The Imperial Staff Recognition Awards were presented at a ceremony on Thursday 3rd July.
The Staff Recognition Awards provide an opportunity to recognise and celebrate individuals and teams for their vital contributions to the university’s community.
This year, five members of the Department were nominated for their outstanding contributions across several categories, with two receiving awards.
Award Winners
- Emma Rainbow – The President's Award for Excellence in Education - Supporting the Student Experience
- George Constantinides – The President's Award for Excellence in Education - Research Supervision
Nominees
- Ciske Smit (Phd Student) – Excellence in Culture and Community
- Stefan Vlaski – Outstanding Early Career Researcher
- Wiesia Hsissen – Excellence in Research Support
Head of Department, Professor Tim Green said: "We are hugely proud of Emma, George, Ciske, Stefan and Wiesia for the talent, care and commitment they bring. Their nominations and achievements reflect our shared goals in education, research excellence, and creating a supportive community where students and staff can thrive."
Emma Rainbow
The President's Award for Excellence in Education - Supporting the Student Experience
Education Support Officer Emma receives this award for going above and beyond when it comes to supporting our students across a huge range of activities, ensuring over 700 undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds and needs can have the best possible university experience.
Emma plays a key role in our departments' support for students from widening participation (WP) backgrounds, securing funding for essential resources such as laptops, launching a WP mentor scheme, and working towards a departmental bursary. She also identifies and supports those students who may not have been flagged by the university, ensuring they receive assistance when it's needed.
Being part of the journey from admission through to graduation is a true privilege, seeing their growth both academically and personally. Emma Rainbow
As the Department’s student disability support contact, Emma meets students weekly to offer study skills support and guidance with additional needs, and our students value her caring and respectful approach, with a strong focus on safeguarding.
Emma champions inclusivity and representation within the department to foster a sense of community. She works closely with student groups to organise cultural and community-building events, including this year's Lunar New Year and Iftar gatherings, and initiatives by the Women in Electrical Engineering Society, and plays a central role in delivering our undergraduate prizes.
Approximately 14% of our students require special exam arrangements and 25% submit mitigating circumstances. Emma has helped develop the Department’s Mitigating Circumstances app, working closely with the Senior Tutor, and Software Developer to ensure highly confidential information can be processed securely and swiftly.
She also led the Department’s role in the new undergraduate admissions test with the Department of Aeronatics. Her ability to manage complex, high-stakes tests with precision and professionalism significantly contributed to departments admissions process, handling over 4,856 applicants across multiple test sessions.
Emma describes her role as incredibly rewarding: "Being part of the journey from admission through to graduation is a true privilege, seeing their growth both academically and personally. Supporting students and witnessing their success — especially when they once doubted themselves — is especially rewarding.
"Everyone I work closely with genuinely prioritises students — not just their academic success, but also their personal growth and well-being. I think that does make the EEE community really special.
"I want to say a big thank you to some amazing colleagues. Kristel Fobelets has always been super supportive and really helped me grow. Kelly Greenwood, our Student Wellbeing Advisor, has taught me so much about mental health and how we can better support students. And huge thanks to Kate Farrar, Lina Brazinskaite, Zohaib Akhtar and Kay Hancox — I’ve learned from all of them, and their support has meant a lot."
George Constantinides
The President's Award for Excellence in Education - Research Supervision
George's award recognises his outstanding dedication to nurturing researchers, focusing on inclusive practices, developing independence, and valuing long-term growth and community.
George's approach encourages his students to engage with the international research community, pursue ambitious ideas, and consider the potential industrial impact of their work. Many of his former students now hold influential positions in academia and industry, and several have founded their own companies.
People are the primary output of higher education. Papers are nice, research recognition is nice, but it’s the people who last. George Constantinides
His wider dedication to inclusivity is reflected in his work on neuroinclusive practices for supporting autistic PhD students, which has led to funded projects on this topic at Imperial and contributed to sector-level discussions with the League of European Research Universities and the Doctoral Schools of Estonia.
As the founding Director of Imperial’s Early Career Researcher Institute, George’s work extends beyond individual supervision, as he leads Imperial's mission to provide a world-class research culture for early-career researchers. He has also delivered specialist lectures and participated in university-wide activities focused on enhancing the PhD researcher experience.
Student feedback highlights George's commitment to supporting progression, encouraging conference participation, and fostering independent research skills. Graduates praise the role his insightful supervision has played in shaping their careers, including encouragement to connect with other researchers, and ability to guide them towards impactful, high-quality work and exploration of emerging areas.
