Monday 06-07-2026 - 16:39

Academic Reps are the linchpin of the student experience here at Lancaster University. These student leaders represent you at academic meetings, raise issues and feedback with lecturers, and help drive meaningful change within the University’s structures. 

 

 

Much of their work often goes unnoticed - which is why we at LUSU believe it is so important to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions our reps have made over the past year. 

On the 18th June, the 2026 Academic Rep Awards was held. Full of plant-based food and festivities, we took this opportunity celebrated all those who the Lancaster academic community felt have gone above and beyond in their roles, going the extra mile to shape and enhance the student experience. 

 

 

With this being the third year, we have been hosting these awards, it has never been bigger. This year we received 165 nominations with over 50 different academic reps being nominated across all faculties – the highest we have ever seen.  

Below are the winners from the Awards night along with their respective speeches delivered on the night. These are the reps who the Lancaster academic community felt have gone above and beyond in their roles, going the extra mile to shape and enhance the student experience. 

While we celebrate these individuals, we also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that, with over 500 academic reps at Lancaster, spanning every discipline and mode of study, this only represents a small cross-section of the truly incredible work reps do. 

Whether it be hosting impactful socials, creating surveys and forms to gather feedback, raising an issue at a staff-student meeting, or simply attending some of the numerous rep related events over the past year, all the things, regardless of how big or small, has been truly impactful.    

It is their collective efforts have played a vital role in making Lancaster a better place for all. This recognition is a testament to each and every one of them. 

Photos from the event can be found here. 

 

FHASS 

Maisy Swann  

Maisy has been an outstanding representative for Global religions, representing all programme with commitment, professionalism, and care.   

Their impact has been noticeable, whether it be through their communicative and responsive approach to the role, or their ability to gather feedback and setting up forms to solicit student views.  

Most notable was their role in organizing student consultation on the renaming and reintroduction of the reinstated Joint Honours degree, providing responses promptly and professionally.  

As one nomination puts it: “They have been an excellent role model in their engagement and enthusiasm for the subject and role. They have been both a proactive advocate for students and an exemplar for their peers”.   

 

Julia Hauret  

A 2nd year IR Rep, Julia can be characterized by their exceptional communication skills and their dedication to the role.  

As well as playing a role in feedback regarding CTP, working hard to make fellow students voices heard at the school and university level, many of their contemporaries have noted how effective they have been at conveying student concerns.  

This has been especially the case when tackling ongoing issues with problematic modules or with Moodle pages themselves, advocating for change to benefit their fellow students.   

Alongside this, they have played a key role in closing the feedback loop, ensuring that students and fellow reps are kept informed of any changes which have occurred.  

It is this dedication to clear communication, their commitment to improving the student experience, and their hard work and leadership which makes them truly deserving of this recognition.  

 

Elsa Dorman  

Elsa, as well as being an outstanding School Lead rep, has been an integral part of the School of Arts and the English Literature and Creative Writing rep team for the past 2 years.  

What has marked them out as been their exceptional abilities as a rep to communicate effectively and to tackle issues head on, whether it be taking the lead in organizing meetings to solve specific problems or navigating university processes, regardless of how big or small issues have been.   

As well as being easy to approach and their dedication to feeding back to the rest of their fellow peers, a noticeable trait has been their professionalism - something which they have demonstrated in every aspect of their role.   

As a staff member puts it: “I am impressed by their professionalism in all their dealings with the University processes and their efforts to improve the student experience whenever they can. I nominate Elsa without hesitation: their work goes above and beyond the role brief." 

 

Laura Hajnal  

Laura has been a rep within the Law school for the past 2 years and has truly taken this role in their stride.  

Whether it be utilising social media to engage peers, presenting both positive and negative feedback to school leadership through a range of meetings, her impact has been felt within the school.  

As one nomination puts it, their feedback was vital in bringing about change – ranging from improving clarity on module reading lists to improving inclusive student engagement and inclusive programme design.   

Their tireless commitment to improving the student experience of their peers, and their willingness to speak on behalf of the students on their programme has not gone unnoticed.   

 

Aura Yao  

Aura can be characterized by their committed, approachable, and proactive approach to representing PGR students within their school.  

