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All Imperiastudents across all disciplines across all levels and years of study are eligible to be nominated for the Student Awards for Outstanding Achievement. Nominees must be enrolled as students on the deadline date to be eligible.

Students at the various Imperiainstitutes are eligible to be nominated by their supervisors with honorary appointments at º£½ÇÉçÇø, their second, º£½ÇÉçÇø-based supervisors, or their peers. 

Teams are eligible to be nominated for their outstanding achievements. Please indicate that the nominee is part of a team in the nomination form. One single member of a team will not be awarded for their individual contributions. Only the whole team will be awarded.

Please note that there are up to six awards available each year.

Nominations must be submitted through the . The nomination form will ask for the student’s name, CID, Faculty and Department, and level and year of study.

A supporting statement will detail the student’s outstanding achievement in any extracurricular pursuit. Please note, nominations will be scored only on the content of what is written. Therefore, all nominations must:

• Be specific
• Give examples and demonstrate achievement

The statement should clearly describe the achievement, demonstrate the impact on Imperiaand the wider community, provide examples and evidence where possible, and explain why the student deserves recognition. Please note, academic achievement is not relevant and will not be considered.

The supporting statement has a maximum character limit of 4000. We recommend writing between 3000 and 4000 characters to ensure the nomination provides sufficient detail and supports a strong case for the student.

Any member of staff and all students may nominate a student for consideration. All nominations by students are required to be seconded by a member of staff at Imperiaor ImperiaCollege Union. The name and email address of a member of staff will be needed for the nomination form.

A selection panel will review all nominations.

Each nomination will be scored out of 5 (1 being the lowest, 5 being the highest):

The value of the award is £250, together with a medal inscribed with the winner's name. There are up to six awards available each year.

Awardees are invited to a graduation ceremony, where they are formally presented with their medal.

Nominations will open on Monday 4 May 2026, and close on Sunday 14 June 2026.

Shortlisting will begin shortly after and the panel will meet to discuss nominations at the end of June. The winners will be contacted in due course.

Emily Haynes (Undergraduate student in the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)

Miss Emily Haynes has used her engineering and leadership skills to empower the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society. Among her remarkable achievements is developing a platform to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in France after being displaced by the war in Ukraine. In just 24 hours, Emily built a user-friendly platform that drastically improved access to support, later introducing security systems to protect the platform from cyberattacks. To date, the platform has supported more than 1,000 refugees and has become a vital tool for volunteers and NGOs. The Solidarité Ukraine team has been recognised by the French government with the Gold Medal for the Ministry of the Interior – the highest honour granted by the Ministry.

Emily’ incredible work with refugees doesn’t end there. In her third year of university, she founded a coding bootcamp for refugee schoolgirls in Beirut, coordinating four Imperiastudents to deliver weekly coding sessions. Emily is also President of º£½ÇÉçÇø’s student-led fundraising society, Raising and Giving (RAG), and a volunteer responder with St John Ambulance.

Yasmin Baker (Undergraduate student in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine)

Dr Yasmin Baker is a graduate from the Faculty of Medicine where she held more than 40 leadership roles across societies and student representation, creating lasting institutional change. Across three years of Students’ Union leadership, including as Academic Chair and Deputy President, she represented more than 3,300 students and led reforms across the curriculum, academic support, representation and assessment. She pioneered the first SU Mock Finals and founded º£½ÇÉçÇø’s Nutritank Society, establishing a programme that trained over 100 student volunteers to deliver free nutrition education to primary school children.

Beyond º£½ÇÉçÇø, Yasmin is a national advocate for social mobility, inclusive education, youth empowerment and healthcare reform. Through the Sutton Trust, where she has served as Changemaker Ambassador and Co-Chair of its Alumni Board, she has helped support thousands of students from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education and employment. She has delivered keynote speeches including at the House of Lords and the NHS Youth Summit and contributed to national policy roundtables as well as championed youth agency and inclusive teaching.

Yasmin is also the cofounder of More Than Medics, a national non-profit organisation that supports medics in accessing diverse career opportunities. Reaching more than 5,000 medics across 14 countries, she has connected its community with over 4,400 opportunities and delivered free national programmes, events and career resources.

Yoon Kyoung Kim (Undergraduate student in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine)

Dr Yoon Kyoung Kim is the former President of the Korean UK Medical Association for Students (KUMAS).

