Salford Postgraduate Research Supervisors recognised at celebration event

Taking place at the Salford Museum and Art Gallery on Friday afternoon in the Salford sunshine, academic colleagues who have been nominated for the Supervisor of the Year award by their postgraduate research students enjoyed afternoon tea at the first PGR Supervision Excellence event.

The event was a chance for staff to come together and celebrate, share different experiences and disciplinary approaches, and connect with colleagues new and old.

An annual award, the Supervisor of the Year accolade recognises academics who have demonstrated excellence in their practice and their outstanding contributions and support to our postgraduate research students. A full list of staff who have been nominated for the Supervisor of the Year award can be found below.

Professor Karl Dayson, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise at the University, said: “I was delighted to attend the PGR Supervision Excellence event last week to celebrate and recognise those colleagues who have been nominated for the Supervisor of the Year award for their outstanding contributions to the postgraduate research community.

“It was a fantastic afternoon and it was great to connect with colleagues and find out more about how they’re supporting our students as they undertake their postgraduate research.

“We will be announcing the winner of the Supervisor of the Year award at our annual postgraduate research conference, SPARC, on 29 and 30 June at MediaCity, and I hope to see as many of you there as possible to celebrate together in-person.”

Commenting on the day, Dr Ursula Hurley, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, said: “It’s so lovely to be recognised. We all work so hard with our PhD students and we do it because we love it, and to get this kind of validation and recognition is fantastic.

“The event has been a chance to get together and chat to colleagues that I haven’t met before and reconnect with colleagues who I haven’t seen since before lockdown. It’s been lovely to hear about the different experiences, disciplinary approaches and the great value and pleasure we all get in having a postgraduate research community.”

Dr Gordon Fletcher, Academic Unit Head: Operations & Information Management, added: "The role that a supervisor plays in the PhD journey is pivotal. The supervisor navigates the fine line of being a role model, mentor, coach, critical reviewer and confidante. And can sometimes takes up all of these roles within the space of a single meeting.

“Supervision is a skill that can be learned but the most supportive supervisors also bring their own experience into the room and can sympathetically recall their own time as a PhD student. The best supervisors are consciously aware they are supporting the development of the next generation of academics who will soon go out to institutions worldwide."

The winner of the Supervisor of the Year award will be announced at the two-day Salford Postgraduate Research Annual Conference (SPARC) on Wednesday 29 June at MediaCity.