I was delighted to learn I had been selected as the joint winner of the School of Psychology's Postgraduate Prize for Outreach! I'm grateful to the prize panel for this recognition, and I was particularly touched that the panel commended my leadership in organising “Perceptio-Nite” at the European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP) 2024.
This event was a major undertaking, but a wonderful experience on reflection. Together with a committee of incredibly hard-working and motivated PhD and MRes students, we were able to create a unique networking opportunity for the ECR community attending ECVP. After many months of planning, seeing so many talented early career researchers from around the world connect and share ideas was hugely rewarding. Having such a great reception highlighted the enthusiasm within our community to engage with each other, as well as the need for spaces such as this – the event was particularly important for the early career researchers who had been deprived of many networking opportunities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Winning this award has not only validated our efforts in bringing this event to life but also fuelled my motivation to continue championing outreach initiatives. Looking ahead, I plan to continue seeking out opportunities to engage with the public as well as to bring the scientific community together. I have already begun this work by hosting a workshop on conference organising for PGR students, aiming to highlight the great opportunities conferences bring for outreach and improving research culture. Whether it's through further workshops, public talks, or collaborative projects, the PGR community can do so many things to bridge the gap between research and everyday life.
I would like to thank the School of Psychology again for this incredible honour. This award is a wonderful encouragement to continue undertaking similar endeavours, and I hope my experiences can inspire other PhD students to embrace the rewarding world of outreach.
Sanni is currently completing her PhD at the School of Psychology.
