4.9.2024
Prizes awarded from the fund of Harry Elving at the Opening Ceremony for the Academic Year 2024–2025 at Åbo Akademi University
The following prizes and scholarships were awarded at the opening ceremony, from the fund of Harry Elving:
From the fund of Harry Elving a prize of €3 000 for developing a positive working environment:
PhD Yrsa Neuman, Chief Librarian, and the library’s management team for their continuous and long-term efforts to develop the library’s services since Neuman took over as head of the library. With the management team, Neuman has been active in promoting a good work culture, and this is reflected in the results of the work climate survey. Co-operation and support for each other is a hallmark of the entire library service.
From the fund of Harry Elving, the teacher prize of €5 000 is awarded:
PhD Katja Sandqvist, University Teacher in Literature. Students describe Katja Sandqvist as a teacher with her heart in the right place. She is committed, helpful and inspiring. Her communication is clear, both via email and during lectures. Sandqvist’s commitment and encouragement extends beyond the seminar room. One student summarises it this way: ‘I have never found a person who works as hard and as much as Katja and who is so friendly, warm and inspiring… No one in the history of the cosmos has ever deserved this more than Katja!’
From the fund of Harry Elving, two Supervisor of the Year prizes of €3 000 are awarded:
D.Sc (BA) Anna Sell, Senior University Lecturer in Information Systems. As a supervisor, Sell is described as always available, encouraging and involved in the writers’ thesis process. She is good at explaining, makes the thesis work feel manageable and also asks good questions to make the writers think about different aspects of the work.
PhD Mikael von Numers, Senior University Lecturer in Environmental Biology. An approachable and helpful supervisor, with whom it is easy to discuss ideas. von Numers provides constructive criticism that helps the writers move forward in their work. He is encouraging and shows that he cares about his writers and wants to help them achieve the best possible performance.
From the fund of Harry Elving, a prize of €5 000 is awarded to the pedagogical visionary and developer of the year:
D.Soc.Sc. Mikaela Heikkilä, University Lecturer in Public International Law. A committed and caring teacher who always has the students’ best interests in mind. She demands a lot from her students, but more so from herself. At the same time, Heikkilä has a great understanding of young people’s ways of thinking and learning, and she takes these into account in her teaching. She is structured and very determined in her pedagogical work. While she is committed to teaching, she is also an internationally orientated and networked researcher.
Two research prizes of €6 000 are awarded from the fund of Harry Elving:
D.Soc.Sc. Hilda Ruokolainen for her doctoral thesis in Information Science entitled Misinformation in Encounters: A Qualitative Study of Misinformation as a Social Phenomenon. The dissertation, which was assessed with the grade Pass with honours, examines what kind of misinformation people come into contact with in their everyday lives, what factors influence the misinformation and, more specifically, what role reception plays in this process.
D.Sc. (Tech.) Matias Alvear Cabezón for his doctoral thesis in Industrial Chemistry and Reaction Engineering entitled Epoxidation of light olefins on titanium silicates. The thesis was assessed with the grade Pass with honours. The thesis deals with epoxides, an important intermediate of high commercial value, used for the production of environmentally friendly plastics, among others.
From the fund of Harry Elving, a doctoral thesis supervisor prize of €2 000:
D.Sc. (Tech.) Tapio Salmi, Professor of Industrial Chemistry and Reaction Engineering. Salmi was the supervisor of Matias Alvear Cabezón’s doctoral thesis Epoxidation of light olefins on titanium silicates. With this award, Rector wants to recognise the importance of the main supervisor’s contribution to a doctoral thesis.
From the fund of Harry Elving, a prize of €3 000 in recognition of notable popularization of new research and work for Åbo Akademi University’s awareness in society:
D.Soc.Sc. Kimmo Grönlund, Professor of Political Science. During the past academic year, Åbo Akademi University gained particular visibility in Finnish society thanks to the Citizens’ Parliament organised in autumn 2023 by Grönlund and his team. As a professor, but also as head of various research units and founder of a research network, Grönlund has acquired a wide network and holds the Academy’s flag high in many different contexts, both in Finland and abroad. Wherever Kimmo is heard and seen, he also spreads awareness of Åbo Akademi University.