Staff from across the University of Birmingham came together on 3 February to celebrate the fifth annual Birmingham University Awards for Tremendous Achievement (BUAFTAs).
BUAFTAs recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of administrative, technical and support staff from all areas of the University. All staff and students were eligible to nominate individuals or teams for an award, and this year’s winners were announced at the awards ceremony held in the University’s prestigious Great Hall.
Created by staff, for staff, the BUAFTAs are a shining example of the stars in all departments across campus, and of the sense of community and mutual support that exists amongst University staff. For the first time in its five year history, more than 1,000 nominations were received for the 10 awards categories, which include Team Player of the Year, The Student Experience Award, Best Support for Research and Idea of the Year.
Professor Karen O’Brien, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, and Chair of the BUAFTA 2012 judging panel, feels that BUAFTAs allow the University to “celebrate publicly the endeavours and achievements of our administrative, support and technical staff without whom our University would not be the flourishing, efficient, rapidly changing, beautifully clean and well cultivated place we all know it to be. The BUAFTAs remind us of the sense of community, the commitment to helping others, and the pride and dedication that, for so many of our staff, makes a job at Birmingham much more than a job.”
Each BUAFTA nominee and winner represents the dedication, skills and commitment of administrative, technical and support staff across the University’s Colleges and Corporate Services. Winning individuals, teams and projects displayed the breadth of support and impact that ‘BUAFTA stars’ have across campus.
Winners included a cross departmental team who worked to open a Representative Office for the University in Guangzhou, China, members of the University’s cleaning and administrative teams for their invaluable support to colleagues and students, and the University Estates team for their innovative approaches to reducing the University’s carbon emissions.
Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor, closed the BUAFTA 2012 awards evening by thanking staff for their continued commitment to delivering outstanding support to the University’s research and teaching. He also looked forward to the many momentous and groundbreaking developments 2012 holds for the University of Birmingham’s staff and student community, including hosting the Jamaican Olympic Track and Field Team, and opening the state-of-the-art Bramall Music Building.