King's College London

The SHINE awards are a new initiative to recognise people from across King’s who go above and beyond to contribute to the University’s thriving staff community where everyone is empowered to excel.

More than 360 nominations were received from across King’s and to ensure the awards were fair, reflective and representative of the University’s diverse community, the winners were chosen by a judging panel made up of volunteers from the King’s Staff 100.

The winners and runners up of the 2025 awards were announced at a ceremony on Thursday 22 May which marked the end of the King’s Staff Experience Festival 2025.

Among the winners were the King’s Kitchen Chefs and Porters in Estates & Facilities who were awarded Team of the Year and Dr Kyriaki Koukouraki, Lecturer in EAP & Cultural Competency Education in King’s Foundations, who won the Outstanding Contribution Award.

Watch this short video about the event

Created by Organisational Development, the SHINE awards recognise colleagues who champion inclusion, challenge the status quo, support others to grow, and foster meaningful connections.

They aim to:

• Spark inclusion and belonging
• Harness innovation and fresh thinking
• Inspire growth and learning
• Nurture collaboration and connection
• Embody Our Principles in Action - in everything that we do

The full list of winners and runners up:

The Inclusive Leader Award

This award recognises an individual who actively creates an environment where colleagues feel valued, heard, and are enabled to excel.

• Winner: Professor Sally Everett, Professor of Business Education and Vice Dean, Education for King’s Business School
• Runner-up: Tamara Kwofie, Student Outcomes Manager, Student Transition & Outcomes

The Inclusion Champion Award

This award recognises an individual who goes above and beyond to create a truly inclusive and welcoming workplace environment.

• Winner: Brandon High, Senior Library Assistant (Special Collections), Libraries & Collections
• Runner-up: Paul Webb, Sanctuary Programme Manager in International, Engagement & Service (IES)

The Outstanding Mentor Award

This award recognises an individual who guides and supports others in their professional growth, whether formally or informally.

• Winner: Dr Jessica Rapson, Senior Lecturer and Graduate Teaching Assistant Lead, Faculty of Arts & Humanities
• Runner-up: Professor Aileen King, Professor of Integrative Diabetes Research and Head of the Teaching Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

The Dedicated Learner Award

This award recognises an individual committed to their own personal and professional development.

• Winner: Professor Barbara Barrett, Professor of Health Economics and Deputy Head of Department of Health Service & Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience
• Runner-up: Salma Begum, Compliance Officer, Finance, Procurement, Strategic Planning and Analytics

The Workplace Innovator Award

This award recognises an individual or team that has introduced a new idea, process or solution that has significantly improved ways of working.

• Winner: Roza Aufogul, Interim Head of Agile Centre of Excellence (ACE), IT
• Runner-up: Melanie Maddison, AEP Lecturer and Sustainability Liaison Co-Lead, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care

The Change Champion Award

This award recognises an individual who plays a key role in driving and embedding positive change.

• Winner: Andy Chavez Ocana, Associate Director for Education, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care
• Runner-up: Magdalena Pulit, Senior Project Officer (Strategic Projects), Careers & Employability

The Community Connector Award

This award recognises an individual who brings people together, encouraging teamwork and collaboration.

• Winner: Saran Green, Patient and Public Involvement/Engagement (PPIE) Manager, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine
• Runner-up: Dr Shalen Fu, Centre Manager for the Centre for Sustainable Business, King’s Business School

The Service Excellence Award

This award recognises an individual who consistently delivers outstanding service, and who goes above and beyond to help others.

• Winner: Martin Stolliday, Manager of the Strand Group, Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy
• Runner-up: Sarah Banks, Senior Business Operations Officer, Faculty of Arts & Humanities

The Team of the Year Award

This award recognises the exceptional team whose outstanding collaboration, innovation, and achievements have set new benchmarks for excellence and impact this year.

• Winner: King’s Kitchen Chefs and Porters, Estates & Facilities
• Runner-up: King’s Information and Intellectual Property Law Hub (KiiPH) in the Dickson Poon School of Law

The Outstanding Contribution Award

This award recognises someone whose impact has been truly extraordinary by going above and beyond to bring the University’s Principles in Action to life, and who has played a vital role in helping to create a thriving staff community at King’s.

• Winner: Dr Kyriaki Koukouraki, Lecturer in EAP & Cultural Competency Education, King’s Foundations