Herts shortlisted in three categories for annual Alliance Awards
The University of Hertfordshire has seen three of its academics shortlisted for the prestigious Alliance Awards 2025.
The annual awards, organised by University Alliance – the body representing professional and technical universities – and back for their sixth year, recognise teams or individuals who have gone above and beyond to make a significant contribution to their university and local or global communities, to deliver substantial real-world impact.
Selected by an independent panel of expert judges from across the higher education and research sector, they scored nominations based on how relevant it was to the category, the extent to which the nominee had gone over and above to achieve this work, and any standout achievements and milestones that demonstrated how impactful their work had been.
Herts’ three shortlisted nominees are:
1. Dr. Laura Abbott, Associate Professor (Research) at the University of Hertfordshire in the Research and Innovation Impact Award category. A researcher, midwife, educator, and advocate, Laura has transformed maternal justice. Her research on pregnant women in prison led to the Sentencing Council recognising pregnancy as a mitigating factor in sentencing in April 2024. As Principal Investigator of the ESRC-funded Lost Mothers project, she elevated unheard voices into public discourse. Her co-created stage production, Scenes from Lost Mothers, has engaged diverse audiences. Dr. Abbott is a prominent media commentator and mentor, inspiring new practitioners in prison midwifery. Her interdisciplinary work exemplifies how academic research can drive real-world change, influencing policy and championing marginalised mothers' rights.
2. Dr Olly Bartlett, Senior Lecturer, University of Hertfordshire in the Global Impact Award. Dr. Bartlett's research significantly contributes to UN SDGs 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on Land). With Dr. Tom Roland, he tracked the greening of the Antarctic Peninsula from 1986-2021, likely due to climate change. Published in Nature, this work impacts biodiversity conservation and biosecurity in vulnerable ecosystems. The research, featured in nearly 600 articles, has global reach: Dr. Bartlett appeared on NPR and RedeTV News, and his study is frequently mentioned on Nature's Altmetric platform. Remarkably, this unfunded project was initiated during his PhD. His dedication enhances the UK's environmental science standing and demonstrates individual impact on global challenges.
3. Dr Mahmoud Eltaweel, Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, University of Hertfordshire, in the Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA) Alumni Award. Dr Mahmoud Eltaweel, Lecturer, University of Hertfordshire, has demonstrated a strong commitment to impactful research and collaboration during his doctoral journey, producing eight peer-reviewed publications featured in Journal of Energy Storage, Energies, Energy Reports, and ASME Turbo Expo proceedings. His research on flywheel energy storage systems advances low-carbon transport technologies by minimising windage losses and boosting performance. His achievements include the SACTA Award at ASME Turbo Expo 2024 and second place in the 2024 Postgraduate Research Student Conference's Vision and Voice competition, effectively communicating the relevance of his work to sustainable energy storage.
Winners will be announced at the glitzy Alliance Awards ceremony on Thursday, 18 September, which this year is being hosted by the University of Hertfordshire.
Professor Quintin McKellar CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire said:
“Being shortlisted in three categories at the Alliance Awards is a testament to the exceptional calibre of research and innovation at Herts. Each of our nominees exemplifies how academic excellence can drive meaningful change, whether through influencing national policy, advancing global environmental understanding, or pioneering sustainable technologies.
“These recognitions highlight not only the global relevance of our work but also the transformative opportunities we offer our researchers. We are also honoured to host this year’s awards and look forward to celebrating the remarkable achievements of colleagues across the Alliance.”
University Alliance CEO Vanessa Wilson said:
“This year we have renewed the categories for the Alliance Awards – and the response has been phenomenal.
“We have received over 250 nominations across nine categories, and I continue to be awe-inspired by the range, the depth and the quality of the many individuals and teams across the Alliance.
“The judges’ shortlisting to decide the nominees was incredibly competitive and close, with some categories receiving over twenty-five nominations. This attests to the sky-high standard of work that goes on across Alliance Universities.
“In and of itself, it is a massive achievement to be nominated by your colleagues, and every single nominee has had a clear and demonstrable impact through their work. We are very proud of the many achievements of the Alliance community, and we continue to be impressed by the hard graft and shining talent that so typifies our members.
“To those who made the shortlists: many congratulations! I very much look forward to celebrating with you all in September.”
Representing 16 of the UK’s leading professional and technical universities, University Alliance founded the Awards to celebrate the innovation, commitment and excellence that exists across their membership.
The Alliance Awards are a chance to celebrate the hard work and dedication found across the Alliance’s membership. Individuals and teams will be recognised for their outstanding contributions to professional and technical education.
To view descriptions of each shortlisted nominee and their work, go to meet the nominees page.