We are delighted to announce that two of our exceptional postgraduate researchers (PGRs) have been recognised at the University of Manchester’s eleventh annual MDC Excellence Awards 2024. These prestigious awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of PGRs and their supervisors across a range of categories, highlighting their contributions to the University’s research environment and beyond.
Phoebe Harding-Walker
Award: Best Contribution to PGR Environment
Phoebe Harding-Walker, a LuCiD PhD student, has been recognised for her exceptional contributions to the PGR environment at the University of Manchester. As a School of Health Sciences PGR representative, Phoebe introduced new forums and feedback channels, amplifying the voices of PGRs in decision-making processes, and secured vital cost-of-living payments for vulnerable PGRs. In her role as Vice-President of the UoM PGR Association, she has prioritised the PGR experience, implementing a university-wide survey and establishing a new complaints policy.
Phoebe’s advocacy extends to disability inclusion, where she organises inclusive events, participates in awareness initiatives, and contributes to the development of a UoM Autism training module, drawing on her lived experience as an autistic PGR. Her commitment to intersectional advocacy is making a significant and lasting impact on the PGR community.
Dr Nicola Lester
Award: Best Contribution to Society (Local Community)
Dr Nicola Lester, also affiliated with LuCiD, was honoured for her dedication to community engagement and social responsibility. Her research, conducted in partnership with Manchester Museum and Bright Futures Educational Trust, explores barriers to museum engagement for ethnic minorities and demonstrates how museum-school collaborations can enhance language development in minority ethnic children. Beyond her research, Nicola has contributed to Imagine Me Stories, addressing the underrepresentation of minority ethnic children in literature. Her commitment to community impact has also inspired a successful British Academy Innovation Fellowship proposal, exploring the impact of representation in books on the self-esteem of minoritised children.
Nicola’s work showcases her dedication to improving education accessibility and representation for minoritised children, both locally and nationally.
For further information on the MDC Excellence Awards and the accomplishments of our PGRs, please visit the University of Manchester’s official website.
Author
LuCiD
The ESRC International Centre for Language and Communicative Development (LuCiD) is a five year research collaboration working with partners from across the world to transform our understanding of how children learn to communicate with language.