Student scoops top biosciences prize

A biology student from Edge Hill University has been rewarded for her outstanding performance in the subject.

Ashley Lyons has been given the Oxford University Press (OUP) Achievement in Biosciences Prize for her consistently high achievements on her degree course.

Launched in 2006, the prize is awarded to the student in an institution's bioscience department who has achieved the most or shown the greatest improvement over the course of the academic year.

The 25-year-old from Fazakerly, Liverpool, who is in her final year on the BSc (Hons) Biology programme, is in line for a first when she graduates from Edge Hill as she regularly gets top marks for her assignments.

She impressed her tutors at the University so much for her flair for the subject that they decided to nominate her for the accolade.

Upon receiving the prize, which includes £100 worth of OUP bioscience books, Ashley said: "I was so shocked when I found out. I had absolutely no idea that my tutor had put my name forward for the award. The prize recognises my continual achievement on the programme, which I'm pleased about. It's nice to know that you don't go unnoticed when you put a lot of effort into your work. The tutors are always encouraging us to do well and to get official recognition for it is even better."

She added: "There's no secret to my success, I just work really hard and I love the course. I enjoy the outdoors and I like learning how biology influences modern society from genetics to the ecological impacts of climate change and from combating disease to feeding the world."

Ashley will use the award to help further her study of the biosciences and broaden her understanding of this subject. After she finishes her degree at Edge Hill, she is hoping to do a PhD in biology.

Course Leader Dr Ian Powell said: "Lecturers are always really pleased to see their students doing very well but rarely get an opportunity to reward them other than with a good grade and a handshake. So it is fantastic that OUP runs this prize that enables us to encourage our very best students and gives them a few books to help with their further studies. We would like to award this prize annually at Edge Hill and I hope Ashley is the first in a long line of outstanding students to win it."

The BSc (Hons) Biology degree at Edge Hill University gives students the opportunity to advance human knowledge in order to make a difference to tomorrow's world. They have the opportunity to shape their own course and specialise in areas such as ecology, evolution, genetics, physiology, conservation and disease. For more information visit the website edgehill.ac.uk/study/courses/biology.