Lecturer shortlisted for environmental innovation award

Posted Today

Dr Lucy Crockford

A focus on building the next generation of water and environmental professionals has seen a Harper Adams University academic shortlisted for a prestigious award.

Dr Lucy Crockford, Senior Lecturer in Soil and Water Management, is among this year’s nominees for a Presidential Innovation Award from the Chartered Institute for Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) – the leading UK professional body and registered charity dedicated to sustainable water and environmental management.

The nomination cited Lucy’s work in helping shape the next generation of industry professionals and noted: “Dr Lucy Crockford has demonstrated exceptional innovation in tackling one of the most pressing challenges facing the water and environmental sector: developing the skilled workforce needed to meet future environmental challenges. 

“Her work aligns directly with the issues identified in CIWEM's Your Future report, which highlights the need for new pathways into the profession, greater accessibility, stronger employer engagement, and investment in future talent.”

Dr Crockford, who is Course Manager for Environment, Sustainability and Wildlife courses at Harper Adams, will find out if she has won at an awards ceremony in London on Monday, November 16.

She said: “When I found out why I had been nominated, it made me feel like all the work I’ve done trying to promote green careers and highlight the importance of students and early careers had been validated and noticed somehow.

“Being nominated was a big deal - and then being shortlisted already feels like I’ve achieved something. Winning is lovely but I genuinely feel like anyone who gets nominated is part of a special group of people recognised for what they do.

“I’m motivated to do what I do because I care about having enough people in the green sector working towards our common goals of balance and sustainability - whether that’s in ecology, water management, business, and other sectors.”

CIWEM have been a key stakeholder in the development of the latest suite of Environment courses through the Harper Forward programme, which worked with employers and industry bodies to shape the University’s degrees to the needs of the sectors they serve.

Dr Crockford led the development of a new Degree Apprenticeship route at Harper Adams – the BSc (Hons) Environmental Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship – which was recognised as ‘a genuinely industry-connected route into the profession that strengthens both educational outcomes and workforce resilience’ in her nomination.

She added: “CIWEM has been my window into the industry that I love - and miss sometimes!

“I’m able to draw industry thoughts and understanding into my teaching and I’m keen to bring CIWEM further into our provision through the development of short courses.

“Students are able to join CIWEM for free - which I think is great, because there is so much to give from the water and wider sectors - and CIWEM bring insight into their 8000 strong client base - which gives depth to our understanding around water management.

“I’m a member of their Rivers and Coastal Group committee and have been raising the profile of Harper Adams through my work in early careers, which has been fully supported by my department.

“It’s great that we can strengthen these links and hopefully develop more opportunities through placements and apprenticeships.”