The following awards were presented: the Master's Thesis Award, Student Talent Award, Educational Innovation Award, and the Teacher Talent Award. You can find a summary of the shortlist candidates and winners for each award below. Want to read the complete jury report? Please click here.
In her thesis, Riley investigated how decision-making around vaccination policies affectedvaccination rates against the HPV virus. Riley found out that few countries reach the 90%vaccination rate. She conducted extensive global policy research and linked key policy-leveldecisions to impact on vaccination rates. She organised workshops and informal meetings incollaboration with key women's health organisations to design her research and disseminate theresults. Her research provided recommendations for further research and improvement of HPVvaccination programmes.
In her thesis, Anna explored healthcare-related discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+community, examining both patients' and healthcare professionals' experiences. On the onehand, Anna's research yielded very concrete recommendations that can be used at both policyand practice level to increase the accessibility and quality of healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients. Onthe other hand, Anna's thesis lays a nice foundation for future research on this topic, especiallyon the barriers in healthcare against people who identify in a certain way, and minorityintersectionality.
In her thesis, Megan investigated the long-term effects of the corona pandemic in Dutch secondary schools. She conducted an ethnographic study among a group of high schoolstudents and teachers, focusing on the theoretical concept of organisational trauma/healing.Megan's research shows that despite the fact that society is back to the 'old normal' on apractical level, the effects of the pandemic on a social and psychological level are stillpercolating. With her findings, Megan provides tools for parents, teachers and policy makersto counterbalance the aftermath of the corona pandemic.
The Master’s Thesis Award Reading Commitee commends the theses of Riley, Anna and Megan for several reasons.
In Riley's case, the jury found it impressive that her thesis research was published as a scientific article. Another strength is that Riley created her own database based on World Health Organization data, and that she collected data from many different countries and regions. Moreover, the research yielded surprising results that could lead to policy changes.
The Reading Commitee found it very valuable that Anna's thesis research demonstrates a research gap regarding experiences of discrimination in healthcare, and that Anna creatively fills this research gap by researching minorities. In addition, two studies were done and the research summarises the data very well. The power analysis conducted by Anna prior to her research was also highly appreciated by the commitee.
The Reading Commitee found the topic and question of Megan's thesis research to be particularly original, interesting and meaningful. The thesis stands out for its innovative and creative use of different research and reporting methods, such as theatre techniques and video material. Moreover, the thesis is writen in excellent English and provides socially valuable advice.
After discussion and consideration of the criteria, the Reading Commitee came to the conclusion that Riley's thesis stood out due to the overall quality of the research in terms of both content and methodology, and the surprising results it produced. The Reading Commitee has therefore decided to award the 2023-2024 VU Master’s Thesis Award to Riley Terzopoulos.
Mylene is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Science. During her studies, Mylene campaigned hard for the safety and inclusion of female students within the Computer Science department. To this end, she successfully organised the hackathon event Hack4Her two years in a row, in which a total of more than 150 students participated. She is also co-founder and chair of the diversity committee for study association STORM, as well as committed to diversity on campus through other projects within VU. The jury praises Mylene for her resilience, perseverance and activism.
Vlad is studying the master's programme in Software Engineering & Green IT at the Faculty ofScience. During his studies at VU, Vlad has made himself indispensable to his fellow students andlecturers with the incredible amount of work that he has done as a student assistant. In a span of3 years, he was a student assistant for 12 subjects within Computer Science and helped andtaught a total of more than 1.000 VU students. He also developed automation and administrationtools for two large-scale courses, allowing lecturers to devote more time to teaching. The jurypraises Vlad for his cheerful and positive attitude, his work ethic and his clear passion forteaching.
Lotte is studying the bachelor's programme in Econometrics & Operational Research at theSchool of Business and Economics. During her studies, Lotte was chairwoman of the board ofstudy association Kraket for a year, and started her own business: LotteLeert. Since 2021, throughher TikTok and Instagram accounts, Lotte has been sharing tips on learning and studying with herfollowing of some 126,000 people combined. In August 2023, she published her book Nooit meereen onvoldoende, in which she motivates pupils and students to make the most of themselvesand their studies. The jury praises Lotte for her entrepreneurship and ability to convey herenthusiasm for learning to others.
As all three shortlisted candidates met the criteria in their own unique way, it was difficult to immediately identify a clear winner. To arrive at a final decision, the jury looked primarily at the level of impact the shortlisted candidates have made. After thoughtful consideration, the jury came to the following conclusion. While Vlad and Mylène have been able to make a huge positive impact on the Faculty of Science, Lotte, with 126.000 followers on social media and the publication of her book, has been able to make a difference on a broader, societal level. The jury views her as a student figurehead who can convey the joy of learning to a target group that is usually difficult for the VU to reach. The jury has therefore decided to award the 2023-2024 Student Talent Award to Lote Witké.
Team members: Ana-Clara Cassanti, Marleen de Ruiter, Anoek van Tilburg, Castille Jacquet, Ella Farmer, Gerica de Rubertis, Jasmijn Golyardi, Jonathan Legget, Shivalika Madgulkar, Zoe Aldrich.
