President's Medal awarded to industrial collaboration champion

Dr Rebeca Santamaria-Fernandez being presented with a President's Medal by Professor Ian Walmsley

Dr Rebeca Santamaria-Fernandez, Director of Industry Partnerships and Commercialisation, has been awarded a President's Medal.

The medal for Research Support Excellence was presented at Imperial College's graduation ceremony on Thursday 10 March.

The medal was awarded in recognition of Rebeca's work leading the Faculty’s Industry Partnerships and Commercialisation (IPC) team in maximising the impact of Imperial’s research and technologies through collaboration and commercialisation.

At the ceremony Professor Nigel Brandon, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, spoke of Rebeca's achievements: 'Her negotiation and relationship-building skills have lead to strengthened industrial research funding in departments with a long history of successful engagement with industry, as well as obtaining significant funding in traditionally less engaged areas.'

Speaking about receiving the award at the Faculty of Engineering ceremony in March, Rebeca said:

'I am very passionate and committed to maximising impact from Imperial’s research and technologies, and it is an honour to receive recognition in the form of a President’s Medal.

Being at the Royal Albert Hall, standing on the stage surrounded by colleagues and friends made me feel very Imperial-proud. I feel so privileged to have been recognised with such an award and being able to share the moment with colleagues from Engineering and fellow medallists like Ally Donaldson or Ricardo Martinez-Botas – whose journeys we have supported - made it that extra special. I am grateful to our academics and researchers who make my job and that of my team really stimulating and rewarding.

Seeing Imperial’s talented students graduating is also really grounding. I actually knew many of the postgraduate students graduating on the day , either because they were involved in industry projects or because they are listed as co-inventors of Imperial’s technologies and it felt really humbling to be in their company.'

Other awards presented at the ceremony on 10 March were:

• Honorary degree: Mr William Butler, CEO of Brompton Bicycle
• President's Medal for Outstanding Assistant Supervisor: Dr James Armstrong, Department of Materials
• President's Medal for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Dr Alistair Donaldson, Department of Computing
• President's Medal for Outstanding Early Career Researcher: Dr Yuval Elani, Department of Chemical Engineering
• President's Medal for Outstanding Assistant Supervisor: Dr Stuart Higgins, Department of Materials
• President's Medal for Excellence in External Collaboration and Partnerships: Professor Ricardo Martinez-Botas
• President's Medal for Outstanding Early Career Researcher: Dr Thomas Ouldridge, Department of Bioengineering
• Outstanding Student Achievement Awards: Mr Richard Brooks (Department of Mechanical Engineering), Dr Isobel Mackay (Department of Earth Science and Engineering) and Dr Robin Thomas (Department of Earth Science and Engineering)

The next catch-up ceremony for Imperial graduands will take place on Wednesday 30 March, followed by a ceremony for undergraduates on Wednesday 4 May and Commemoration Day in October.