Meet 2022 Postgrad Awards judges

Co-founder of Stori, which provides news and media skills for universities, Trina started out as a tap dancer with a nose for news. After gaining industry experience at the Croydon Advertiser, she went on to work in media at The Guardian before moving on to Wonkhe, the home of higher education policy. Stori is a network of education journalists, editors, strategists and copywriters, marketers and media trainers.

1. Why are awards like these so important?
The FindAMasters Postgrad awards celebrate the success, hard work and commitment of the people advancing their studies into subjects that go on to impact our wider society. What's not to love about that?!

2. What are the main things you'll be looking out for in the entries?
I particularly enjoy discovering the stories of those who have gone above and beyond to positively affect people's lives, whether on a small or global scale. It's helpful to understand the impact of the work being carried out.

3. What are you looking forward to most about being a judge?
It's always a pleasure to get a glimpse of some of the emerging work coming from groups and individuals studying at universities. It's a huge privilege to read through every single entry.

Rob is the Head of Skills at BBSRC and has strategic and operational oversight of BBSRC’s investments into doctoral training, working closely with the academic and industrial bioscience research communities, the UKRI Councils and other stakeholders. Prior to this, Rob completed his PhD and five years as a postdoctoral researcher in genetics.

1. Why are awards like these so important?
These awards are incredibly important. Through them we can recognise and reward all the fantastic work being done by students and supervisors and the impact this has on different communities. Not only that, these awards also provide role models for other students and supervisors to emulate. The awards show that these positive actions and behaviours are valued.

2. What are the main things you'll be looking out for in the entries?
I will be looking for a distinctive story that is clear, concise, and addresses the criteria of the competition with evidence. I’ll have an eye on those that bring out the candidate’s personality and shows what motivates them to act.

3. What are you looking forward to most about being a judge?
It is a very humbling experience judging all the excellent contributions being made by students and supervisors, and puts my own time as a PhD and Master’s student to shame! I enjoy reading about all the amazing achievements the candidates are making and being inspired by them. It’s also great to have the chance to provide feedback to candidates to encourage more of the same.

Alizéh is the Vice President of Postgraduate Education at the University of Westminster Students’ Union. Some of the key work she has been working on since she got elected in this role includes lobbying the university for more postgraduate spaces on campuses, increasing pastoral support for both PGTs & PGRs as well as carrying out work on addressing the awarding and attainment gaps at postgraduate level. Alongside working on achieving her manifesto goals, she sits on various University boards and committees to ensure student voice is heard and is the centre of every decision making process.

She is also studying for her MA in Medical Ethics & Law at King’s College London and hopes to pursue a career in the legal field as a Clinical Negligence Solicitor. She further wishes to embark on a journey to do a PhD in Global Health Ethics in the near future.

In addition to working full-time and studying part-time, Alizéh also volunteers as a Fundraising Officer for the Maternal Aid Association, a grassroots charity that aims to provide healthcare and education to women in resource poor settings. She has been involved in other volunteering activities for non-profit organisations, including Friends of Al Aqsa, International Observatory of Human Rights and Windrush Justice Clinic.

Dan heads up the education team at SMRS. In this intensely competitive higher education marketplace SMRS help universities tackle their communication and branding challenges, delivering strategic marketing campaigns and strategic consultancy projects that help institutions change for the better. Dan has been working in Higher Education for 21 years and provides insight and sector expertise to SMRS’s University clients and the wider market. In that time he has worked with both UK and International universities.

1. Why are awards like these so important?
Not only do the awards celebrate all the brilliant work that is happening right across our postgraduate sector but they also serve as an important reminder of the range of amazing opportunities that further study can offer and the huge level of commitment that postgraduate students, researchers and academics across the UK are putting in every year.

2. What are the main things you'll be looking out for in the entries?
There are so many important characteristics to a winning entry. They will involve testimonials from a range of people about the individual’s positive impact on others and on projects. There will be extra-curricular activities that help the wider community and importantly academic excellence and innovation that drives change and benefits for us all

3. What are you looking forward to most about being a judge?
I’m not sure whether ‘looking forward’ is the right description for this point but after judging the awards for a number of years now I’ve grown used to the process causing me to feel more than a little inadequate about my own time at University! One of the most striking things about the entries is the sheer breadth of activities and impacts that the individuals are involved with. It’s truly inspiring.

Jenny is Director of Student Recruitment & Business Development at London Metropolitan University, with a remit for domestic and international recruitment, widening participation and outreach, enquiries and conversion, international mobility and collaborative partnerships. Her particular expertise is in international development and her current work in this space is focussed on using innovative partnerships to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in international student and staff mobility. She is a member leader of NAFSA’s Education Abroad Health and Safety Subcommittee and sits on the UniQuest UK Advisory Board. Jenny is an Academic Associate at UCL’s Institute of Education, where she is also working towards her PhD, exploring issues of sustainability and climate action in internationalisation of higher education.

1. Why are awards like these so important?
There are incredible people making positive change in others’ lives every day and this is an amazing opportunity for some of those unsung heroes in the sector to be celebrated and thanked for their efforts. Whether they’re helping one person or a thousand, recognising positive impact is so important and these awards give that opportunity.

2. What are the main things you'll be looking out for in the entries?
Real life impact. Seeing others' testimonials on what individuals have done to make change happen is so powerful - especially when people often don’t know how important their contributions have been to others’ lives. I’ll be looking out for real life stories to put context around the work that’s going on.

3. What are you looking forward to most about being a judge?
There’s something incredibly humbling about reading stories of others’ impact in the world. I’m really looking forward to being a part of the journey in showing appreciation for some of the fantastic work going on in the sector and allowing those achievements to be celebrated.

With over 20 years experience in the Postgraduate Education sector, Andy co-founded FindAUniversity back in 2001 after graduating from the University of Sheffield with an MSc in Information Management. Involved in all aspects of the business from programming to marketing, Andy helped to grow FindAUniversity from a couple of desks in a conservatory to one of the most recognised international brands in postgraduate student recruitment. FindAMasters.com and FindAPhD.com are used by over 900 universities from 50 countries, providing a comprehensive source of global study opportunities. FindAUniversity’s growing events business includes running the UK’s busiest postgraduate fairs & marketing conferences for HE professionals. Andy is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and is an investor in a number of other businesses within the sector.

1. Why are awards like these so important?
It’s really important that we celebrate postgraduate study and reward those who go above and beyond in the sector. There are some AMAZING students, teachers, and supervisors out there, and hopefully our Postgrad Awards will help inspire others to be the best they can!

2. What are the main things you'll be looking out for in the entries?
It depends on the category really, but the judges love entries that tell a story and demonstrate a real contribution to the postgraduate community. Practically speaking, entries that are clear and concise with good (but not excessive!) supporting evidence are always welcomed. We love novel/unusual entries that catch the eye too!

3. What are you looking forward to most about being a judge?
This is my fourth year of judging, and every year I’m blown away by the standard of the entries we receive. It can be quite an emotional and humbling experience reading through the submissions, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what this year brings!