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'Supervisor of the Year' chosen from strong field

October 25, 2006

Supervisor.thumb.JPGThe University of New England Postgraduate Association (UNEPA) has made its annual “Supervisor of the Year” award, selecting the winner from a record number of 58 nominees.

The award went to Associate Professor Alison Sheridan, a Senior Lecturer in the New England Business School. The panel of judges (consisting of three students and two staff members from Research Services), in recommending Dr Sheridan for the award, said: “It is clear that Alison sees her role as mentoring students as researchers and future academics – not just enabling them to write a thesis – and that she does this very well.” (The selection process for the award is based on detailed information provided by the nominees’ research students.)

At the awards presentation ceremony last week, the President of UNEPA, Cathryn McCormack, said that the judges had commended Dr Sheridan for her “holistic approach” to the supervision of research students and had said that she was "interested in students as people – not just students".

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, presented the award to Dr Sheridan, who responded by saying that it was “a great honour”.

“My supervision is always as part of a team,” Dr Sheridan said, “and I have had the good fortune to co-supervise with some exceptional colleagues. I believe the breadth of experience and insight that students have access to through two or more supervisors working collaboratively is fundamental to successful supervision.”

“The best thing we can do as supervisors,” she added, “is to create a space where students can find their voice.”

This year, for the first time in the 14-year history of its “Supervisor of the Year” competition, UNEPA awarded two “Honourable Mentions”. The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Peter Flood, presented these awards to Dr Mary Cruickshank (Senior Lecturer, School of Health) and Dr Margaret Brooks (Lecturer, School of Professional Development and Leadership). Ms McCormack said the judges had highlighted Dr Cruickshank’s excellence in supervising part-time, off-campus students, and Dr Brooks’s commitment in establishing a postgraduate conversation group in her School.

UNEPA’s Vice-President, the Rev. Judy Redman, presented Certificates of Excellence to 18 members of UNE’s general staff nominated by postgraduate students as having provided exceptional levels of service. A special award for “Outstanding Lecturing” went to Marja Caling from the School of Education.

Ms McCormack said the number of nominations for the 2006 “Supervisor of the Year” award was far higher than that in any previous year. “This demonstrates the importance that UNE places on high-quality supervision,” she said, “and the resulting high standard of supervision being provided. We believe the attention that UNEPA has focused on the need for high-quality supervision over the 14 years of this award has been a significant factor contributing to this high standard.”

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here, taken at the presentation ceremony, shows (from left) Jane Davies (Postgraduate Support, Services UNE), Professor Alan Petttigrew, the Rev. Judy Redman, Associate Professor Alison Sheridan, and Cathryn McCormack.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at October 25, 2006 04:05 PM