Following the success of the inaugural awards in 2015, we were very pleased to support the scheme for its sixth year in 2020. The awards were created to recognise outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate IT students within the UK. In doing so, we hope to encourage students to pursue careers in IT, to encourage an entrepreneurial and charitable ethos among those students, and, more pragmatically, to give financial help to students on IT courses.
Criteria for the award included academic excellence, overcoming adversity, entrepreneurial skills, and contribution to charity or community. This year’s judging panel consisted of The Master Information Technologist (Mr Ray Long CB), Alderman and Sheriff of the City of London (Professor Michael Mainelli), The Master Educator (Mrs Pamela Taylor), WCIT Charity Chairman & Past Master (Dr Stefan Fafinski), Chairman of WCIT Charitable Grant-Making (Mr Gary Moore) a The WCIT Clerk (Mrs Susan Hoefling). This year, there were five universities making the shortlist for the final: King’s College London, University of Hertfordshire , Lancaster University, Cambridge University and Imperial College London.
At the 107th Business Lunch, held at Saddlers’ Hall on 19th February 2020, the Sherriff of London announced Tim Clark from Lancaster University as the Gold Winner. Tim was elected President of the Lancaster University Computer Society in the summer of 2018. Together with Dr Rayson, his Director of Studies, he launched several activities which have had a significant impact on the relationship between the student cohort and the School, including a new peer mentoring system for students launched in January 2018. During the Business Lunch, Tim spoke passionately about the importance of Computer Science education and about his journey so far. Dr Stefan Fafinski, Chair of the WCIT Charity, believes that ’Tim fully deserves the WCIT Charity University IT Award, showing not only fine academic achievement, but entrepreneurship, leadership and wider commitment to technology learning and research. Although we are a City of London Livery Company Charity, we care about our industry throughout the whole of the UK, and are delighted to recognise technology excellence in the North West.’
The silver awards went to Dobrik Georgiev (Cambridge University), Halite Abudureyimu (Imperial College London), Kayla Phillips Sanchez (King’s College London) and Samantha Tyson (University of Hertfordshire). Lucy Withington (Open University), Hugh Wells (Royal Holloway, University of London) and Chloe Taysom (Birkbeck, University of London) were the recipients of the Bronze awards.
Congratulations to all the winners !
