School of Chemistry John S Fossey EDI Award winners 2025-26
Celebrating EDI-related activities and the impact of out-of-the-ordinary actions in the School of Chemistry.
There was an impressive range of nominations for the School of Chemistry John S Fossey EDI Award 2025/26, which celebrate a diversity of EDI-related activities and the impact of out-of-the-ordinary actions on the different individuals and groups across the School of Chemistry.
It was a great pleasure to welcome members of the Fossey family to the prizegiving event on Friday 13 March, which was held in conjunction with the School of Chemistry EDI Forum on First-Generation Chemists.
Special mentions – and winners of the 2026 EDI Recognition Awards – go to Jessica Cox, Julia Sanchez, and Zoe Schnepp for their work as ChemSoc EDI rep, fostering an inclusive research group environment, and raising awareness of inclusivity in chemistry education, respectively.
The 2025/26 John S Fossey Award for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is jointly awarded to Layeba Khan, Gaia de Domenico and Cengiz Khan.
Layeba has shown a great "determination to support students from racially minoritised backgrounds", including organising the successful 'Culture in STEM Day' and promoting the RSC Broadening Horizons scheme.
Gaia and Cengiz have been our team of committed Postgraduate researcher EDI reps, supporting their peers and others in numerous ways, including by organising our first LGBTQ+ social, promoting faith spaces, and running the PGR EDI survey.
Please join us in congratulating Layeba, Gaia, Cengiz and all our winners!