Awards were presented to Researcher Andrew Agbaje, Professor Larisa Leisiö, Postdoctoral Researcher Piritta Torssonen and the Karelian Institute.
The University of Eastern Finland’s Communicator of the Year Awards were announced in an award ceremony today. A winner was selected from each of the university’s faculties, and the 2022 Communicator of the Year Awards were presented to Researcher Andrew Agbaje, Professor Larisa Leisiö, Postdoctoral Researcher Piritta Torssonen, and researchers of rural and regional development at the Karelian Institute. The selections were made by the university’s Communications and Media Relations.
The Communicator of the Year Award is presented in recognition of an outstanding attitude towards, or of efforts in, communication and marketing during the past year. The award is not tied to any professional title: the most important thing is a genuine interest in communication. The primary criterion is that the person or the group has understood the significance of communication and is determined to raise awareness of the university’s activities by means of communication.
The Communicator of the Year Award of the Faculty of Health Sciences was presented to Researcher Andrew Agbaje, MD, MPH, of the Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition. As a researcher of cardiovascular health in children and adolescents, Agbaje is an active science communicator who is not afraid to challenge conventional views when doing so is backed up by his research. Agbaje remembers to always highlight the practical relevance of his research to both health care and the wider society. From the viewpoint of communications professionals, Agbaje is an ideal collaborator: he always reserves enough time for honing the text, and he is skilled at visualising even complex entities.
The Communicator of the Year Award of the Philosophical Faculty was presented to Professor of Russian Language Larisa Leisiö. For several years now, she has been active in communicating her research and popularizing its topics. During the past year in particular, she has been visible in the media, talking about the need for expertise in the Russian language and culture. She is also actively involved in social debate, thus highlighting the importance of her field, as well as the ever more topical research addressing Russia and the Russian language.
The Communicator of the Year Award of the Faculty of Science and Forestry was presented to Postdoctoral Researcher Piritta Torssonen. She works with the development of forestry and bioeconomy education, and she coordinates the Specialisation Programme in Bioeconomy as well as the Joinbioerko project. Within these, Torssonen has undertaken diverse communication efforts, her communication skills are good, and collaboration with her is always smooth.
The Communicator of the Year Award of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies was presented to researchers of regional and rural development at the Karelian Institute. They have actively brought issues related to regional development and rural areas to public debate, communicating their research findings to the media in an exemplary manner. In addition, they frequently appear on various communication channels of their stakeholders, thereby contributing to the visibility of the University of Eastern Finland’s research.
