Award recognition for inspirational technician

Dr Clare Stevenson has been shortlisted in the Outstanding Technician of the Year category of the ‘Times Higher Education’ Awards 2019.

Colleagues nominated Dr Stevenson citing her impressive technical skills and her passion and drive in highlighting the valuable contribution of technicians to the work of the John Innes Centre.

Dr Stevenson’s role at the John Innes Centre is split across two technology facilities, Protein Crystallography and Biophysical Analysis.

Her technical skills are highly valued and have resulted in authorship on over 60 publications. In addition to her technical role Dr Stevenson founded the local Technician Voice and subsequently led the John Innes Centre to being one of the founding signatories of the Technician Commitment. She is also an Honorary Lecturer at the University of East Anglia and professional registration assessor for the Science Council

Dr Stevenson welcomed the nomination: “I was thrilled to be nominated for this award and honoured to be shortlisted.  I am passionate about visibility and recognition for the roles all staff have in the excellent science carried out at the John Innes Centre.  I am proud to have a career where I can use my technical skills to benefit scientific advancement and want to inspire others to follow a technical career path.

John Innes Centre Director Professor Dale Sanders said: “Clare is the driving force behind the Technician Commitment at the John Innes Centre. I would like to thank Clare for her inspirational work in raising the visibility of this highly-skilled group of staff without whom the Institute would not be able to carry out the ground-breaking science it does. It is astonishing that she is able to accomplish all this in addition to her more direct technical-based contribution to the institute.”

Times Higher Education editor John Gill added; “The Times Higher Education Awards hold a place in the hearts of many in UK higher education and have now been a fixture in the its calendar for well over a decade. I am delighted to say that the ‘Oscars of higher education’ go from strength to strength. We’re showcasing more exceptional stories than ever before, and it’s a real honour for us to shine a spotlight on all those who have made it as far as these shortlists – their stories deserve much wider circulation.”

Dr Stevenson will join nominees across 23 categories for an awards ceremony in London on 28 November.

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