Nautilus Award winners 2025

Green Templeton is pleased to announce the Nautilus Award winners 2025, honouring students who have gone beyond the call of duty and responsibility to contribute to the college.

The annual awards are bestowed in three categories: Academic, College Citizenship and Sport. The awards were presented at the annual Spotlight on Green Templeton reception on Thursday 26 June by Principal Sir Michael Dixon.

Congratulations to the winners and all those highly commended!

Academic

Winner: Mohamed Elzawahry (DPhil Surgical Sciences, 2022)

Alongside his surgical training for a career as a transplant surgeon, and his award-winning experimental surgical research to support his DPhil, Mohamed’s voluntary efforts to support the intellectual community at Green Templeton combine academic brilliance with practical attention to detail and concern for others.

He was a college surgical teaching associate between 2023 and 2025, providing much-valued bedside teaching to undergraduate medical students. He also volunteered as a Green Templeton peer supporter to help support fellow students’ welfare. Mohamed was a regular and active participant in the college’s Management in Medicine programme, a course for early career medicine and healthcare professionals to develop management and leadership skills.

Having completed the full accredited programme, he was appointed a member of the programme steering committee. In that role he has been proactive and gone far above expectations of a committee member, demonstrating leadership and energy. His verbal and written contributions to a series of multiprofessional discussions on the future of medicine which developed out of the Management in Medicine programme have been invaluable, and he took the role of lead author of one of the papers being prepared for publication.

Highly commended: Laura Stirling-Barros (Clinical Medicine, 2023)

As treasurer of the Richard Doll Society and events officer for the Newsom-Davies Neurological Society, Laura has been instrumental in running three academic conferences at Green Templeton, and has made a real difference to the academic life of the college. These events have brought people together across different year groups and disciplines, and they’ve helped make Green Templeton feel like a place where student-led learning and collaboration are really thriving.

The events and activities that Laura has managed have created opportunities for students to get involved, learn, and connect, and have been excellent examples of how planning and care to create welcoming, engaging events – as well as high-quality speakers and sessions – can be powerfully effective. With a busy clinical schedule, Laura has handled everything from logistics and budgets to liaising with speakers and making the events enjoyable for everyone who attends. She’s done all of it without fuss or looking for recognition – but this award recognises her quiet, consistent commitment.

College Citizenship

Winner: Katya Broomberg (MSc Global Health Science and Epidemiology, 2024)

Katya was the internal entertainment coordinator for the Green Templeton Graduate Common Room (GCR) in 2024/25, and worked tirelessly to plan and run a lively social calendar, creating an environment for Green Templeton students that is open, welcoming, and fun.

She was nominated as a great communicator and fantastic team player who has always been ready to step in and help out despite the challenges of her degree course, working closely with other colleges to set up exchange formals, attending every GCR meeting even during the busiest periods. She took on extra responsibility as the head of logistics for the summer garden party – managing everything from people to vendors, and making sure everyone is always accommodated. This award celebrates her work behind the scenes to give every student the best and most memorable college experience possible.

Highly commended: Sara Tanovic (DPhil Computational Discovery, 2023)

Starting as GCR LGBTQIA+ Officer at the beginning of her DPhil, before becoming Treasurer. Sara has consistently worked to foster inclusivity, community, and engagement among students. In a year in which the GCR committee grew from five to over twenty active members, Sara played a key role by successfully negotiating a larger GCR budget and deftly managing its allocation, including resolving historical financial allocations and audits.

Sara’s work goes far beyond expectations as her contributions extend beyond financial oversight – she frequently takes on administrative responsibilities, organises inclusive social events, and is a key presence in outreach and recruitment, such as through the college Boat Club. Sara is known for her enthusiasm, approachability, and reliability, and has helped to build a more connected, welcoming, and supportive college environment.

Highly commended: Marlene Merchert (MPhil Development Studies, 2023)

As GCR Female Welfare Officer and then Vice President for Welfare, Marlene has initiated practical improvements and ideas which have transformed everyday college life for many students and made the college more welcoming, supportive and vibrant. This includes turning Sunday brunches, once grab-and-go non-events, into beautiful, communal events that people genuinely look forward to every week, organising arts-based activities like pottery and painting that provide creative outlets and community, setting up ‘study buddy’ sessions, introducing table tennis to the Stables Bar to create casual, inclusive spaces for connection, and redesigning the process for exchange formals to make them more accessible.

Marlene also created a buddy system to help new students feel welcomed and supported during their transition to Green Templeton, and organised community-building events such as Halloween parties and speed dating nights. She has consistently identified gaps where students might otherwise feel isolated, unsupported, or disconnected, and responded with creative, thoughtful solutions that have made a real difference.

Sport

Winners: Katharina Neumann (DPhil Law, 2022) and Michelle Yeung (DPhil Translational Health Sciences, 2022)

The Women’s Squad of the Green Templeton Boat Club is well-known across Oxford as a welcoming community for people at all levels of experience and skill, and this award recognises the role of the women’s rowing captains in fostering this exceptional openness with hard work and enthusiasm. From the moment Michelle and Kat took on this role, they have been determined to empower students – many complete beginners – to take on the challenge of learning a new sport, building team spirit, and competing with confidence.

Their efforts have supported both the physical and mental wellbeing of the student community, while also cultivating a strong sense of belonging. Practices are not only well-organised but also welcoming spaces where rowers are encouraged to connect, ask questions, and enjoy physical activity as a healthy counterbalance to academic life.

Highly commended: Upamanyu Ghose (DPhil Psychiatry, 2019)

Upamanyu (Tito) has worked with his co-captain, Associate Member Fergus Maclean, to organise water and land training sessions for the Green Templeton Boat Club throughout the year, even with the difficulty of being unable to get on the river due to flooding. His work has not only included organising the sessions, but regularly filling in for outings at the last minute when needed and taking on coxing to make sure people can row.

Tito has also worked hard to develop a friendly, supportive and accessible culture in the open squad.

Highly commended: Maya Sternthal (MPhil Development Studies, 2023)

Maya stepped into the role of Kit and Social Media Officer for the Green Templeton Boat Club because they urgently needed to be filled, but rose to the challenge with creativity, initiative and dedication – not just managing the club’s standard kit but going above and beyond to have a lasting positive impact.

She designed a new sweatshirt that became the most in-demand item in recent memory, her crew announcement videos became a popular tradition, regularly attracting hundreds of likes and significantly increasing the club’s visibility on Instagram, and she documented training and daily life, which played a key role in recruiting new members. She did all this at the same time as serving as GCR Charity and Development Officer.

All Round

Amy Booth (DPhil Translational Health Sciences, 2021)

Amy has been a Green Templeton Junior Dean for the last two years, and her contribution to the college community has gone far beyond the job description. She has been a responsible, thoughtful and proactive Junior Dean, sometimes in very difficult and distressing circumstances, and has demonstrated excellent judgement both in her support of individuals and in welfare policy discussions.

More widely, she has been an active participant and a warm presence at Green Templeton, attending, helping out with, or otherwise throwing herself into many college academic activities. This ranges from the 2024 Human Welfare Conference to the recent panel she convened on Greening the Pharmaceutical Sector. Amy’s commitment to sustainability and responsible research, her ability to connect with all kinds of people, and her practical good sense, have all benefited the college during her time here and will make her a fantastic ambassador for Green Templeton in the future.