As well as being engaged in meetings, often presenting original insights, and being easy for fellow students to find to share feedback and concerns, she has gone above and beyond in supporting the PGR experience.  

For example, in the wake of faculty changes and the subsequent ending or pausing of some seminars in the new term, they have still helped to continue running such seminars and other related student activities.   

Likewise, with the recent and highly problematic changes to PGR study spaces within the faculty, they have been at the heart of these issues, working closely with stakeholders and the university on ensuring that PGR voices are heard.   

Beyond their conscientious, dedicated, and demonstrable passion for student representation, they are truly deserving of this award. 

 

Akshaya Ghotekar  

Characterized by their honesty and transparency, Akshaya, in their role as FHASS PGT faculty rep, has played an active role in checking in, relaying information and making sure that post-grad reps are always included – especially on LU futures where PG input has often been ignored.  

Known for being approachable, they are easy to speak to, setting up 1-2-1 meetings to go over concerns and always being a good port of call.  

Further, they have shown tremendous leadership, bringing together reps from other MA cohorts and leading this team, whether it be organising meetings, conducting student questionnaires of their own initiative, and presenting the results in a dynamic and productive way.  

They have also been engaged with LUSU, whether it be attending OFS roundtables on AI, co-leading the Faculty Forums, or contributing to UA.  

Over the past year, they have truly been pivotal in ensuring that PGTs are represented in FHASS – making them worthy of this recognition. 

 

 

LUMS 

Thomas Hogan  

What defines Thomas is their practical approach to creating tangible change for students within the economics department.  

Indeed, this can be demonstrated by the numerous numbers of issues they have sought to rectify.  

This has ranged from lobbying for visualizer technology to replace whiteboards in lectures to allow students to take lecture notes more efficiently, to campaigning and helping to remove a problematic lecture venue after raising technical concerns to ISS and the department. Likewise, they have also passionately advocated for placement students who face unique challenges when balancing applications and coursework simultaneously.   

As well as their approachability, it’s their dedication to drive to create change and to stand up for fellow students which truly set them apart - we feel that they are truly deserving of this award. 

 

Grace Maxim  

Despite the challenges that come with being a first-year department rep, Grace has truly taken this responsibility in their stride.   

What makes them stand out is their reliability and proactive attitude to the role, making them a key link between students and the department.   

Beyond this, they are not afraid to innovate and try new things. For example, have led to starting a social media page for BAMO reps to keep BAMO students informed of any events or issues.   

Likewise, they have worked closely with their department on planning next year's welcome week, ensuring that BAMO reps are able to arrange a welcome session for incoming students to help them settle and answer questions they may have.  

As well as actively listening to their peers and demonstrating maturity, showing initiative and a genuine commitment to improving the student experience, it's this drive to experiment which truly makes them worthy of this award. 

 

Angel Gupta  

Angel truly embodies what a rep should be. Someone who is proactive, able to communicate effectively, and made students feel that they are heard and valued.  

Alongside juggling their other volunteering responsibilities within the JCR and the Accounting society, what strikes us the most to their contemporaries is their natural gift for hospitality – ensuring that anyone who enters their space feels immediately valued and at ease.  

It is these traits which they extend to the rep work, being an effective conduit between students and their department, creating an environment where students feel comfortable to raise concerns and feel represented.  

Overall, it is their compassionate approach to the role which makes them a worthy recipient of an award. 

 

Emmanuel Tawiah Bissah  

Being a PhD student is tough, having to juggle competing research commitments, multiple meetings, attending conferences, whilst writing a thesis, all whilst being either self-funded or surviving off a stipend which has not gone up with inflation in years.   

However, despite this, Emmanuel's continuous positive approach, their consistent availability and not being afraid of going the extra mile to help those around them is what truly sets Emmanuel apart.   

For example, when new PGRs and students join, Emmanuel goes out of their way to take their time to show them around the department, making them feel welcomed – especially to those who are just finding their feet. Likewise, no matter how busy gets, they are always willing to answer questions, never making anyone feel like a burden for asking.   

Ultimately, it is this relentlessly positive approach that Emmanuel takes in their role, and the positive atmosphere that they create as a result is what makes them truly worthy of an award. 

 

David Franco Hernandez  

Despite representing a small cohort of only 12 students, David has played a skillful role in ensuring that the voices of a very diverse international postgraduate student body were heard throughout the year.  

