Academic Rep of the Year 2024 - Roll of Honour

The Academic Rep of the Year Awards celebrate those reps who went the extra mile to represent students, and have worked with staff to make student’s academic experience better.

An Academic Rep of the year is awarded in each Faculty, and an overall winner is selected from the Faculty winners.

Nominations for the Academic Rep of the Year Award ran from Monday 4 March - Friday 26 April 2024

A total of 229 nominations were received across the eleven faculties, for 112 individual Academic Reps.

Overall Winner - Sid Charaschanya

"Sid has been outstanding in their role as an Academic Representative. They have worked tirelessly to communicate student feedback to the department, leading to improvements in various areas such as marking transparency and fairness. They have also taken the initiative to organise focus groups to discuss student feedback directly with the department, facilitating positive changes in response to student concerns. They also manage the departments discord channel providing regular updates and sharing detailed meeting notes after every department meeting. Finally, they also successfully led an initiative to rename their programme aiming to better reflect the course's nature and attract more students to UCL."

Congratulations Sid we are so proud of everything you have achieved!!

Faculty Winners

Congratulations to our Academic Rep of the Year faculty winners! This award recognises their outstanding dedication, hard work, and commitment to representing and advocating for the interests of students. Their efforts not only enhanced the academic experience but also significantly contributed to the overall improvement of their faculties.

Emma Sihn - Arts & Humanities

Emma led the organisation of final year ball for their cohort, overcoming challenges to create a memorable experience for students. Additionally, they have been instrumental in advocating for student interests, leading formal complaints procedures to ensure a safer environment within their department. Emma's commitment and leadership has not gone unnoticed and their willingness to go above and beyond their role as an Academic Representative exemplifies their dedication to enhancing the student experience.

Georgina Wilson-Cousins - Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment 

Georgina has been awarded for her outstanding dedication and impactful contributions. Her proactive approach in collaborating with staff has led to tangible improvements in various areas of student life. For instance, she has played a key role in highlighting and addressing the challenges faced by disabled and part-time students, resulting in significant changes in how the department and faculty support these groups. Furthermore, she has demonstrated exemplary leadership as an SSCC co-chair, effectively facilitating discussions and ensuring that all Academic Reps have the opportunity to voice their concerns and contribute to decision-making processes.

Charlotte Patient - Brain Sciences 

Charlotte has shown exceptional dedication to their role as an Academic Rep and has made a positive impact. As Co-Chair of their SSCC, they demonstrated remarkable leadership, implementing key improvements in programme management. They also proactively addressed student concerns regarding a popular module, leading to successful resolution of feedback and marking issues. Additionally, Charlotte played a central role in establishing the JogOn initiative, contributing significantly to PALS' recognition as UCL's greenest department for the 10th consecutive year. Finally, their active involvement in organising various Psychology Society activities further demonstrates their commitment to enhancing student life.

Terisha Tan - Education & Society - IOE 

Terisha has been acknowledged for their proactive efforts in addressing student concerns and organising welfare activities. They offered valuable feedback on modules, collaborated with staff to adjust class structures, and advocated for students facing challenges in securing internships due to visa constraints, limiting their availability to 20 hours per week while completing dissertations over the summer. Furthermore, Terisha organised a range of social events for students, creating a strong community amongst their peers.  

Sid Charaschanya - Engineering Sciences

Sid has worked tirelessly to communicate student feedback to the department, leading to improvements in various areas such as marking transparency and fairness. They have also taken the initiative to organise focus groups to discuss student feedback directly with the department, facilitating positive changes in response to student concerns. Sid also manages the departments discord channel providing regular updates and sharing detailed meeting notes after every department meeting. Finally, they also successfully led an initiative to rename their programme aiming to better reflect the course's nature and attract more students to UCL.

Bella Qureshi, Ian Teoh & Malakie Davis - Laws

Bella, Ian and Malakie have demonstrated remarkable adaptability and dedication. Their collective award underscores their tireless commitment to meeting with faculty members weekly, promptly addressing issues, and fostering constructive collaboration with the student body. Faculty members have expressed that they are a pleasure to work with, highlighting their proactive approach and willingness to provide constructive feedback, which have significantly enhanced education within Laws.

Farida Ibrahim - Life Sciences

Throughout the academic year, Farida has demonstrated exceptional dedication. Their efforts have focused on bridging the gap between students and staff, particularly in addressing examination conditions impacted by strikes. They also organised a year group survey, with an impressive 80% participation rate, highlighting their commitment to gathering student feedback and driving positive change. Farida also took the initiative to organise the PharmAlliance International Case Competition, fostering global partnerships and innovative solutions to health and social challenges.

Sophie-Jayne Bush - Mathematical & Physical Sciences

Throughout the year, Sophie has shown remarkable dedication and leadership, prioritising community building among UG reps. They fostered effective communication channels to address issues at the faculty level, creating a supportive network for student representation across MAPS. Organising rep meetings and engaging faculty staff, Sophie advocated for student concerns, notably during discussions on new education policies. Despite personal health challenges, they remained a strong advocate for students, representing their course and building relationships within the faculty. Their resilience and commitment make them a valuable asset to both MAPS and UCL.

Connar Mawer - Medical Sciences

Connar has demonstrated exceptional dedication in advocating for neurodivergent students and improving the academic experience at UCL. They have actively joined various committees such as the Early Career Researcher Network and the Research Culture Community Steering Group, empowering students, and staff to participate in challenging discussions by communicating difficult student feedback in a concise and constructive way. Leading a UCL Changemaker’s Project, Connar has collaborated with different UCL teams to enhance support for students with learning difficulties, resulting in significant contributions to the university.

Penny Jenkins, Ilyan Marshall, Aleksandr Ignatev & Adriana Manjon - Population Health Sciences

This team of Academic Representatives has made significant contributions to Population Health Sciences. Together, they have successfully advocated for the creation of a dedicated space for undergraduate students, providing a communal area for students to meet and relax. Additionally, they have collaborated with faculty staff to improve assessment feedback within their programme, conducting surveys and compiling reports to drive positive changes. They have also demonstrated leadership and commitment in various roles, including serving as transition mentors for Year 1 students and taking on officer positions in the Population Health Sciences Society. Their proactive approach to organising student events, such as formal dinners and social gatherings, has also strengthened the sense of community within the cohort.

Luna de la Llama Kempeneers & Manya Gupta - Social & Historical Sciences

Luna and Manya have been pivotal in advancing student interests within the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences. Their collaborative efforts and proactive approach in the Faculty Student Forum have led to significant improvements in the student experience. They also successfully streamlined the student representative election process, increasing clarity and consistency, and launched the 'SHS Scoop' newsletter to foster interdepartmental connectivity. Additionally, they worked closely with career services to enhance student support and facilitated the sharing of best practices among departments.

Congratulations to our shortlisted Academic Reps! If you would like to attend the Education Awards please click this link here.

Arts & Humanities

Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment

Brain Sciences

Education & Society - IOE

Engineering

Laws

Life Sciences

Mathematical & Physical Sciences

Medical Sciences

Population Health Sciences

Social & Historical Sciences

All spellings are based off the nominations we have received. If your name has been spelt incorrectly, please email [email protected] and we will update this for you.