Colleagues and students recognised at Students' Union Academic Awards 2026
07 May 2026
The Students' Union hosted the annual Academic Awards in Whitworth Hall. These awards aim to celebrate the thousands of staff and students who put their hearts in what they do enrich our education community and students academic experience.
Over 100 attendees from across our University community attended.
The awards are separated into three categories: Student Voice & Academic Community, Academic Representatives of the Year and Transforming Learning.
A massive congratulations to all those nominated, shortlisted and those who won!
“It was such a pleasure to be part of such a special night where we could all take the time to celebrate the people at the University that have made a specific, special impact, giving them the recognition they truly deserve. A huge congratulations once again to all of our award nominees and winners as well as to our event organisers from the SU – the evening wouldn’t have been what it was without you all!” – Amrit Dhillon, Faculty of Science and Engineering Officer, Students’ Union
Winners and Shortlisted
Category: Student Voice and Academic Community
Academic Community Builder of the Year
- Winner: Pietro Paolo Frigenti (Hums)
- Highly Commended: Diversify Politics
- Highly Commended: Hanan El-Wandi (Hums)
Academic Society of the Year
- Winner: Women in Business Society
- Highly Commended: Diversify Politics
- Highly Commended: Manchester Neurology & Neurosurgery Society
Commitment to Student Voice
- Winner: Transforming Assessment Together Project (FBMH)
- Team members: Grazyna Grace Lipowska-Bhalla, Yasmin Yamak, Karina Lear, and Kieron Allinson
- Highly Commended: Alejandra Vicente Colmenares (FSE)
- Highly Commended: Pietro Paolo Frigenti (Hums)
Outstanding Student–Staff Partnership
- Winner: Breaking the Audio Barrier to Let a Voice Out (Hums)
- Pietro Paolo Frigenti, Xinrui Shan, Ashley Er Seen Yi, Baria Imran, Chae Yoon Park, Lia Joe and Eleanor Young (Hums)
- Highly Commended: Transforming Assessment Together (FBMH)
- Highly Commended: Lei Zeng (FSE)
Category: Academic Reps of the Year
Faculty of Humanities (Hums)
- Winner: Vuyo Dube
- Highly Commended: Harsath Udayakumar
- Highly Commended: Maria‑Mihaela Vierita
Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE)
- Winner: Abdelrahman Shaaban
- Highly Commended: Matthew Dalgliesh
- Highly Commended: Yuxin Yan
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH)
- Winner: Fiona Chan
- Highly Commended: Ishnoor Kaur
- Highly Commended: Anahita Jayaram
Postgraduate Research Academic Rep of the Year
- Winner: Christian Nwosu (FSE)
- Highly Commended: Brogan Pritchard (Hums)
- Highly Commended: Md Faisal Mahmud (FSE)
Category: Transforming Teaching
Outstanding Student Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Winner: Adella Lumbantobing (FBMH)
- Highly Commended: Diversify Politics
- Highly Commended: North West Biotech Initiative
Excellence in Decolonising the Curriculum
- Winner: Cristina Masters and the Inclusive Classrooms Project (Hums)
- Highly Commended: Laura Swain (FBMH)
- Highly Commended: Clara Dawson (Hums)
Outstanding Academic Advisor
- Winner: Doron Cohen (FBMH)
- Highly Commended: Danny Dresner (FSE)
- Highly Commended: Pietro Paolo Frigenti (Hums)
Excellence in Teaching Practice
- Winner: Doron Cohen (FBMH)
- Highly Commended: Abdullatif Alfutimie (FSE)
- Highly Commended: Pietro Paolo Frigenti (Hums)
Outstanding Teaching Assistants
- Winner: Sam Thozer (Hums)
- Highly Commended: Venus Muscat‑Craig and Stephen Craig (FBMH)
- Highly Commended: Mariangela D’Acri (Hums)
Outstanding PGR Supervisor
- Winner: Hala Shokr (FBMH)
- Highly Commended: Abbie Jones (FSE)
- Highly Commended: Michele Caprio (FSE)
- Highly Commended: Paul Tobin (Hums)
Excellence in Student Success Through Canvas
- Winner: Cristina Masters and the Inclusive Classrooms Project (Hums)
- Highly Commended: Pietro Paolo Frigenti (Hums)
- Highly Commended: Alan Davies (FBMH)
Excellence in Embedding Employability in the Curriculum
- Winner: Duncan Hull (FSE)
- Highly Commended: Miriam Firth (Hums)
- Highly Commended: Pietro Paolo Frigenti (Hums)
Education Officer Special Recognition Award 2026
- Winner: FBMH Decolonising the Curriculum
- Adella Lumbantobing, Carl Kulimushi, Adam Danquah, Maria Canal, Sohini Biswas, Anna Hood, Samantha Rogers, Lou Shirley, Samhita Mukheriee, Lorraine Wierko‑Brobbey