The Dean of Science Awards for outstanding students of the University of Malta’s Faculty of Science was held on 6 May 2016, following an established tradition since 1995. The awarded students’ relatives and sponsors were invited to the ceremony which took place at the ICT Auditorium, Msida Campus. The ceremony started with a welcome address by the Dean, Professor Charles V. Sammut, followed by a speech from the Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport, the Hon. Chris Agius. There was a musical performance by Keltika Keoltoiri.
Professor Sammut congratulated the students receiving the awards. Both the Hon. Agius and the Dean stressed the need for more scientists, given the wide range of employment opportunities available. The current demands for scientists from across all disciplines offered by the Faculty of Science, which is in its 101st year since establishment, by far surpass the yearly output from the Faculty. They appealed for greater awareness of science in the community and the importance of encouraging more students to opt for a career in science. The current human resources requirements of industry and public authorities in the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, gaming and financial sectors can presently only be satisfied by engaging qualified personnel from abroad, while secondary students are possibly not being advised of the excellent opportunities available in Malta.
At the end of the ceremony, Professor Sammut thanked the Faculty administrative staff for the organisation and the sponsors; MEPA, Technoline Limited, the Malta Communications Authority (MCA), Methode, Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA), The Entomological Society (ESM) and Agenda Bookshop.
This year’s award winners for the Dean’s List were:
Year I
Steve Fayek (Mathematics & Statistics & Operations Research)
Jesse Sigal (Computing Science & Mathematics)
Julia Xerri (Mathematics & Statistics & Operations Research)
Year II
Abigail Barbara (Mathematics & Statistics & Operations Research)
Jeremy Curmi (Mathematics & Statistics & Operations Research)
Wayne Grech (Mathematics & Physics)
Year III
Roderick Abdilla (Chemistry)
Jaromir Sant (Mathematics & Statistics & Operations Research)
Monique Sciortino (Mathematics & Statistics & Operations Research)
Year IV
Janet Chetcuti (Mathematics & Statistics & Operations Research)
Gabriel Farrugia (Mathematics & Physics)
Maria Sultana (Mathematics & Physics)
The Technoline Special Prize for Science was awarded to Ms Maria Sultana, who thanked the Faculty for a highly profitable experience during the four years of her B.Sc. (Hons) course.
The Best Environment Final Year Project, sponsored by MEPA, was awarded to Mr Andrè Brincat.
The Best Final Year Project in the Numerate Sciences, sponsored by the MCA, was awarded to Ms Janet Chetcuti and Mr Luca Sacco.
Mr Roderick Abdilla was awarded the Oxford University Press Prize for Achievement in Chemistry 2015.
Certificates of Merit were also awarded for high standards reached in the final year dissertation to the following students: Malcolm Attard, Annalise Azzopardi, Jeremy C. Baldacchino, Dana Bartolo, Luke Bartolo, Stephanie A. Borg Cappello, Janet Chetcuti, Anne Cilia Lara, Therese Demanuele, Glen Farrugia, Lucas Farrugia, Rebecca Muscat, Melanie Pellicano, Luca Sacco, Chantelle Saliba, Rita Saliba, Dale Scerri, Imran Sheikh, Jeremy Tua and Annabelle Vassallo.