His support extends long beyond graduation, with former students continuing to benefit from his outstanding mentorship.
George highlights mentoring staff and students as the most rewarding activity in academia: "What makes PhD student mentoring special is the close and deep engagement between supervisor and student over an extended period of time and encompassing technical mentoring, career mentoring, and often also personal support.
"I am particularly grateful to Peter Cheung for building that environment in my own research field – it’s easy to take a supportive workplace for granted. Not everyone has been as lucky to be as well supported as I was. I'd also like to thank my former and current PhD students – I got lucky, and Pier Luigi Dragotti and Christos Bouganis for their nomination.
"I have been at Imperial now for over 30 years, and have had many chances to leave, but it’s the people I work with, especially in EEE, who have always made me stay. People are the primary output of higher education. Papers are nice, research recognition is nice, but it’s the people who last."
Ciske Smit
PhD student Ciske was nominated for the President’s Award for Excellence in Culture and Community in recognition of her outstanding contributions to community, EDI, and culture in the Department.
While progressing her own research, Ciske has been central to the Department’s DICE Committee (Diversity, Inclusion, Culture and Equity), leading the Lived and Living Experience Working Group and helping to shape inclusive departmental practices. Her commitment extends across community-building activities, including co-organising Women in Engineering events, supporting our social media student profiles series, and leading the Department’s first Postdoc Appreciation Week Reception.
As PhD representative for the ISN group, Ciske has strengthened connections across students and staff by organising monthly speaker sessions with tea and cake, and community events like Bring A Dish, fostering integration and belonging. She also MC-ed the Department’s Three Minute Thesis competition, encouraging research communication skills within our postgraduate community.
Ciske's proactive leadership and commitment to nurturing an inclusive, connected environment have made a lasting contribution to EEE, enriching the student and staff experience while championing the values of community and collaboration.
Stefan Vlaski
Stefan was nominated for the President's Award for Outstanding Early Career Researcher, recognising his achievements in impactful, internationally recognised research, and his commitment to teaching, leadership, and inclusion.
Since joining Imperial in 2021, Stefan has established a thriving research group, producing internationally recognised, high-impact research while actively shaping the future of his field. His work in machine learning and signal processing has led to over 70 peer-reviewed publications and two patents, with awards from the IEEE and the European Association for Signal Processing recognising the significance of his contributions.
Stefan’s commitment to research-led education is evident in the rapid integration of his research into Imperial’s teaching, including a 4th-year module that has already inspired student-led publications. His leadership extends internationally through his service on the IEEE Signal Processing Society’s Board of Governors and editorial boards, as well as fostering an inclusive research culture within Imperial by supporting diverse students into PhD pathways.
He actively builds community within the department, including running Research-in-Progress meetings for PhD students and postdocs, helping develop presentation skills and encouraging collaboration across labs.
Stefan fosters an inclusive environment, advocating for students and encouraging underrepresented groups in engineering, including giving lectures to Widening Participation school students participating in the Sutton Trust Summer School. As First Year Organiser he revised Welcome Week activities to encourage students to explicitly consider Imperial’s values in the approach to problem solving and engineering.
Stefan's leadership also extends internationally through his roles within the IEEE Signal Processing Society, where he develops initiatives supporting young professionals.
Wiesia Hsissen
Wiesia was nominated for the Lynne Cox Award for Excellence in Research Support.
For well over three decades, Wiesia has quietly but profoundly shaped the success of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering through her diligent, calm, and professional approach. As a Senior Research Group Administrator for the Circuits and Systems Group, her outstanding support has enabled world-class research through meticulous grant management, event coordination, and day-to-day guidance.
Wiesia is a constant, reassuring presence for staff and students, offering thoughtful advice, practical help, and a warm welcome to all. Her support has extended across major international conferences, distinguished lecture series, and department initiatives, reflecting her commitment to the wider EEE community.
Her inclusive approach has helped international researchers and new staff adapt, providing stability and encouragement that fosters a strong, caring culture. Wiesia’s dedication and expertise have enabled the successful delivery of research projects exceeding £21million in funding, and her contributions have left a lasting impression on those she has helped, many of whom remain in touch years later.
Wiesia truly embodies Imperial’s values of respect, collaboration, and excellence. Her exceptional service and kindness have made her the heart of her research group, and a valued cornerstone of the Department.
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Reporter
Jane Horrell
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Contact details
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 6263
Email: j.horrell@imperial.ac.uk
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