AHSS nominees

Research award

Emma Soye

(School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics) - Nominated by 2 individuals

"We are nominating Dr Emma Soye in recognition of her exceptional achievements in 2023/4. Since September 2023, Emma has published eight articles on topics of political and social significance, including third sector support for refugees and asylum seekers, teachers’ responses to gang-involved youth, and cross-national policy on migration and education. She has also published a book, Peer Relationships at School: New Perspectives on Migration and Diversity (Bristol University Press). Foregrounding experiences of care, mutual learning and solidarity, her work has been described as offering a “refreshing insight into young people’s capacity to live with difference”.

Emma has made an outstanding contribution to the North-South funded ‘MISTE’ project on approaches to language and migrant/refugee integration, successfully leading recruitment of community organisations; designing and conducting primary research; disseminating findings via talks in Galway and Salamanca; and organising a workshop series on multilingualism and translation at the Linen Hall Library, Belfast. Furthermore, she has recently been awarded a prestigious and highly competitive Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship for a study entitled ‘The bus as interface: Negotiating new differences in a transitional society’ (commencing September 2024).  The significance and impact of her work in 2023/4 make her an outstanding candidate for this award." 

Citizenship and Outreach award

Maurice Casey

(School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics) - Nominated by 3 individuals

"Dr Maurice Casey joined Queen’s (February 2022) as a Research Associate on the AHRC-funded project ‘Queer Northern Ireland: Sexuality before Liberation’ project. In this academic year his contribution has enabled the project to reach new and significant audiences in Britain and Ireland. He has featured as a “talking head” on Irish television, had his exciting research findings described in the local press, and created his own queer theatrical performance that played to a sellout crowd of mostly younger people (a demographic that is usually poorly represented in academic-public history projects).

Maurice is an expert in the history of intimacy and is conveying his research to large and new audiences. His book – a strikingly original ‘intimate history’ of Communist radicals - will be published in August by a trade press and is for a non-academic readership; advance copies are already making waves in the literary world. Maurice is also promoting the external academic work of HAPP, and the Centre for Public History in particular. He is organising a conference in 2024, among other public lectures, and has forged important internationalising relationships with USA partners. Maurice has thus been a valued colleague who has significantly enriched the outreach and impact of History."

Citizenship and Outreach award

Erika Jimenez

(School of Law) - Nominated by 2 individuals

"We are delighted to nominate Dr Erika Jiménez for the ‘Citizenship and Outreach’ award category in recognition of her contribution to the University community and beyond during the last academic year. Throughout this year, Erika exemplified exceptional dedication to disseminating her research on human rights in Palestine and Syria to non-specialist audiences, reaching both national and international audiences. Alongside this work, she has also contributed to policy enhancement of the NI Executive’s Racial Equality Subgroup, with her previous research on the educational experiences of minority ethnic families in NI.

In addition, Erika has championed a positive research culture for early career and contract researchers, through her work on the School of Law’s Research Committee and in hosting and participating in multiple events for PhD students throughout the year. Erika’s ability to make her work both informative and accessible to both academics and the general public is a rare and invaluable quality. She is a pleasure to collaborate with and an integral member of the School community." 

Shonagh Hill

(School of Arts, English and Languages) - Nominated by 2 individuals

"Dr Hill has done significant work disseminating research to non-specialist audiences. Last September she appeared on RTÉ to discuss a project in development. Her radio appearance proved vital in sharing research and gathering further citizen-researchers for the project. In addition, she created a publicly accessible podcast series marking the contribution of women to NI theatre. Dr Hill has also been an important postgraduate recruiter for Drama; last year she gained a DfE scholarship and recruited a brilliant PhD in Drama.

Throughout the past year she has been a stalwart organiser, co-organiser and supportive attendee of all postgraduate and staff research events in the department/wider school. Through this, she has informally mentored and assisted a number of PhD students and helped further their projects. She is a key member of the SWAN committee and contributes a great deal to the AEL’s gender and diversity agenda. In much if not most of this work, Dr Hill goes above and beyond her project remit and makes important (and feminist) contributions to the life of our school. Connecting industry, the wider public and her fellow colleagues and students, she embodies all of the attributes someone would want to see in a postdoctoral colleague."

Research award

Emma Soye (School of Arts, English and Languages) - Nominated by 2 individuals

Citizenship and Outreach award

Emer McHugh (School of Arts, English and Languages)

Erika Jimenez (School of Law) - Nominated by 2 individuals

Jayne Duff (School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work) - Nominated by 4 individuals)

Maurice Casey (School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics) - Nominated by 3 individuals

Nisan Alici (School of Law)

Shonagh Hill (School of Arts, English and Languages) - Nominated by 2 individuals