As well as handling sensitive and sometimes difficult conversations with care and diplomacy, what truly has been remarkable has been their proactive, timely, and solution-oriented approach they have taken within their rep role.   

Indeed, it is this approach which has truly helped to improve the experience of their fellow students over the past year. As one staff member puts it, this has allowed the department to identify emerging themes early, respond to them quickly, whilst making sure that the student experience is at the centre of decision-making. As well as helping to strengthen student-staff communications, all of this would not have been possible without the interventions of David.   

Despite the challenges when it comes to representing a small but diverse cohort of students, David has truly taken this in their stride, making them truly deserving of this award.   

 

Yuhan Jiang  

What is striking about Yuhan, besides having to manage a PhD and the responsibilities which come with it, is their all-encompassing approach when it comes to being an academic rep.  

What initially strikes us is their ability to be that effective conduit between the student body and the department, using that to good use throughout the past year – a notable example being the recent office relocation where, with many fellow PhD students facing practical difficulties and uncertainty, David tackled this issue head on. Through gathering feedback and following up with relevant staff, such concerns were heard and addressed, making the move much smoother as a result.  

Alongside this, they have played a key role in building a welcoming PhD environment, making visiting students and new PhD researchers feel welcomed and helping them to settle in and feel included.  

Overall, it’s their dedication to representation, and contribution to the student community that truly makes them worthy of this award. 

 

FHM 

Lydia Saunders  

Lydia has both been vocal and passionate, proving to be a key part of the BLS rep contingent.   

As well as being proactive in gathering feedback and utilising multiple forms to do so, they have been heavily involved in the Academic Rep Timetabling working group, making sure that feedback from BLS courses and years are directly fed in. Likewise, they have been proactive in campaigning for better student-university relationships, ensuring that students are at the forefront of decision making within their department and beyond.  

It's this consistent effort to be involved with their cohort and their drive to champion the voices of others means that they are deserving of this award. 

 

Alejandro Arguelles Bullon  

Alejandro, whilst being a long serving rep; they have truly been a stalwart within the Department of Health Research. As a distance learning PGR student and one who is currently studying abroad in Canada, this poses difficulties when it comes to being a rep. This is especially the case when it comes to engaging with fellow students who may be in completely different time zones whilst having a distinct lack of physical community which most on-campus students take for granted – often being forgotten within traditional university conversations.   

Despite this, throughout their time as a rep over the past few years, they have always gone above and beyond.   

They have consistently served as a vital bridge between students and staff and have continuously played a key role in communicating and getting involved in key initiatives within the department.   

Here, we recognize Alejandro's continuous dedication to their role, despite the challenges which arise from it – recognising the important role distance learning students play within the wider Lancaster University community.   

 

Jackson Hindle  

As well as never missing a meeting, Jackson has also been a great asset to the BLS academic rep team this past year.  

What is noticeable is Jackson's ability to engage with students within their cohort, whether through WhatsApp or other means and ensuring their voices are heard. It is this transparency and their eagerness to feedback and communicate changes which have made them stand out.  

Indeed, their contribution to CTP consultations, delivering feedback and contributing to key changes such as the proposed changes to a final year project and their IBMS reaccreditation event, and raising agenda items whilst being involved with discussions has been praised by both students and staff alike.   

It’s this passion to get involved and pushing for change within their department is what truly makes them deserving of this award. 

 

Anna Weckert  

Being described as “incredible” by some, Anna has shown incredible ability and dedication to being a rep.  

Whether it be personally booking out rooms in the library at specific times to give students a chance to come and speak to them about issues, directly contacting members of staff to discuss feedback, sending out feedback forms, or pushing for updates on CTP, they have truly demonstrated what it means to be an academic rep – all whilst having a huge smile on their face!  

As one student puts it:   

“One thing that has not changed since the start of the year, is their commitment and they have always gone above and beyond to be the best rep they can”.  

What truly stands out is their ability to rely on others, sharing feedback and working with fellow reps to problem solve issues which come to light.  

It’s this teamwork and commitment to the role which makes Anna a worthy recipient for this award. 

 

Harishan Sivakanthan  

As a first year, Harishan has shown full commitment to their role, playing a key part in managing communications, and showing exceptional self-initiative in promoting the BLS reps to the wider community.   

