Watch the Science Technician of the Year Awards Ceremony (July 2011)
Held at the National Science Learning Centre in York, Professor Kathy Sykes and Murray Hudson, Gratnells Sales & Marketing Director, present the winners with their awards.
Three decades playing a supporting role makes Sandra the latest winner!
For the second year running, Gratnells was delighted that Kathy Sykes, Professor of Sciences and Society at Bristol University was able to present its prestigious Science Technician of the Year Award – and in front of a packed audience of nearly 200 Science Technicians too.
This year’s winner, Senior Science Technician Sandra Wollerton, was 
overwhelmed by her achievement as she felt she’d ‘just been doing her job’ – albeit for over 30 years!
But her nominator, Trudie Davies, the Assistant Head of Danum STC in Doncaster where Sandra works thought differently. ‘When the details of the Gratnells Science Technician of the Year Award (2010) came across the email I said to myself “Sandra has all those qualities and has been doing that job for decades. These Awards are just made for her to enter – and I think she has a really great chance of winning.”’
And she did!
This year’s Awards ceremony, was held at the National Science Learning Centre in York on Friday 8th July 2011, and followed a keynote opening speech delivered by Professor Sykes, ‘What’s important in Science Education Today?’
Of the Awards, Professor Sykes (pictured left) commented, ‘I often describe Science Technicians as “unsung heroes”, working quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes.
But without that vitally important role they play, science departments just wouldn’t be able to operate. And our three very worthy winners today have clocked up over 60 years between them in the key roles of Science Technicians – and these Awards have acknowledged the great contribution they have made to the furtherance of science education in our schools.’
The two runners-up of the Gratnells Science Technician of the Year 2010 sponsored Awards were: Shirley Martin (shown below right with Professor Kathy Sykes and Murray Hudson) from Gable Hall School, Corringham, Essex (2nd place);
and in 3rd place, Dawn Billingham (shown left,with Professor Kathy Sykes and Murray Hudson) from Wodensborough CTC in the West Midlands.
As well as receiving trophies, certificates, cash prizes and hundreds of pounds worth of Gratnells products for all the winners, Sandra Wollerton also won a further gift voucher from SciChem towards Forensic Investigation teaching kits.
Murray Hudson, Gratnells Sales & Marketing Director who co-presented the Awards said: ‘We at Gratnells are totally committed to supporting and acknowledging the vital role played by our Science Technicians. And we hope these annual Awards will continue to demonstrate our thanks for their essential – and sometimes overlooked – work in science departments.”
There's still time to enter next year’s Gratnells Science Technician of the Year Award 2011. Even if you were unsuccessful this time around, you can still be nominated again. Download a 2011 nomination form from here:
http://www.gratnells.com/Education/educationzone.aspx
It won’t cost you a penny – but you could walk away a winner!