Yoon has made exceptional contributions to the institution and to communities far beyond.

While studying, Yoon played a pivotal role in an externally led project that utilised an AI-assisted clinical tool to support frontline healthcare workers treating infectious skin conditions in underserved settings worldwide.

As President of the KUMAS, Yoon helped to widen educational access. She built KUMAS’s first website and created the KUMAS Global Premed Series, a mentorship programme that has reached more than 160 aspiring medics in the UK, Korea, and Southeast Asia. The Korean UK Medical Association (KUMA) and KUMAS jointly received the South Korean Presidential Group Commendation for public service, and Dr Kim was invited to represent the Korean community at the South Korean Presidential State Visit for the Coronation of King Charles III.

Yoon also co-founded Skinfluency. A peer-led education and behaviour-change initiative for adolescents with chronic skin conditions, Skinfluency spans school-based teaching, peer support circles, youth advocacy and science engagement. It is supported by clinicians, educators and schools across the UK, the US and South Korea.

Karanjot Chhatwal (Undergraduate student in the National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine)

Dr Karanjot Chhatwal is an emerging clinician-academic whose research focuses on artificial intelligence, implementation science and medical imaging. He has presented internationally, published in leading academic journals and received multiple academic, research and humanitarian awards.

As a first-generation doctor, Karanjot entered medicine without mentorship or a clear roadmap. This experience inspired his commitment to widening access to medical education and careers. He has personally mentored hundreds of students and delivered teaching sessions and workshops supporting medical examinations, career pathways and research skills.

Karanjot co-founded MedVault, a free international teaching course that has supported more than 1,000 medical students. He developed and delivered its structured clinical medicine curriculum, tailored to the UK Medical Licensing Assessment, with all teaching provided free of charge to reduce financial barriers.

He also co-founded MedNex, a platform supporting over 7,000 aspiring clinicians, medical students and doctors across over 75 countries. Through free mentorship, opportunities and resources, MedNex promotes equitable access to medicine. Its research fellowship has attracted over 2,000 applications with hundreds of fellows now contributing to research projects under the mentorship of leading academics worldwide.

Cate Goldwater Breheny (Undergraduate student in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine)

At º£½ÇÉçÇø, Dr Cate Goldwater Breheny pioneered educational and career development opportunities as a student-staff partner with the Faculty of Medicine’s Professional Values and Behaviours team, delivered and evaluated Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) for young people nationally, and advocated for more inclusive medical education through research into the experiences of LGBTQIA+ and Queer medical students.

Cate is currently Chair of the Students and Trainees Association of Sexual Health and HIV (STASHH) having joined its committee in 2023. They work closely with the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) to amplify the voices of students and early career doctors in national policy and strategy, including spearheading the first BASHH-endorsed STASHH conference.

Cate volunteered at Sexpression:UK, a charity that empowers young people to make informed decisions about relationships and sex, between 2020 and 2026. They served as the National Monitoring and Evaluation Director in 2023–24, producing 15 reports, and overhauling internal feedback. They previously chaired Sexpression:Imperia(2022–23) during which time the branch received Sexpression:UK Branch of the Year.

Precious Phyllis Apolot (Postgraduate taught student in the Marketing Specialised Suite, ImperiaBusiness School)

Precious Phyllis Apolot is a student leader and advocate whose work focuses on improving access to education, empowering women and supporting community health initiatives. She has led projects and partnerships across Africa and internationally, championing opportunities for underserved communities through advocacy and mentorship.

As a Global Youth Ambassador with Theirworld, Precious advocates for equitable access to quality education and contributes to youth-led initiatives that amplify young people's voices in international discussions. She is also a contributor to The Education Issue, a youth-led journalism project exploring barriers to education worldwide. Her work examining school re-entry policies for teenage mothers in Uganda has helped bring grassroots perspectives on education rights and gender equality to a global audience.

Precious co-founded Aziwa Africa, a non-profit initiative supporting women in Nigeria's informal and skill-based sectors. Through leading communications and partnership development, she secured strategic collaborations, helped grow the community and expanded access to employment opportunities for women. The initiative was recognised as one of the Top 20 projects in the Women@Dior programme and featured on KISS FM for its impact on women's economic empowerment.