Harishan has proven to be an effective communicator, working with the deputy rep Georgina in collecting feedback – once collected over 20 responses in a single form.  

Whilst impressive, their main achievement has been their innovative role in managing the newly formed BLS reps Instagram account. In this role, they have been the centre piece for rep communications within the department, working with BioSoc and sharing any news to the wider BLS student community. This has ranged from sharing what feedback that has been received to what actions have been taken in response by the department.  

It’s their dedication to closing the feedback loop, and their initiative which makes them a worthy winner of this award. 

 

Niall Barlow  

I would like to take this opportunity to recognise a department rep who has truly gone above and beyond what a rep truly can be.  

Whether it's being helpful, approachable, or always willing to listen, Niall has truly made a mark on the role, helping to re-shape and lead the BLS rep contingent to greater heights this past academic year.  

It's this dedication to elevating the student voice which truly has not gone unnoticed. Whether it be creating a 3rd year group chat for all biology students to keep everyone in the loop and involve students in key decision making, or by working collaboratively with BioSoc in boosting attendance and raising its profile among students, their commitment to the wider Biology community at Lancaster has been evident.   

They have brough real unity to the BLS rep team, coordinating meetings, effectively navigating staff-student committees, and working with fellow reps with action plans afterwards – producing clear results for students within the department.   

It is this consistency, commitment to community, and deep focus on what’s best for students which truly makes Niall deserving of this award. 

 

Jess Thorpe  

For the past 2 years, Jess, the FHM UG faculty rep, by the words of their contemporaries, led by example.  

For those who know them, their commitment to their role as a rep has been obvious, demonstrated by their continuous professionalism, leadership skills, and friendly nature which has made them a rock within FHM.  

Whether it be leading countless faculty forums, working tirelessly to engage with reps from other departments, or their approachable and friendly nature, it would be hard to meet a rep within FHM who has not benefited from their work. Making people feel heard and listened to, and their proactive and understanding approach underpins much of their work.  

Indeed, whilst FHM can be seen as a fragmented faculty, over the last 2 years, Jess has made strides in closing these gaps, emphasizing community and connections throughout their work.   

Beyond this, large parts of their most impactful work have also come with working collaboratively with departmental and faculty staff, and fellow reps, with many praising their insightful and solution-oriented approach to the role. Indeed, beyond getting stuck in with CTP, they have played a role in shifting the direction both within the BLS department and the faculty in regard to how student issues are tackled, ensuring students are always championed in their approach.  

All this together, it is difficult to overstate the monumental role Jess has played in the academic rep space at Lancaster. Their role within LUSU, the university more widely, and most importantly, on the students they represent, it is difficult to see how a rep can a greater impact than them.  

As one rep puts it:  

“For 2 years, Jess has acted as a prime example of what impact an academic rep can have on the student experience, and their consistent effort has led to both an empowered FHM rep team and a CTP (at least in BLS) that has been heavily shaped by and for students.” 

 

FST 

Sanna Hutchinson  

To our first awardee, as well as juggling their responsibilities as a society exec and a college JCR member, Sanna has been a real asset to the department and their wider cohort.  

As well as carrying out their rep duties with tact and dedication, they have been an advocate for students with ILSPs working extensively to ensure that such students are given their correct reasonable adjustments.  

A real conduit for change and advocate for their fellow students, it's this aspect of their actions which makes Sanna truly deserving of this award. 

 

Kathryn Vest  

As a PGR rep in LEC, what makes Kathryn stand out is their commitment to enhancing the research culture and her drive to create a positive experience for their fellow PGRs and wider community within the department.  

Their drive to enhance and develop the PGR community within their department has been recognized as being instrumental in the creation of community building initiatives. This has ranged from organizing monthly PGR coffee mornings, by-monthly socials, and monthly seminars for their research group – creating informal opportunities for PGRs to share their research and experiences.  

They have also been an active member of the staff-student meetings, playing a key role in sharing the voices of fellow LEC PGRs during the recent LEC research group's re-structure.   

As one nomination puts it: “they are a valuable member of our community who goes above and beyond to serve her fellow PGRs at LEC”.  

With their dedication to the PGR community and voice initiatives within their department, we feel that Kathryn is deserving of this recognition. 

