Outstanding Supervision Award for Michael Moody

Materials Science Fellow Michael Moody has won an award from Oxford’s MPLS Division for outstanding research supervision.

The University’s Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division’s Awards for Outstanding Research Supervision were launched at the start of the 2022/23 academic year. They celebrate research staff and academics who excel in their everyday supervision of research colleagues and their professional commitment to people development. 

Each entry to the awards required a minimum of two supporting nominations, and eleven research group leaders were chosen as winners by a judging panel made up of research staff representatives from the MPLS Research Staff Forum.

Professor Moody leads the Atom Probe Group in the Materials Science Department. Its work focuses on enabling materials research at the nanoscale via the microscopy techniques of atom probe tomography (APT) and field ion microscopy (FIM). His award cites his consistent support for his team's personal needs which has formed a sense of community extending beyond the workplace. His supervision of students regularly results converting masters students into DPhil students through the quality of his support and supervision. He enables students to attend key conferences and opens his networks to them to enhance their career opportunities and professional development.

According to one of his nominators, Professor Moody’s leadership has led them to ‘significantly improve [their] own approach to giving feedback, encouragement, and supervision to students.’ His nominators agree that he has created a ‘workplace culture defined by collaboration, support and personal growth’ and that he is a ‘shining example of excellence in supervision’.

Professor Jim Naismith, Head of the MPLS Division, said of the award winners: ‘The energy and creativeness of our DPhil students and research staff is the engine of our success. At its best supervision is partnership; my colleagues who we recognise and celebrate set a standard that we should all aspire to.’

Michael Moody says of his award: ‘I felt very honoured that my students would nominate me for such an award. To work with such amazing students has been a privilege and an absolute highlight of my current role at Oxford.’