News

Dr Jack Woolley has been awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry's (RSC) 2025 Technical Excellence Award for providing outstanding technical and scientific support to users of the Warwick Centre for Ultrafast Spectroscopy (WCUS).

Jack has been the platform manager since the foundation of the WCUS Research Technology Platform (RTP) in 2021, and his role includes everything from managing finances, purchasing, and health and safety, to training users and designing experiments. He works with a wide range of researchers from master’s students to postdocs and PIs, both at Warwick and from other institutions. He also helps users run experiments, analyse data, and often teach them how to operate the equipment themselves.

Apart from the day to day practical aspects of his job, Jack also invests time in promoting the research capabilities of the facility to academics and supervisors here at Warwick as well as in public outreach engagement activities. He demonstrates the use of his laser at events including the live lab Christmas lectures, Resonate Festivals at Warwick and a local art gallery.

On hearing about the award, Jack said 'There are so many brilliant technicians here at Warwick and across the UK, so to be recognised like this is a real honour'.

Dr Saskia Bakker Advanced Bioimaging RTP facility manager was featured in the University's Meet the researchers page.

You can read the full story here.

Dr Sarah Bennett has been shortlisted for the “Outstanding Technician of the Year” award.

Sarah, Head of Bio-Analytical Shared Resource Laboratories at The University of Warwick, said: “I am honoured to be recognised as a finalist for Outstanding Technician of the Year. This nomination reflects not only my personal efforts but also the hard work and dedication of my team, as well as the trust and support from senior management.”