and Social Sciences

Highly Commended:

Shivali Srivastav, Business School

Minahil Farhan, School of Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering

Nimra Younis, School of Arts

Shalom Ndofula, School of Life and Health Sciences

Madison Ferguson, School of Nursing and Midwifery

Motahare Narimanizamanabadi, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

This award recognises BCU’s very best teachers; the kind of people who work hard to develop the talent for tomorrow. These are the teachers that inspire you with their passion for their subject, and challenge you to improve and develop your skills along the way. Through their inspiring and inclusive teaching, they’re producing an environment for students to thrive and become world-ready citizens. 

Winner:

Ron Winch, School of Law and Social Sciences

Highly Commended:

Nassir Ibrahim, Business School

Mohammad Mayouf, School of Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering

Katy Tromans, School of Arts

Andi Smith, School of Life and Health Sciences

Paola Armato-Harris, School of Nursing and Midwifery

Glenn Noble, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

This award recognises the outstanding individuals in our ever-growing apprentice community. They are committed to developing themselves and making an impact in their workplace. We value the impact that apprentices make and are proud to celebrate the talents bridging the space between education and industry, helping to close skill gaps and shape the workforce of tomorrow. 

Winner:
Evonne McIntosh, School of Nursing and Midwifery

This is a person making a difference in their community – whether that’s to the BCU community or in the local area. They are an integral part of their community, helping to make positive change and transform lives. This could be as part of a local or global initiative, driving innovation and pushing forward environmental sustainability, or offering a helping hand where needed.

Staff winner:
Rachel Bramwell, Estates and Facilities

Student winner:
Megan Wilkinson, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

This award recognises our budding and seasoned entrepreneurs, as well as those creating opportunities for our entrepreneurs. They could be bringing a business idea to life, developing an established business, or supporting someone with their start-up. This person could be championing the University’s STEAM agenda (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), leveraging the use of our STEAMhouse collective to identify gaps in the market and make a business venture a success. 

Staff winner:
Gitika Gidwani, Students' Union

Student winner:
Hafeez Mohammad Abdul, School of Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering

If your confidence is faltering and you need someone to help you believe in yourself, or something goes wrong and you’re not sure where to turn – that’s when your Personal Tutor will be on hand to help. Your tutor might have helped involve you in the BCU community, identified opportunities to help you achieve your goals, or gone above and beyond to support you. They’ll help you through a tough time with a friendly face and sound advice about your course, future career and all aspects of University life. 

Winner:

Chris Carter, School of Nursing and Midwifery

The best researchers are those who create knowledge for good and change the way that we see the world, encouraging us to tackle challenges in new ways. This person’s research will have a positive impact on people’s lives, producing knowledge to benefit culture, industry, society and the environment. They will have achieved notable success in the media for conducting ground-breaking research and generating new discoveries. Whether they’re an early-career researcher or well-established in their career, they will be producing high quality research that solves problems and drives societal change. 

Winner:

Saeed Talebi, School of Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering

Our Research Supervisors are the beating heart of our research community, supporting and motivating research students, guiding and challenging where needed. Whether they are new to research supervision or already have extensive experience, this staff member is a good listener, sets expectations early and encourages collaboration. They may have changed a researcher’s perspective or inspired them to push through a challenge. They’re an honest but friendly face, offering constructive criticism and a helping hand whenever needed. 

Winner:

Sarah Pemberton, School of Law and Social Sciences

Our student representatives are the all-important link between students and staff. Friendly and approachable, they provide advice and support to their fellow students, build connections across the University, advocate for change and work with University and BCUSU staff to implement improvements. 

Winner:

Kadshah Ul Nisa, Business School

This award celebrates those who have done the most to champion equality, diversity or inclusivity, whether it’s within our multicultural BCU community or more widely in the city of Birmingham. Either through campaigning, bringing people together or creating opportunities for everyone, this person will be a role model who works hard to make sure people of all backgrounds are included in the conversation.

Staff winner:

Ayazullah Safi, School of Life and Health Sciences

Student winner:

Hina Shafi, School of Life and Health Sciences