We hear from some of the long-serving colleagues who received their awards during 2020.

Hear about some of their favourite moments, more about their work achievements, how they have contributed to our local community, and what they're looking forward to most.

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Qing Wang

Professor of Marketing and Innovation, Warwick Business School

Number of years at Warwick: 20 years

What has been your most memorable moment at Warwick?

"Having worked at Warwick for more than 20 years, I have many memorable moments - discussing research ideas with colleagues at the WBS cafe, seeing my research in prints and make a real impact, my PhD students complete their viva and find jobs, proudly showing the state of art facilities to visitors and prospective students, attending the degree congregations, and lots more.

"So it is quite hard to pick one, but if I have to, then it has to be the moment when I met my new personal tutees, when they first arrived on campus. They were so full of energy and enthusiasm, most importantly, they came from such a diversified and multi-cultural background, and with a progressive and global outlook. I saw hope and future for this world in them. I also felt so humbled and honoured to be part of their journey in pursuing their dreams and ideals."

How have you been involved in the local community over your time at Warwick?

"I worked on a university project to develop a plan to regenerate the Wellesbourne Innovation Campus near Stratford, which would encourage businesses to set base there, and benefit the local community as well as financially sustainable. I have been involved as a guest speaker or judge in many of the events organised by student societies such as the One World Forum, the Emerging Market Forum, the Chinese Society, the WBS Society, the Debating Society.

"I started a petition to appeal to the government to improve the manufacturing and supply of face masks during the pandemic, and I worked as a volunteer to help procuring PPEs from China for the local hospitals. I am part of a Chinese folk dancing society in Solihull (where I live) and participated and performed in cultural events to promote diversity that the city council organised."

What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?

"The University has grown substantially over the years, with new facilities opening, I believe that it will come out of the pandemic stronger and fitter. I look froward to welcoming students back to campus and also look forward to using these new facilities myself including the Sports and Wellness Hub and the Arts Centre."

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Robert MacKay

Professor, Mathematics

Number of years at Warwick: 33 years

What has been your most memorable moment at Warwick?

"My happiest memories at Warwick are of early days when with a group of PhD students, David Rand and postdocs, we worked on lots of interesting problems in dynamical systems theory. The moment that marked me most was when there was outrage from some at a departmental staff meeting announcement in 1989 that I'd been awarded a grant by the Ministry of Defence. The grant was to allow an MoD employee to spend one day a week doing "pure" research with me but this did not conciliate those who objected to the department receiving military funds. I was pleased to find that I was defended by others on grounds of academic freedom and differences were eventually resolved by mutual discussion. Would that differences could be tackled this way today instead of anonymous complaints and confidential investigations and hearings!

"A close second was a year or two later when David Rand, Ian Stewart and I formulated plans for a major expansion of mathematics at Warwick in the direction of interdisciplinary collaborations. With the HoD, Klaus Schmidt, it was agreed that I would write to Sir Peter Swinnerton-Dyer, then Chief Executive of the Universities Funding Council, to ask if they'd fund a new building for interdisciplinary mathematics. I received a polite reply saying that it would need a formal submission via the University authorities (copied to the Vice-Chancellor). Next thing I knew was that I was summoned for a telling off by the Registrar. I think he was mortified that I had damaged the professional image of the University in the UFC's eyes, whereas for me Swinnerton-Dyer was a genial old gentleman who used to buy us beers after undergraduate Mathematical Society talks. But the VC made up for it by a subsequent meeting at which he told me I had a future at Warwick. Interestingly, the case for an Interdisciplinary Mathematics building did eventually reach fruition, thanks to Wolfson Foundation funding, in 2019."

How have you been involved in the local community over your time at Warwick?

"I was Chair of the Kenilworth & Rugby Green Party in 1989/90. We put on a social event with a live band to fund-raise for a campaign for a parliamentary candidate and were pleased to influence the agenda and net 15% of the vote."

What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?

"I look forward to completing the fourth year of an exciting project called Hidden Symmetries and Fusion Energy, funded by the Simons Foundation, in which we hope to contribute to the design of high quality magnetic confinement for ionised gas, using beautiful mathematical ideas."

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Susan Watson

Executive Assistant, Warwick Medical School

Number of years at Warwick: 20+

What has been your most memorable moment at Warwick?

"One favourite memory that still makes me smile is when I had organised a conference at Scarman House a few years ago. One of our presenters, very much in the "Margaret Rutherford mode", turned up very late and flustered demanding to know why the University of Warwick was "NOT IN WARWICK". Despite all location instructions to the contrary they booked their train to Warwick; I actually found myself apologising for the fact that the University of Warwick was in Coventry!"

What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?

"Since the start of the pandemic five seasons have come and gone on Gibbet Hill, and on fleeting visits to the office I have witnessed the quiet passing of each one. So as we baby step to an accepted form of normality, watching the campus fill with the laughter and spirit that is human is something I look forward to the most."