QUB Staff Excellence Awards for 2024-25 

The 2024-25 Staff Excellence Awards celebration event was held on Friday 27 February, 2026 in the Whitla Hall, with MediaLab lecturer Dr Darragh Lydon winning the award for Delivering Excellence.

The Staff Excellence Awards celebrate and recognise the achievements of all categories of staff at Queen's - from researchers and operational staff to teaching academics, administrative staff, technicians, and Professional Services colleagues.

This year, the Judging Panel received an outstanding 270 nominations from staff and students. From these, 28 individuals and teams were shortlisted across seven categories, each exemplifying the University’s Core Values.

DELIVERING EXCELLENCE 

A lecturer in MediaLab, in the School of Arts, English & Languages, Dr Darragh Lydon combines innovation and excellence with genuine, heartfelt care, ensuring his work makes a meaningful difference to others. Inspired by his son Owen’s five-month stay at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Darragh led the development of a Virtual Reality experience for the Clark Clinic in collaboration with the Children’s Heartbeat Trust. This project not only helps children and families navigate challenging hospital journeys with reduced anxiety but also provides Queen’s students with a transformative learning experience showcasing how academic research in Extended Reality (XR) can deliver meaningful impact. 

Read more about this year's winners and their contributions on the Staff Excellence Awards website.

View the full event in pictures here.