Alongside her advocacy work, Precious has supported public health and girls' education through volunteering with the Uganda Ministry of Health and Sponsor a Gambian Girl. Her contributions have included supporting anti-malaria outreach programmes, helping distribute more than 1,000 mosquito nets, and promoting educational opportunities for girls. Through her leadership, partnership-building and commitment to social impact, Precious has created meaningful opportunities for others and demonstrated a sustained dedication to positive change.

Harroop Bola (Undergraduate student in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine)

Harroop Bola was recognised for founding the British Indian Medical Organisation (BIMO), the UK’s first national platform for British Indian medics. Since its inception during the pandemic, BIMO has supported over 7,500 individuals through over 300 events, mentorship schemes, and academic workshops. Harroop’s leadership has driven national partnerships, launched the UK’s first free Royal College-endorsed surgical skills programme, and earned him the Diana Award for humanitarian impact. 

Yemi Abe (Undergraduate student in the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)

Yemi Abe was celebrated for founding the ACSTEM conference, an outreach initiative supporting Black and mixed-Black heritage students from state schools. Motivated by his own experiences, Yemi’s work has opened doors for over 80 prospective students, breaking down the barriers of university life and inspiring future generations to pursue STEMB at º£½ÇÉçÇø.

Elsy Milan (Postgraduate student in the Centre for Environmental Policy, Faculty of Natural Sciences)

Elsy Milan was honoured for her global advocacy in inclusive climate diplomacy. From representing Lebanon at COP29 to leading high-level events with the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate, Elsy has championed the voices of underrepresented groups, particularly women from the MENA region, on the world stage. Her work bridges research, policy, and education, including the development of a Mini Negotiation Toolkit for school-age girls.

Meg Spiteri (Postgraduate student in the Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering)

Meg Spiteri was awarded for her transformative work in accessibility and inclusion. From reforming PhD viva processes to launching the “I Wish You Knew” campaign, Meg has embedded accessibility into institutional practices. Her initiatives have created safe, community-driven spaces for students with disabilities and influenced policy at both departmental and Union levels.

Enqiang Chang (Postgraduate student in the Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine)

Enqiang Chang was celebrated for his frontline work during the COVID-19 pandemic and humanitarian medical missions with Médecins Sans Frontières in Ethiopia. His contributions to public health include providing CPR training to communities and developing a COVID-19 intubation protocol that enhanced patient safety and care.

Nan Fletcher-Lloyd (Postgraduate student in the Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine)

Nan Fletcher-Lloyd was recognised for her tireless advocacy in student wellbeing and equity. As co-founder of ICUsToo, she has led campaigns against sexual misconduct and championed mental health support. Her work spans academic representation, inclusive supervision training, and public engagement in dementia research, earning her the Union Fellowship and departmental awards.

Alexandra Pinto (Undergraduate student in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine) 

Dr Alexandra Cardoso Pinto has contributed to many societal engagements beyond her clinical studies. She created the Community and Outreach arm of the Paediatrics Society to bring student volunteers closer to the community, collaborating with local schools and charities to achieve this. She designed and delivered several sessions with the Widening Access to Careers in Community Healthcare (WATCCH) programme for pupils from widening participation backgrounds considering a healthcare career.

She volunteers as a tutor and mentor for several student-led groups, and led two volunteering programmes to support children in hospital and local primary schools. Alexandra also led the first audit of the Unity Clinic at St Mary’s Hospital, an infectious disease service for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Her patient engagement skills allowed her to highlight clinically relevant audit findings that needed prioritisation. This work led to funding to expand the clinic, integrating mental health assessments and support for children and young people. 

Philip Leung (Postgraduate student in the Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine)

Philip Leung pioneers multiple widening participation initiatives across Imperiaand beyond. He has delivered a series of outreach activities within local schools and developed an after-school and holiday club collaboration between schools that has created a learning hub for science, technology, engineering, arts and medicine (STEAM) subjects. He is a volunteer with United World Colleges (UWC) Great Britain, contributing over 100 hours annually to their scholarship selection process. As an ImperiaOutreach STEM Leader, Philip offers small group teaching to underrepresented students, sparking interest in medicine and biology subjects. He also led the E-Scooter Project, which enabled out-of-school young BAME people to develop entrepreneurship and design engineering skills. This is only a snapshot of his outreach activities, which exceed the space available here.

In 2023, Philip was awarded the Departmental Excellence Award in Culture and Engagement for the Most Significant Contribution to Widening Participation and EDI activities. 

