Business School colleagues recognised for outstanding contributions
Colleagues from across Newcastle University Business School have been recognised in the February round of the Vice Chancellor’s Celebrating Success awards.
26 March 2025
16 Newcastle University Business School colleagues were recently recognised at the Vice Chancellor’s Celebrating Success event in February 2025 for their hard work and dedication.
The events take place three times a year, led by the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Chris Day. They are an opportunity to shine a light on a range of achievements, awards and recognition, and emphasise how much we achieve when we work together as one university.
The February award recipients include representation across Professional Services teams and academic colleagues.
Our February winners
For their involvement in student treks to London and Manchester:
- Steven Sadi, Business Partnerships Manager
- Jaclyn Wright, Engagement Officer
- Rebecca McEwen-Orr, Engagement Assistant
- Jo Craggs, Careers Consultant
- Cian O’Sullivan, Careers Consultant
Alice Kaniova, Engagement Assistant, for her unwavering support of, and commitment to, the organising and administration of the Sustainability Forum.
Alice said: “Giving back to the community and our environment is becoming increasingly important, so I was honoured to be recognised for my work with Newcastle University Business School on our Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability Strategy.
"I have been previously recognised for supporting our Charity of the Year – People's Kitchen, and now also for my commitment to the Sustainability Forum, an extracurricular programme including, but not limited to, panel discussions, induction-week simulation challenges, an annual MBA Global Case Competition and a sustainable business challenge. I am looking forward to continuing to work on this strategy further.”
Dr David Xiang, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, for leading the successful application for Newcastle University’s membership in the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Forum
Dr Jose Liu, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, for providing guidance and support for Bloomberg Global Trading Challenges resulting in two teams entering the top 65 globally, including one team finishing first in the UK.
Dr Liu said: “I’m honoured to receive this recognition. Supporting our students in the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge has been a truly rewarding experience. Their dedication, teamwork, and critical thinking were outstanding, and it was inspiring to watch them succeed on a global stage.
"I’m proud that one of our teams ranked first in the UK — it reflects the strength of our teaching and the potential of our students.”
Dr Andrei Stancu, Senior Lecturer in Finance, in recognition of successfully negotiating academic partnership with the CQF Institute (the awarding body for the Certificate in Quantitative Finance) for the MSc Quantitative Finance and Risk Management programme and wider school.
Dr Periklis Boumparis, Degree Programme Director Banking and Finance MSc, in recognition of successfully re-negotiating accreditation of the MSc Banking and Finance programme with the Chartered Banker Institute, including the recognition of Newcastle University as the Chartered Banker Institute Centre of Excellence.
David Ormston-Simpson, Education Manager and Phil Morey, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, in recognition of supporting the development of the ICAS programme approvals for the Accounting and Finance and Finance programmes with INTO.
Michaela O'Doherty, Facilities Manager, in recognition of successfully leading on health and safety protocol for the School.
Dr Saurabh Bhattacharya, Reader in Digital Marketing, for providing exceptional student experience to students on the Digital Consumer Behaviour module.
Saurabh created this module which is novel for the HE sector. The student feedback we have received through different platforms in its first year of running is exceptional.
Dr Kirk Dodds, Degree Programme Director Digital Marketing MSc and Dr Hao Du, Lecturer in Marketing, for organising co-curricular activity, including a digital marketing bootcamp in Semester One, to support further development of crucial skills for students on the Digital Marketing MSc.
The initiative had a very positive influence on student experience, evidenced by excellent student feedback.
Dr Dodds said, “I'm delighted, along with Hao, to receive this award for our digital marketing bootcamp. The highlight of the session was enhancing the student experience, as it allowed us to deliver practical, hands-on sessions on handling and analysing data – benefiting not just their studies, but also their future careers in digital marketing.”
Dr Du added, “I'm honoured to have received this recognition alongside Dr Kirk Dodds. The digital marketing bootcamp was born from our commitment to equipping MSc students with practical skills beyond the classroom. Seeing the positive impact on student experience has been incredibly rewarding. This initiative bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and industry demands, preparing our students for the evolving digital landscape.
"I'm grateful for the excellent student feedback, which affirms our approach and motivates us to continue enhancing the educational journey for our digital marketing students.”
I am delighted to see so many colleagues being recognised through these awards. It demonstrates their dedication to improving the School, student learning and the experience of our whole community. My congratulations to all those receiving awards.