University of Bath lecturer Dr Anna Young has been named as an ‘unsung hero’ of the pandemic for helping more than 1,200 undergraduates at the university successfully transition to blended learning.
Dr Young’s actions were recognised with the PA Consulting New Educator award, presented to her by The Princess Royal at the WISE Covid Unsung Heroes ceremony in Windsor Castle earlier this week, pictured.
Organised by community interest company WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) – of which The Princess Royal is a long-standing patron – the awards shine a light on women whose actions and brilliance have helped improve lives and communities during the pandemic, but who may have – until now – received little recognition.
Judges praised Dr Young, pictured below, for her “transformational” role in ensuring the university’s mechanical engineering department’s undergraduates were able to switch to a new way of learning forced on them by the pandemic.
She was instrumental in improving the department’s pastoral response, introducing its student engagement monitoring process to help identify students who might be struggling both mentally and academically, and who might need additional support due to the pandemic.
She also used her own time to develop resources for staff unfamiliar with the technology needed for teaching online, as well as playing a key role in a departmental drive to make PPE more readily available for healthcare workers across Bath.
The WISE awards celebrate a variety of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) roles, backgrounds and industries and include high-level endorsement from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
They were judged by leading industry voices, including Prof Dame Sue Hill, chief scientific officer for England and senior responsible officer for NHS Genomics, and Ricky Martin, member of the Royal Society for Chemistry and winner of the BBC’s The Apprentice.
WISE chief executive Kay Hussain said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to witness the work of these amazing women over the last two years.
“Each nominee has a made a superb contribution during the pandemic and we truly wish that we could have celebrated them all as winners.
“Since being appointed CEO of WISE in the height of the pandemic, I have been so impressed by the tenacity, excellence and vision demonstrated by so many women in STEM, and none more so, than those recognised last night. We want to personally thank each of them for contributions they have made to our society.”
Dame Sue Hill DBE, who is lead ambassador at WISE, added: “These women have made an astounding impact during the pandemic, going above and beyond to help keep our population and communities safe during a truly challenging time.
“As an ambassador for WISE, I am continuously amazed at the achievements of the women we represent, and hope that these awards will go some small way in demonstrating our gratitude for their efforts.”
Other sponsors for the awards include the NHS, PA Consulting, Hyper Recruitment Solutions, IQVIA and AWE.
