In this post, Callum Paterson introduces the winners of the student support awards from the Edinburgh University Students’ Association’s Teaching Awards 2025. This is the second in a series of blog posts celebrating the 2025 Teaching Award winners. Callum is the Academic Engagement & Policy Coordinator within the Student Voice team at the Students’ Association.
Introduction
While these are technically called the ‘Teaching Awards’, they have always encompassed all staff across the University. As student needs have changed over the years, and the diversity of our student community continues to grow, dedicated student support roles have only become more important, such as Cohort Lead and Student Advisor.
Cohort Lead of the Year
Introduced for the first time in 2024, this Award recognises the efforts of Cohort Leads and other members of staff who fulfil similar roles in an informal manner. Students nominated Cohort Leads who supported their development, demonstrated a commitment to their wellbeing, created a sense of belonging amongst their cohort, and empowered them to be in control of their academic journeys.
The 2025 Cohort Lead of the Year is Per Smiseth, from the School of Biological Sciences. Per was nominated for not just for being an extremely approachable cohort lead who has helped to resolve all manner of challenging situations, but also for his many brilliant cohort activities. From ensuring intercalating medics felt included, to offering academic advice, his dedication to his cohort’s success shone through in his nominations. One of his students told us that, because of him, their cohort feels more like a group of friends than just fellow students.
The runners up in this category were: Fiona Bowie from Moray House School of Education and Sport, and Dmitri Mignard from the School of Engineering.
Student Adviser of the Year
A new addition for 2025, we brought in this Award to recognise the other core element of the Student Support Model. Student Advisers are often some of the people students meet first when they come to the University, and judging by the nominations we received, they are some of the strongest relationships our students build with staff.
Our first ever Student Adviser of the Year is Claire Lightfoot, from the School of Literatures, Languages, and Cultures. The students who nominated Claire said that she was the person who made the often-difficult transition into university not only possible, but positive. Claire met them with empathy, without judgment, and with a level of care that went far beyond the administrative parts of her role. Her support combined emotional encouragement, academic guidance, and practical problem-solving – always making sure her students have the tools and confidence to move forward.
The runners up in this category were: Rebecca Burns from the School of Engineering, and Daniel Davis Wood from Moray House School of Education and Sport.
Support Staff of the Year
A guiding principle of the Teaching Awards is to ensure that we take time to recognise and celebrate the invaluable work that staff in professional services do. Without them, the University would be off-the-rails in no time, so it’s no surprise that we received nominations for staff, both in Schools and in Central Services, who provided support, helped things run smoothly, and signposted students to the support they needed.
This year’s winner is Matt Vickers, from the Careers Service. The students who nominated Matt were so grateful and impressed by the careers support he offered, whether that was his genuine investment in reading their CVs or helping them prepare for interviews. Something that stood out to us was the time Matt spent breaking down industry expectations and offering specific career tips to Engineering and Mathematics students – this kind of tailored support has had a massive impact on all the students who interacted with Matt. One student put it succinctly, telling us that, “I wouldn’t be where I am without him.”
The runners up for this Award were: Sabina Ali from the School of Philosphy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, and Grace Lavender from the School of Biological Sciences.
Well done to these three brilliant winners! You, and the hundreds of your colleagues nominated in this category, have had a huge impact on our students – even those who you may never meet directly.
Join me next time, to meet our winners of Supervisor and Student Tutor of the Year.
Callum Paterson
Callum Paterson is the Academic Engagement & Policy Coordinator within the Student Voice team at the Students’ Association. Alongside coordinating the Teaching Awards, he works with Programme and School Representatives as well as the Vice President Education, supporting and empowering them to make their voices heard on the issues that matter most to them.
