University

23 Jun 10

The winners of the awards, clockwise from top left: Suzanne Sheehy, Niel Bowerman, Rachel Dedman, Xin Hui Chan, Adam Grodecki, and Carys Roberts

Six students have been recognised for their commitment to improving the state of society and the wider world. The inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Civic Awards were presented at a lunch at Rhodes House which formed part of the Encaenia celebrations.

Launched earlier this year, the Vice-Chancellor’s Civic Awards recognise and promote the positive impact of Oxford students on the local, national, and international community. This year’s six winners were chosen by a panel of representatives from both the University and the community

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, gave out the awards, saying: ‘The reach and range of University community engagement is hugely impressive. A significant focus of that activity is the Oxford Hub, an organisation set up by students themselves three years ago to increase both the quality and quantity of student volunteering. One way we might think about these awards is as the equivalent in the realm of volunteering to an Oxford blue in sport.’

The winners will receive leadership training, mentoring from successful Oxford alumni and dinner with key members of the University and high-profile alumni.

Vice-Chancellor’s Civic Award winners:

Niel Bowerman, 23, is a graduate student pursuing a DPhil in Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics at Linacre. Niel has been an environmental campaigner: He co-founded Climatico, an independent climate research group, and co-founded Climate Justice Project, a national campaign run in six different UK universities. He also coordinated a successful People and Planet campaign to encourage Oxford University to commit to the purchase of green electricity. During the 2008 US election Niel sat on Barack Obama's Energy and Environment Policy Committee, and at the Copenhagen climate change negotiations he was a member of the UK Youth Delegation.

Xin Hui Chan, 24, is a graduate student studying medicine at Lincoln. She has been involved in organisations such as Medsin UK, Students Stop AIDS Coalition, Oxford Global Health Group, The Cambodia Trust and the OUSU International Students’ Campaign. Among other achievements, she pioneered the Oxford International Festival and International Students' Handbook. She has also organised global health conferences at local, national and international levels.

Rachel Dedman, 20, is an undergraduate studying History of Art at St John’s. Since arriving at Oxford, Rachel has been involved with the newly re-launched Raise and Give (RAG), an initiative which encourages Oxford students to engage with charity either by getting involved with fundraising or connecting with the charities it supports. As RAG president for 2009/10, she ran the first University-wide charity ball, and raised £50,000 for charity this year, nearly double last year's fundraising total.

Adam Grodecki, 22, is an undergraduate studying theology at St Peter’s. He has served as president of UNICEF Oxford and assistant director of the Oaktree Foundation UK, a youth-run international development organisation. He also co-founded Oxford Hub, the focal point for charitable activity at Oxford University, in 2007, which is now one of Oxford’s largest student societies and has expanded into a national network. Adam is also a member of the Student Advisory Board for the Student Volunteering Initiative of the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, a higher education initiative to provide evidence of the impact of volunteering on students, communities and institutions.

Johanna Carys Roberts, 20, is an undergraduate studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University College. Carys has been working on University College’s access scheme, Univ Ambassadors, since 2008 and has been involved in planning and undertaking school visits as well as subject-specific access events. Johanna is also the founder and coordinator of Maths Plus, a volunteer-led initiative through which university students spend one hour a week with underperforming school students preparing to take GCSE Maths.

Suzanne Sheehy, 25, is a graduate student pursuing a DPhil in physics at Lady Margaret Hall. She has been a Science and Engineering Ambassador since 2007 and has worked in collaboration with CERN (European Organisation for Particle Physics) to promote particle and accelerator physics in the UK. Her own outreach programme, Accelerate!, is a free interactive science show that gives secondary school students and the public a chance to learn about particle and accelerator physics. She leads a team of graduate student volunteers which has delivered the show to over 4000 school students around the UK.