UHI Inverness celebrates double shortlisting for national college awards
A double celebration could be on the cards for UHI Inverness tomorrow (Thursday) after it was shortlisted for two UK college awards.
It has been named in two categories at this year’s CDN College Awards. which recognise the talent, innovation and achievements of Scotland’s colleges, staff and learners.
This year CDN received a record-breaking 163 submissions, making UHI Inverness’s double shortlist success even more impressive.
Kelly Mackenzie, the ICT project manager, has been shortlisted for the Professional Services Colleague of the Year Award in recognition of the “significant positive impact” her many projects have had on the lives of its students. Outside of her work in ICT she also runs The Larder - a campus food bank for students - and along with Cycling UK, was instrumental in introducing an inclusive cycle scheme for students and members of the public with disabilities.
The installation of a campus media wall was another of her accomplishments, and she has secured £50,000 in funding for a proposed campus community garden with outdoor learning facilities.
UHI Inverness’s other award hope is for its development of a Research Pathway for all staff, which is a finalist in the Research Project of the Year Award. The Research Pathway, which is led by head of professional development Fiona Gunn and tertiary education leader Sharon MacFarlane, allows any staff member to conduct research at a level that matches their knowledge and experience, and is aimed at “further enhancing the research culture at UHI Inverness”.
The winners will be announced at a celebration ceremony in Glasgow on Thursday (November 14).
Kelly Mackenize said: “I am delighted to be shortlisted for this award because my main goal is to improve the college experience for students, and this nomination recognises that campus initiatives, such as The Larder, contribute to the supportive and inclusive environment at UHI Inverness. I’m also looking forward to the awards ceremony as a welcome opportunity to celebrate with some of the many amazing colleagues who have helped me by supporting my work and projects.”
Fiona Gunn added: “I am delighted we have been nominated for the CDN Research Project of the Year Award 2024. Our submission focuses on the development and implementation of a research pathway for staff at UHI Inverness. We aim to support our staff to engage in research activity to build their research skills and produce outputs that enhance our student and staff experience.
“The pathway is designed to enable any staff member to participate and since it opened, staff from both curriculum and professional services teams have completed projects that will positively impact our students and the wider organisation. The pathway represents one aspect of the vibrant research culture at UHI Inverness and resulted from collaborative working between several different staff teams.”
Responding to their award nominations, UHI Inverness vice principal, Dr Lindsay Snodgrass congratulated the two teams.
“We are thrilled to see both Kelly’s contributions and our research culture recognised on a national level,” said Dr Snodgrass. “Kelly is an outstanding colleague who is well known for going above and beyond. She has a talent for identifying valuable projects and seeing them through with infectious enthusiasm and determination, and her commitment to students is completely admirable.
“Additionally, our Research Pathway has shown that when we enable all staff to participate in research, and we create valuable inquiry that strengthens our institution as a whole.”
