WAPCE Awardees 2025

The Warwick Awards for Public and Community Engagement (WAPCE), seek to recognise the vital contributions Warwick staff and students make in engaging the public – on an international and national level as well as crucially within our region and local communities – in our learning and discovery, with the goals of sharing and co-producing knowledge, strengthening the role we play in the region and showcasing the role Warwick plays nationally and internationally in making the world a better place. Congratulations to the 2025 winners! Due to the outstanding quality of applications, we have also recognised highly commended runners up.

Inspiring Experiences

Dr Erin Connelly

Dr Erin Connelly, an Assistant Professor in the School of Life Sciences, led a major public engagement initiative through the exhibition of Plants and Prayers, which explored the evolution of medicine from the premodern era to modern antimicrobial research. Hosted at the University of Nottingham’s Lakeside Arts and later at Bromley House Library, the exhibition showcased interdisciplinary research from Warwick, Nottingham, and Oxford, and featured global collaborations on plant-based medicine. With over 14,000 visitors, the project included public talks, school sessions, family events, and digital resources, making academic research accessible to diverse audiences. It also provided valuable experience for student interns and early-career researchers, and laid the groundwork for future exhibitions in 2026.

Educational and Training Innovation

Dr Paul Grigsby

Since 2018, Paul has led the Warwick Classics Network (WCN), significantly expanding access to Classics through school outreach, public events. and student led engagement. The WCN website has received over a million visits, and initiatives like the Roman Coventry Project has reached more than 50 local schools. Paul also co-runs the 'Public Engagement in Classics' module, where students design and deliver their own outreach projects, gaining hands-on experience in education and heritage engagement. With nearly 50 trained student ambassadors, the WCN offers both paid and voluntary roles, providing over 500 hours of engagement experience in 2024/25 alone. Collaborations with Warwickshire Museum and local schools further enrich the programme, making Classics more accessible and relevant to diverse audiences.

Online Engagement

Dr Kat Phillips

Kat Phillips is a Research Associate at Warwick’s Centre for Applications of Mathematical and Computing Sciences. She is the creator of KatDoesMaths, and has built a vibrant online platform to make mathematics and academia more accessible and engaging. Since 2021, Kat has streamed over 850 hours of content on Twitch, including live teaching sessions, co-working streams, and interactive events like PhD Your Way, which has supported over 1,500 prospective PhD applicants. With a global audience and a growing Discord community, the channel demystifies higher education and fosters a supportive learning environment. Her work bridges research, communication, and entertainment, and has led to collaborations with major science communicators and platforms like NewScientistLive and StandUpMaths. At Warwick, Kat continues to share her academic journey while promoting new career paths in mathematical sciences and public engagement

Engagement and Involvement

Dr Christopher Strelluf

Christopher is an Associate Professor of Linguistics and has pioneered a participatory research partnership with the grassroots organisation Modern Cockney to challenge stigma around working-class London identities. Acting as a scientific advisor, he supported the group in developing A Cockney Blueprint for Tower Hamlets—a sociolinguistically informed curriculum that redefines Cockney as a community language and promotes social justice through education. This collaboration, rooted in community-led research and mutual learning, has influenced public policy, empowered local voices, and expanded models of participatory research in sociolinguistics. The project exemplifies how academic expertise can be used to amplify community agency and reshape cultural narratives.

Community Impact

Design Studies Team

Adela Glyn-Davies, Ed Loveman, Jamie Mackrill, Jane Webb, Rohit Harip and Maria Hippach.

The Design Studies team at the University of Warwick is committed to advancing sustainable innovation through interdisciplinary and socially engaged design. At the heart of this effort is the Social Design module, which fosters long-term, community-based collaborations between students and vulnerable elderly residents in Midland Heart housing schemes in Canley, Coventry. With support from the Warwick Institute of Engagement and Coventry City Council, students co-designed solutions to address digital exclusion, creating tools that enhance digital literacy and well-being. The project also involved the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, integrating nature-based practices into digital learning. Running from October 2024 to March 2025, the initiative demonstrated the power of co-design in building reciprocal learning experiences and meaningful community engagement. By prioritizing collaboration over extraction, the module has positively reshaped perceptions of the university, positioning it as an accessible and responsive institution. Its impact continues to grow, attracting attention in academic and civic spaces and setting the foundation for future iterations that strengthen ties between education and community-driven innovation.

Youth Community Impact (The Lee Rogerson Award)

Dr Michaela Gummerum

Michaela led digital literacy workshops across Coventry, engaging diverse youth communities in online safety and misinformation awareness. Partnering with organisations like Action Family Network and the Carers Trust, she delivered hands-on sessions to empower young people in evaluating digital content. Feedback highlighted increased confidence and engagement, with plans to co-create resources and continue collaborations. The initiative has strengthened university-community connections and raised awareness of digital literacy challenges among adolescents.

Staff Social Mobility Champion

Claire Algar

Starting as a Clerical Assistant in Chemistry in 2010, Claire has grown into the role of Social Inclusion Manager at the University of Warwick, driven by a personal background in widening participation and a commitment to equality and belonging. Overcoming imposter syndrome through mentoring and perseverance, she has championed inclusive environments and staff social mobility. Since 2021, Claire has led impactful initiatives including a partnership with the EY Foundation to support young people from low socio-economic backgrounds, a 12-month staff internship programme, and early-stage work on prison leaver recruitment. Claire's work focuses on empowering individuals facing multiple barriers, including care experience, disability, and asylum-seeking status, to access meaningful employment and development opportunities.

Student Social Mobility Champion

School Tasking Student Team

Georgiabella Young, Martha Odiase, Jade Ellis, Kashmala Khan, Niamh Entwistle, Kieran Balendran, Ella Cowell, Isabella Spagnoli, Clare Mellor, Tani Ilemobola, Tyler Loh, Anais Fellah, Prisha Parekh, Kashvi Kandarthanda, Vyashti Rajpara, Sonja Hallak, Nasryn Binti-Nasution, Naveera Abhayawickrama, Astrid Langlois, Ivanna Ogbomo, Harleen Kaur, Ruby McAlpine, Keerthi Sivanantharajah, Elise Arrowsmith, Esme Robson, Anita Muttukrishnan, Shaiyana Suresh, Ameer Ameeree

The School Student Tasking team is an outreach initiative led by Warwick Law School that brings legal education to Year 5 pupils in Widening Participation schools. Using a creative, Taskmaster-inspired format, WLS students deliver engaging sessions that teach legal concepts through fun, competitive group tasks. The programme not only inspires young learners to consider higher education but also develops leadership, public speaking, and mentoring skills among the student facilitators. With a structured application process and peer mentoring model, School Tasking has grown into a rewarding and impactful initiative for both university and primary school students.

Student Public Engagement Award

Eleanor Harrison

Eleanor is a third -year PhD student with a passion for science communication, particularly in women’s health, and has led a wide range of public engagement activities focused on menstrual health and endometriosis. Supported by the Greaves Lab, she has delivered talks, workshops, and interactive stalls at events such as Science on the Hill, Live Labs, and the Festival of Science and Technology, tailoring content for audiences ranging from young children to adults. Her creative outreach includes a podcast mini-series, tactile models, and a popular playdough uterus activity designed to break taboos and make complex health topics accessible. Through these efforts, she aims to destigmatise menstrual health, raise awareness of under-researched conditions like endometriosis, and build meaningful connections between research and the wider community.