 

Daisy O'Rawe  

What has been noticeable about Daisy has been their role in driving and contributing to various successful initiatives within their department.  

Firstly, they have been the lead rep in running weekly peer mentoring sessions – as head peer mentor; they have had the task of coordinating a team of 10-15 mentors to run weekly support sessions for first year students.   

This being a tremendous success with sessions being well attended throughout the year. What has been impressive as been their attention and thought to the pedagogical and social aspects of running peer mentoring, leading to them giving a talk about this at the upcoming Education conference taking place next week.   

Secondly, they have worked closely with the department on the issue of recorded lectures. Here, they have had to navigate the issues and tensions between lecturers wanting to maximise attendance by limiting availability of lecture recordings and the needs of students with ILSPs, and the reasonable adjustments that the department needs to make. This has led to a new policy which has been adopted by the teaching committee – a direct result of Daisy’s involvement.  

In combination with their dedication to improving the student experience, leading on department wide initiatives within the School of Mathematical Sciences, and making long lasting change at the departmental level, Daisy is truly deserving of this recognition. 

 

Freddie Manning 

View the video message for Freddie here.

Transcript:  

"Hi everybody, this is Liv Speed, your undergrad FST Rep. Unfortunately, I can't be there today because I'm on holiday. So, I am announcing one of the winners of the rep awards from my hotel room. So, I'm announcing that one of my reps has won an award. I'm very proud of this person. They have been completely exemplary. Throughout the year they've had quite tough things to deal with and they've done it probably better than I ever could. And yeh, really deserve this award. Very proud of him and I am announcing that Freddie Manning has won a Rep award. Congrats, Freddie. Woo. I can't clap." 

 

 

Paddy Mclean  

As PGR FST faculty rep, Paddy has been pivotal in developing the PGR engineering community, organizing events ranging from coffee/biscuit social meetups, and town hall meet-ups to discuss what changes fellow PGRs students want.  

Alongside this, they have also been active on the PGR Teams site, communicating events to PGRs and playing a key role in furnishing the new PGR social space in the Science and Technology building. A key aspect of their character has been their responsive and proactive nature and being an eager advocate for PGRs and their fellow reps.   

The most notable initiative that they have been spearheading has been the cost of living for PGRs project – the key issue being how PGRs across the university are in many respects similar to members of staff and should therefore receive similar benefits to them. This has involved gathering feedback, creating surveys and reports, and presenting findings to key senior university stakeholders.   

Overall, they have played an important role in representing fellow PGR students within FST and thus, we feel Paddy is deserving of this recognition. 

 

Olivia Speed  

What is striking about Olivia, as UG FST faculty rep, is their dedication to their role, their tireless dedication to advocate for students, acting on pertinent issues, and always making time to sit and talk to students, no matter how big or small the issues are. It's this attention to detail which is repeatedly reflected in all the nominations they have received.   

As one student nomination puts it:  

“They have consistently gone above and beyond to ensure our voices are heard, and our feedback is acted upon. They are always willing and incredibly able to stand up to people within the department(s) on difficult issues, addressing behaviour, making sure marks are back in reasonable time, acting on complaints and issues no matter the severity.   

They always remain professional and kind, keeping anonymity of complaints and talking to everyone, taking all kinds of feedback positive and negative.”  

Their role in developing and working on AI guidance and training for students has also not gone unnoticed, leading on creating surveys, writing reports and presenting to the FST Faculty group on this issue – something which is being taken seriously by faculty and senior university management.  

It’s this passion and determination to champion fellow students within their faculty, the seriousness they have taken on this responsibility, and how they have worked collaboratively with both university and fellow academic reps which makes them truly deserving of this award.   

 

 

This is just some of the work Reps do throughout the year, and we’d like to thank every single one for the crucial work they do.  

Whether or not you were nominated or won an award, all of this would not be possible without you. It's the reps which makes the academic rep system what it is, whether it be going out to get feedback, working together, providing constructive feedback to staff, or by leading on community building initiatives – all of this goes a long way to enhancing the student experience for all.   

Here, I would like to recognise and thank our student staff members, our Faculty and Department reps, and university colleagues for the work they all do to help support the academic rep system.  

So, on behalf of LUSU, and everyone involved with the Academic rep system, thank you.