Tong Sun from City University of London Named Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year 2019
Tong Sun from City University of London Named Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year 2019
We’re delighted to announce that Tong Sun, City, University of London has won the Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year award at this year’s Times Higher Education Awards.
This award recognises Professor Tong Sun for her outstanding supervision and support of PhD students past and present.
Tong Sun is Professor of Sensor Engineering at City, University of London, and was City’s first female Professor of Engineering in its 100-year history. Professor Sun is holder of a Royal Academy of Engineering and Faiveley Brecknell Willis Research Chair and in 2018 was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list for services to Engineering.
During more than 20 years, she has been a role model in research and education for both female and ethnic minority STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) staff and students.
Former students testified that her hands-on style – meeting with them at least two or three times a week, often in the laboratory – had been invaluable, particularly for those with family responsibilities, and had helped them to complete their doctorates and then to secure jobs.
“Her approach resulted in me having a good publication and research record, which enabled my university to employ me as a lecturer, even prior to my PhD defence,” said one former student.
Even while being treated for cancer, Professor Sun kept in regular contact with students and arranged industry-based tests on which their PhDs depended – a commitment that showed her “indomitable spirit and sense of responsibility”, said one current PhD student.
Given her willingness to “go the extra mile” to support international PhD students, Professor Sun “stood out in a strong field of shortlisted candidates”, our judges said.
“Her record of supervising many doctoral candidates from diverse cultural and social backgrounds and supporting them to successful completion and beyond was truly impressive,” they added. Professor Sun is, the judges concluded, a “role model for her female supervisees, encouraging them to be assertive in the male-dominated world of engineering”.
Many congratulations to Professor Sun from everyone at the UK Council for Graduate Education.
We would also like to congratulate Professor Nicky Milner, Head of the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, who was highly commended by the THE Awards’ judges.