Zainab Titus (Postgraduate student in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering)

Beyond her academic achievements, Zainab Titus has been a passionate advocate for widening educational access for disadvantaged groups. In 2020, she initiated a project that brought the first-ever mobile library to children in internally displaced people’s camps in one of the crisis-affected states in Northeastern Nigeria. In 2022, Zainab delivered a two-day remote STEM outreach event for 20 girls in Northeastern Nigeria that introduced participants to the internet and other digital learning tools, programming in python, and the role of geoscience in sustainable development. Following the event, Zainab established a mentoring program for selected STEM Ambassadors, empowering them to further their knowledge and share it within their communities. 
  
Zainab has also shared her experiences with fellow students, inspiring others to undertake similar widening participation projects with the University. Today, she continues to promote digital literacy among disadvantaged groups, partnering with global organizations to expand her impact. 

Emily Wagner (Undergraduate student in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine)

Emily Wagner is the Founder of Unite London, the first London-based community of estranged and care-experienced students. The group gives these students a support network they would otherwise lack, improving their wellbeing and academic performance. She is also works with the charities EaCES, Together Estranged, and the Unite Foundation to grow the national community, increase visibility, and share resources for professional and academic support.

At º£½ÇÉçÇø, Emily has pushed for better support provisions for estranged and care-experienced students, using her in-depth knowledge to highlight the needs of the community and aid in the development of a new specialised support service. Her impact on her fellow students—at Imperiaand beyond—makes a substantial difference and is valued enormously by her peers. 

Dana Whigan (Undergraduate student in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine)

Over the past two years, Dana Whigan has served as the Student Representative for º£½ÇÉçÇø’s Horizons British Sign Language (BSL) modules. She has played a pivotal role in the introduction of a new BSL Level 2 module, expanding the opportunities for students to learn BSL at a higher level, and has been instrumental in supporting BSL Level 1 teaching by providing face-to-face practice sessions outside of regular lessons.

She led a groundbreaking takeover of the ImperiaInstagram account during Deaf Awareness Week, being the first person to use BSL on the platform and setting a new precedent for inclusivity and visibility of the Deaf community. Dana has also extended her advocacy beyond Imperiaby conducting Deaf awareness training for Early Years Education students at City and Islington College. This training has helped future educators understand the importance of inclusivity and effective communication with Deaf individuals. 

Charalampos Charalampous (Undergraduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)

Charalampos Charalampous is Chair of ImperiaRacing Green, which supports undergraduate students to design, make, test and race zero emission vehicles. In late 2023 he volunteered to work with a team of local sixth-form students on the Formula One in Schools competition, an international initiative to encourage pupils to develop a miniature Formula One car.

The school had no previous experience with competition, so Charalampos contributed many hours guiding the design process, giving insight into the competition and developing a F1 in Schools team, building parts of their car and organising visits to Imperiawhere the students learned how to use the wind tunnel to test and collect data on their designs. The team went on to win the London finals, came third in the national finals and the female contributors were awarded the ‘Girls in STEM’ prize. They were the only state school to reach this level of the competition. 

Evo Tongomo (Undergraduate student in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)

Evo Tongomo is a tireless advocate of º£½ÇÉçÇø’s outreach programmes and has committed hours of time to supporting young people throughout her Imperiacareer.  Since her first year, she has supported summer schools, tutoring programmes, maths homework clubs and the STEM Potential and STEM Futures programmes.

She has also undertaken countless campus tours, school visits and other student recruitment focused activities. Over the past two years, she has acted as a peer mentor for prospective students of Black heritage, supporting high-potential A-level students with a structured programme of guidance and invaluable insights into applying to and studying at a leading university. Alongside her passion for outreach, Evo is revered for her calm and caring approach that reassures vulnerable young people while also having an ability to make all activities enjoyable and inclusive. 

Naa Ayorkor Harding (Undergraduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering)

Naa Ayorkor Harding recently completed a key stage of a project to develop an affordable sanitary pad using banana fibres and other biodegradable materials for use in Rwanda. This will enable women to go to work and continue attending school during their period while promoting menstrual hygiene. Importantly, the solution achieved sustainability as local women can make the product themselves using supply chains in the area. Naa's project was inspired by a summer expedition in Rwanda with Minazi Consulting and Dufatanye Organisation, sponsored by º£½ÇÉçÇø. Following her trip, she built a multi-disciplinary team of collaborators and led them to develop the pad, which includes a biodegradable waterproof layer. Her work became part of a 20-student initiative into femtech projects within the Department of Mechanical Engineering and has been presented at the Menstrual Tech Forum, organised by the University of Warwick, Imperiaand King's College London.

