PPLS staff and student success at Edinburgh University Students’ Association awards

The recent Teaching and Student awards recognised the positive impact PPLS staff and students have made to the School and wider University community.

Dr Christian Ilbury – Winner of the Outstanding Course (CAHSS) award at the Teaching Awards 2025

Christian Ilbury is a Lecturer in Sociolinguistics and Co-Director of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Christian Ilbury won the Outstanding Course award for Sociolinguistics; which explores the relationship between language and society. This course covers key issues and current debates in the field such as multilingualism, politeness, identity, code-switching/mixing, translanguaging, and style-shifting.

Sociolinguistics was described as the most engaging, relevant, and fun course his students have taken. Students found themselves reflecting on the course material in their daily lives and speaking to friends about what they had learned, showing the captivating nature of the teachers and course content.

For me, teaching is why I do this job, so it’s really encouraging to be recognised in this way.

Grace Mai Clark – Runner-up in the Outstanding Leadership category at the Student Awards 2025

Grace is a fourth-year Philosophy and Politics student and President of The 93% Club.

Grace is President of the Edinburgh branch of The 93% Club, the first and largest network of state-educated students and professionals in Britain, dedicated to democratising the knowledge and opportunities that have traditionally been contained within private school alumni networks.

In this role, Grace has led campaigns on Widening Participation issues, the cost-of-living crisis and accent bias. She has also successfully campaigned for the creation of a Widening Participation Liberation Officer.

Grace is commended for being a dedicated, selfless and hardworking leader who has significantly raised the profile of Widening Participation and state school students at the University. As a result of her hard work, The 93% Club are now regularly consulted by the University on matters related to Widening Participation and state-educated students.

She really deserves to be commended for her work. Her leadership throughout has been of an outstanding quality that has significantly raised the profile of Widening Participation and state school students at the University.

Hayley McCormack – Runner-up in the Student Representative of the Year category and shortlisted for the Heart of Edinburgh award

Hayley is a third-year Psychology student and a Mature Students' Representative.

In her role as Mature Students' Representative, Hayley has been involved in delivering a number of key projects, including:

Every Age, Any Stage: a EUSA-led campaign highlighting the value that mature students bring to the University.
Art exhibition: a project looking at the lived realities of mature students.
Society creation: setting up a student society for mature students aimed at cultivating a community on campus, promoting skill sharing, networking and peer support.

Hayley was recognised by her peers for elevating the profile of mature students at the University.

Hayley is a delight to work with, incredibly kind and passionate in her role. Mature Students are certainly better off having had her represent them this academic year.