Gifted Aberdeen students benefit from Amerada Hess awards

Gifted Aberdeen students benefit from Amerada Hess awards

The University of Aberdeen has announced the joint winners of this year’s Amerada Hess Prize. Samantha Bowerman and Thomas Pickering, both students of the Management Studies (MA) course are recipients of the £500 prize money.

Established last year by contributions from Amerada Hess Limited (AHL), the funding has been made available for two awards per year for students who have successfully completed the honours course on Organisational Change.

The first prize of £300 is awarded to the student who in the opinion of the course co-ordinator has achieved the highest overall performance in the course. There is also a prize of £200 for the student placed second in ranking for overall performance. However, this year the judges were so impressed with both students that they decided to combine the two prize monies and split this between the two winning students.

In total, 51 students were selected to be put forward for this prize and the judges had a difficult choice selecting the two winners. Professor Patrick Dawson, Management Studies, University of Aberdeen said the calibre of the students was exceptional.

“The level of student engagement and participation in the course has been noticably higher than previous years. Some of the student presentations were outstanding and the marked improvement in student examination answers was praised by our external examiner. This group of students have set a new standard of excellence for others to match in the coming academic year.”

Professor Dawson added: “The funding for these prizes came about following initial discussions on Change

Management with Sylvia Crago, from AHL. I arranged a presentation on processual framework for understanding change at AHL’s office in London. It was agreed that an ongoing relationship between the University and AHL would be beneficial to both parties and the setting up of a prize would be a useful step. There is also an Amerada Hess Lecture, which is given each year by someone from AHL on the practical aspects of managing change. This initiative has made an important contribution to student experience of studying the theory and practice of organisational change.”

Mr Pickering, originally from Doune, studied Rural Business Management for three years before transferring to the Management Studies (MA) course. He has been employed over the summer period to work for Amerada Hess in their Well Technology Department in a Change Initiative “To the Limit”. He will continue to work for Amerada Hess part-time whilst in his final year and will be basing his dissertation on the “To the Limit” initiative.

Mr Pickering said: “I was given the opportunity to visit offshore installations, present training seminars and deliver presentations to management on the nature of change during my time at Amerada Hess. It was an exciting and fun environment to work in, with many different challenges and potential career paths. I will be continuing to work for Amerada Hess part-term during my last year.”

Mr Pickering plans to move into management consultancy in the future.

Samantha Bowerman, 21, is from Balerno on the outskirts of Edinburgh. She is in her final year of studying for her masters degree in Management Studies. After she receives her degree, she is going to study a one year postgraduate course to become a qualified teacher and intends to open her own chain of children’s nurseries, following on from her family’s business. She has just spent the summer working as an arts and crafts instructor at an American Camp.

Initial funding for the Amerada Hess Prize has been provided for a three-year period and continuation of the prize will be reviewed in 2003.

Photo Opportunity: The joint winners of the Amerada Hess prize will be available for interview and photographs, at 11.00am in Room S5, 2nd Floor, Edward Wright Building on Wednesday, October 3, 2001. Joining them will be Professor Patrick Dawson, Management Studies, University of Aberdeen, and Morag Pyper, Corporate Affairs Advisor, Amerada Hess Limited.

For further information contact Angela Begg, Media Relations, on (01224) 272960.

Issued by Public Relations Office, External Relations, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen. Tel: (01224) 272014 Fax: (01224) 272086.

University Press Office on telephone +44 (0)1224-273778 or email a.ramsay@admin.abdn.ac.uk.

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