Dr De-Shaine Murray (Postgraduate student in the Department of Bioengineering)

Dr De-Shaine Murray's research involved developing a novel probe that can monitor the injured brain. His work was multidisciplinary and he collaborated with researchers from King's College London, the University of Cambridge and Righospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark. Alongside his research project, De-Shaine led the African Caribbean Research Collective, a peer support community for Black British Caribbean researchers. In recent years, De-Shaine has initiated and expanded a number of networks and organisations that support and increase the visibility of Black students and researchers, including the ImperiaBlack Doctoral Network and Black in Neuro. In 2020, he led #BlackinNeuroWeek, an online campaign to celebrate Black neuroscientists. This campaign was highly successful, attracting millions of engagements on social media, and featured in publications including Forbes and USA Today. De-Shaine has also been involved in outreach activities such as Pint of Science and was a science ambassador at a high school in London.

Dr Alexander Ainscough (Postgraduate student in the National Heart and Lung Institute)

Dr Alexander Ainscough is an enthusiastic and dedicated scientist who is pioneering the development of cutting-edge organ-on-a-chip technology. At º£½ÇÉçÇø, Alex showed an outstanding commitment to public engagement. He has represented Imperiaand the British Heart Foundation at events including the Great Exhibition Road Festival and the Cheltenham Science Festival. He has participated in, and helped to organise, Pint of Science events, and conducted laboratory tours for ImperiaAlumni and British Heart Foundation staff and volunteers.

Alex established the British Heart Foundation Student Training Network, which brings together all PhD students funded by the charity in the UK. Alex is also an active member of the In2scienceUK scheme, which aims to give young people from disadvantaged backgrounds insight into studying and working in STEM. He is an ambassador for the scheme and has previously mentored multiple A-Level students.

Dr Liliana Isabel Casimiro Brito (Postgraduate student in the National Heart and Lung Institute)

Dr Liliana Isabel Casimiro Brito is regarded as an exceptionally kind and hard-working student, who is dedicated to public engagement and outreach. She has been involved in a wide range of engagement activities, including supporting research networks and conferences, as well as organising Pint of Science events.  Liliana works as a volunteer scientist at Native Scientists, a charity that promotes the work of scientists with young people and she has supported fundraising for the British Heart Foundation, acting as Team Leader for the Imperiafundraising team. Liliana is also a member of the executive committee for the Portuguese Association of Researchers and Students in the UK, which has been instrumental in the development of a protocol with the Portuguese government that provides research fellowships to support collaboration between researchers in Portugal and the UK.

Dr Anita Chandran (Postgraduate student in the Department of Physics)

Alongside her MSc and PhD studies, Dr Anita Chandran has built an anthology of short stories about the lives of women in science whose work has gone unrewarded and unrecognised, including Agnes Pockels, a pioneer in surface chemistry, and Dr Elsie Widdowson, one of the creators of the rationing diet used during the Second World War. Her writing has previously been awarded the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication's Acland Prize for Excellence in the Humanities, and she has presented her work to academic literary conferences, including at a symposium at UCL's Institute of Advanced Study. Anita's writing makes an important contribution to contemporary literature about women and science. Her work has the power to engage a broad audience and transform the perception of female scientists, raising awareness of their legacy and achievements and providing inspirational role models for women in STEM.

Dr Léonie Strömich (Postgraduate student in the Department of Chemistry)

Throughout her studies, Dr Léonie Strömich has been committed to enriching the postgraduate student experience and has played a significant role in shaping the experience of all students based at the White City Campus. In her roles as Postgraduate Social Committee President and Postgraduate Student Representative for the Department of Chemistry, Léonie has gone above and beyond to advocate for her fellow students and support their wellbeing. She collaborated with student representatives from other departments at the White City Campus to build a lively student community and organised events including the Leap Year Ball and weekly yoga classes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Léonie worked hard to create a strong online community where students could connect at virtual events, such as games night and craft activities. Alongside this, Léonie sought to widen participation in science through volunteering at ImperiaLates events and with organisations such as In2scienceUK and the Brilliant Club.