People

Student praises law degrees in prize-winning essay

A first-year law student who wrote an essay about her experiences during her first term at Essex has been awarded first prize in a national essay competition.

Samantha Davey, who is studying for an LLB in Law, praised the Department of Law's lecturers for their enthusiasm and said her first term had exceeded her expectations. She took first prize in the National Undergraduate Student Essay Competition run by the UK Centre for Legal Education (UKCLE) at the University of Warwick.

Samantha said of her tutors in her winning essay: 'The lecturers have an enthusiasm for their subject which is contagious and adopt a more student-oriented approach towards teaching than I had anticipated.'

She said of studying law: 'Reality has proved to be better than expectations. An LLB is challenging, demanding and engaging in a way that I cannot imagine would be the case with other subjects.' She added: 'We are taught to think critically and by doing so, gain independence and learn the ability to answer our own questions.'

Samantha's prize for winning the competition was £250, presented to her at the 2006 Learning in Law Initiative (LILI) conference. Her essay will automatically be put forward for the Higher Education Academy essay competition, the winner of which will be announced in June 2006.

Awards joy for Essex playwright

Essex playwright Elizabeth Kuti, whose latest work The Sugar Wife has won rave reviews from The Telegraph and Observer, was nominated  for Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards.

Elizabeth, from the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies, went up against writers Tom MacIntyre, James Butler and Brian Friel at the ceremony earlier in the month. Tom MacIntyre took home the award. The Sugar Wife, which is set amongst the Quaker community in Dublin in 1850, was also nominated in the Best Designer: Set category.

The play has also secured Elizabeth a nomination in the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Award which honours plays written in English by women playwrights. She will hear whether she has been successful on 24 February.

Recognition for University administrators

Two members of University staff are amongst the first university administrators in the UK to have been awarded an Association of University Administrators (AUA) Fellowship.

Academic Registrar Moira Collett and Careers Advisor Susan Rhodes are recipients of the Fellowships. Just 20 were awarded to those who have worked in higher education for more than ten years, made a commitment to continued professional development, and who have made a personal contribution to the development of the AUA and higher education.

Moira Collett has been an AUA member since the start of her career. Moira joined Essex in 1979, starting as a Schools Liaison Officer, and spent time in Student Services, before taking up her current role in 1994.

An active member of the AUA Equal Opportunities Group during the 1990s, Moira helped establish the AUA's regional networks, and is a mentor for Essex staff members undertaking the AUA's postgraduate certificate in professional practice (higher education administration and management).

Speaking about her award Moira commented: 'I attended my first AUA conference in 1981 and, given my long involvement with the Association, I was keen to become a Fellow, and absolutely delighted to learn that it had been awarded.'

Susan Rhodes has also been an active member of the AUA during her career. Susan joined the University in 1991 in the Human Rights Centre and was involved in setting up the Research Office. She joined the Academic Section in 1994 working in the Examinations Office and School of Social Sciences before a complete change of role came as she managed the Lifelong Learning programme in the then Centre for Continuing Education. In June 2005 Susan took on her current role as Careers Advisor. During this time, Susan was AUA branch correspondent for seven years, member of the Board of Studies and member of the Executive Committee.