Ana-Clara Cassanti is a lecturer in the Global Environmental Change and Policy (GECP) master’s programme in Earth Sciences. She started the Diversity and Inclusion project to address her students' concerns about diversity and inclusion within the programme. The first phase of the project has now been completed. In this phase, through an original application of the Mixed Classroom model with extensive questionnaires, Cassanti's team identified the most pressing issues among students and teachers. This yielded insights that were translated by student working groups into concrete recommendations for successful educational improvement at GECP. To conclude phase 1, DIVES (Diverse and Inclusive Values for Earth Sciences) was established, a student collective that acts as an advisory body to Earth Sciences staff in the area of diversity and inclusion. The team is now entering phase 2, where it will focus on institutionalisation and extending the project to other courses within the Institute for Environmental Studies.
Team members: Joris Koene, Elloha Taizaj, Mieke Roth, Sander van Iersel, Tim de Visser, Yumi Nakadera, Wouter van der Vegt.
Joris Koene is a lecturer in the Biology bachelor’s programme at the Faculty of Science. Traditional anatomy classes in the cutting room are under pressure due to decreasing availability of teachers and teaching spaces, increasing student numbers and ethical concerns. To address these issues, Joris started the pilot project SLAB with financial support from the faculty. In this pilot project, the content of a practical lesson on the anatomy of the pool snail was converted to an instructional video, which was supported by a digital 3D model. The success of this pilot encouraged Joris to write a proposal in which the teaching module on the pool snail would be expanded into a library of digital, interactive and modular anatomy teaching materials for a wide range of species.
Team members: Margot Stroeken, Marina de Regt.
Margot Stroeken is a Career Officer at the Faculty of Social Sciences. In recent years, the faculty found that their programmes received low ratings from students in terms of job market connection. However, Margot knew from experience that Social Sciences alumni do end up in interesting workplaces. The faculty and Career Services therefore joined forces for a pilot project within the Social and Cultural Anthropology master's programme. This is a mentorship project aimed at developing a buddy network of alumni for social scientists. The project aims to broaden student perspectives on the job market, teach students how to communicate with the professional field and actively use relationships with alumni. If successful, Stroeken's team has plans to expand the pilot project to other Social Sciences programmes.
Team members: Amanda Porter, Christer Guldemond, Jet Vink, Laura Nino.
Amanda Porter is a lecturer in the KIN group in the School for Business and Economics. After the corona pandemic, the faculty identified the need to boost innovations that increase the sustainability and flexibility of education at SBE. An extensive inventory of the specific needs within SBE resulted in the creation of the IBA Lab project. IBA Lab involves 2 interlinked electives from the second year of the bachelor's programme of International Business Administration. In these electives, students are paired with external stakeholders with a social need. The project centres on one teaching space where lecturers and students jointly shape education. In this 'lab', lecturers are allowed to test new teaching ideas in a safe environment and students are given the opportunity to set up a socially responsible business. In the coming period, the IBA Lab team plans to invest in obtaining a dedicated teaching space, developing a safe and accessible digital platform, and training teachers.
The jury concluded that Ana-Clara Cassanti and Joris Koene's project proposals stood out because of the clear, concrete way they substantiated the innovative nature, scalability and alignment with the VU Educational Vision of their projects.
In the case of Ana-Clara Cassanti's team, the jury praises the potential scalability of the project, and the fact that, thanks to the project, students are actively involved in curriculum and educational reform. The working method of the Diversity and Inclusion project has proved successful at Earth Sciences, and with customisation can be adopted relatively easily by other programmes within the Faculty of Science (and perhaps eventually even within the other VU faculties). Moreover, the project meshes seamlessly with VU's diversity spearhead.
In the case of Joris Koene's team, the jury was pleasantly surprised by the innovative way the project uses animation and 3D techniques to enrich the content of anatomy lessons, while also alleviating the practical problems and ethical concerns regarding dissection. Moreover, the jury found it very noble that the Digital Anatomy team intends to make the learning modules available to a wide audience of students, pupils, teachers and scientists through various channels in the future. In doing so, the project aligns directly with the VU core value: open.
For the above reasons, the Educational Innovation Jury has decided to award the 2023-2024 Educational Innovation Award to the teaching teams of Ana-Clara Cassanti and Joris Koene.
…teaches computer science at the Facultyof Science. He has seen his programme grow significantly over the last years and now frequently teaches multiple-hundred students simultaneously. Students laud him for providing engaging, understandable and comprehensive lectures in which Atze makes use of innovative techniques to engage students and make the challenging and dense subjects fun. Additionally he plays a role in coordinating the many TA’s that support him in keeping 600-student courses running.
…teaches law at the Facultyof Law. First year law students are told to make sure to enrol for Lubna’s workgroups if possible because they are most engaging and interesting due to Lubna’s narrative way of teaching. She makes sure that students experiencethe course matter by making them act out scenarios or drawing on her extensive experience as an attorney and judge to provide interesting examples. Her lectures too do not disappoint; she fills the large halls with attributes and role play, turning the benches into a true courtroom.
…teaches finance at the School of Business and Economics. Walking through the VU’s halls at 9 in the morning you might find empty lecture halls, reportedly Marc’s classes do not suffer from this ailment. His highly personal way of teaching, including personal anecdotes and relatable and recognisable examples, motivates students to continue coming to his classes. He manages to make the abstract and impersonal subject matter tangible and relatable while utilising blended learning to encourage a deeper understanding of the world and subject matter.
The jury had an incredibly difficult time making a choice, but ended up deciding to crown Atze as mostdeserving of the prize. His enthusiasm and personality was extremely engaging and his frequent use of innovative tools such as those from the ‘blended learning toolbox’. His easy-going and understandable way of answering questions and sheer ability to explain highly complex computer science issues to the relatively layman jury while showing the relevancy of the subject matter proved the deciding factors tosway the vote in his favour.
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