EEE Staff Contribution Awards 2025: recognising care, commitment and impact

Colleagues from across the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering came together at 170 Queen’s Gate to celebrate the 2025 Staff Contribution Awards.

Staff are nominated by their colleagues, across categories for research, teaching and student experience, sustainability, and inspiring contribution. The awards recognise the many ways colleagues contribute to our shared aims, and the everyday actions that shape our culture and help make EEE a supportive, innovative and ambitious place to work and study. 

The Awards are a powerful reminder of how much commitment, care and talent supports the life of our department." Tim Green Head of Department

Professor Tim Green, EEE Head of Department, congratulated our award winners: "I'd like to add a huge thank you to everyone who took time to submit a nomination. These reflections are what make the Staff Contribution Awards meaningful, and they're a powerful reminder of how much commitment, care and talent supports the life of our department."

The 2025 Awards winners and runners-up, and extracts from  colleagues' nominations:

Award for Research / Research Support

Winner: Constantinos Charalambous

Dr Constantinos Charalambous is a Research Fellow in Mars Exploration whose work applies EEE expertise to fundamental questions in planetary science.

Nomination: “Constantinos' work on the Science paper on Deep Martian Mantle Heterogeneities demonstrates just how far the Department’s reach has extended. His work has taken us — literally — to another planet, and more importantly, to a fundamental new understanding of how a planet can preserve the record of its formation.

His leadership in combining novel sensors designed and built within our department with advanced signal-processing and AI-driven techniques enabled a discovery that the more established planetary-science community had not yet reached. This success highlights the growing power, ambition and scientific breadth of EEE at Imperial, and Constantinos has been at the centre of that momentum”.

Award for Sustainability

Winner: May Tang

Electronic Support Group Technician May Tang is Sustainability lead in our undergraduate teaching lab. 

Nomination: “Long before sustainability became a widely recognised priority, May was already considering its importance and proactively implementing measures to reduce wastage. Her forward-thinking approach set an example for others and showed a clear dedication to making a positive impact through practical actions aimed at minimising unnecessary waste. She played a key role in securing the lab's recent Bronze LEAF sustainability award, contributing both through the initiatives she implemented and by actively supporting the application process”.

Runner-up: Zia Rahman

Our Facilities and Building Projects Manager Zia Rahman is responsible for the building and projects across department space – managing facilities, space utilisation and major refurbishments.

Nomination: “We were delighted when Zia was able to refurbish our two study areas with all recycled furniture from another department. Our rooms had looked dated and cluttered, but they now look modern and clean. Zia also offered us some moss wall art which would have been thrown away, but he kept it alive and it will soon be enhancing our new kitchenette which is also furnished with recycled tables and chairs. You would never know that this had all been pre-loved. Zia takes pride in offering the best of what he can find without the price tag and to save waste”.

Award for Teaching / Teaching Support

Winner: Tim Constandinou

Professor Tim Constandinou is Professor of Bioelectronics, leading research at the intersection of microelectronics and neuroscience. 

Nomination: “Tim exemplifies the highest standards of supervision, teaching, and genuine care for his students. Across MSc and PhD levels, Tim creates an environment where students feel supported, trusted, and are encouraged to grow, striking a rare balance between independence and steady, thoughtful guidance. He is consistently available, approachable, and compassionate, whether helping students navigate academic challenges, crises of confidence, or personal difficulties, and he treats every student with respect, dignity, and unwavering belief in their potential. His teaching, particularly in full-custom IC design, is rigorous, practical, and widely admired, shaping students into confident engineers while fostering a strong, inclusive research culture that many describe as a ‘home away from home’”.

Runners-up:  Victor Iswa and Hisham Maarki

Victor Iswa, Stores Assistant, and Hisham Maarki, Stores Manager, support students and staff with a range of essential services including handling goods and deliveries, supply ordering, inspection and testing, printing, equipment loans and security key management.

Nomination: “The Stores is an essential resource to the EE students and gets particularly busy during student project times. The team are dedicated to ensuring the student get their goods as quick as possible, to ensure their projects are not delayed. The student experience, particularly during project times, would not be the same without the work and dedication of Hish and Vic and all the services they manage efficiently in the stores”.

Inspiring Contributions Award

Joint Winner: Christos Bouganis

Professor Christos Bouganis has served as the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies since 2021.

Nomination: “Christos has done an outstanding job supporting student learning within our department. I am especially motivated to nominate him now because of the steps he has taken to support students with learning difficulties and to ensure that our teaching practices are inclusive. He genuinely cares about students and about their learning. He consistently advocates for students and prioritises their needs”.

Joint Winner: Kelly Greenwood

Kelly Greenwood is the department's Student Wellbeing Advisor.

Nomination: “Kelly is an insightful and invaluable member of the Education team. Her role can take an emotional toll, as it requires a daily commitment to supporting students without absorbing the weight of their struggles. Kelly approaches every student with empathy, kindness, and practical guidance.

Her dedication to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background, is truly exceptional. All of this she accomplishes while pursuing her PhD, a remarkable achievement.

Kelly stands out as a strong and compassionate team member, one we are fortunate to have."