Science student Emma Wall is celebrating after being named Masters Student of the Year in the Postgrad Awards 2021.
The awards, hosted by FindAMasters and FindAPhD, saw more than 300 nominations in six categories. Judges called it "a record breaking year" with many high-quality nominations.
Emma, who began at the University of Sheffield four years ago, and has just finished her masters degree in chemical physics, was praised for her “resilience and positivity in everything thrown at her.”
She has spent this year working with Professor Julia Weinstein and her team of PhD students. Her project involved investigating a drug for use in photodynamic therapy – a cancer treatment which combines three individually non-toxic components to destroy tumours: light, a photosensitiser (light-activated drug) and oxygen.
“Professor Weinstein not only supervised my project this year but has been my personal tutor throughout the past four years,” said Emma.
“I was also part of a very small cohort of chemical physicists and we grew close as a result. Therefore, I have had a fantastic support network which I attribute much of my success to.”
The Masters Student of the Year accolade follows two internal awards for Emma for her academic excellence.
“My time at university has definitely shaped me into a better scientist with much more self belief,” she added. “However, to be crowned with the masters student of the year award still came as a huge surprise.
“I would like to encourage everyone to nominate those who are undertaking masters projects or PhDs next year that deserve recognition for their hard work.”
Emma is now interested in completing a PhD and hopes to carry on working in the fields of photochemistry or medical imaging.