This year’s awardees are Senior Researcher Hanna Laako, Project Manager Anna Logrén, the SOLDEX project, the Peat & Trees – Peatland and Soil Ecology Research Group, and the Department of Nursing Science.
The University of Eastern Finland’s Communicator of the Year Awards were announced in an award ceremony on 11 December 2025. This year, a total of five awards were presented.
The Communicator of the Year Award of the Philosophical Faculty was presented to Project Manager Anna Logrén. When planning events, she always considers communication, ranging from internal communication and external visibility to active presence on social media and offering expert commentary – while also considering both regional and national impact. Through her communications, the University of Eastern Finland is consistently portrayed in a positive light and as an organisation that addresses current issues.
At the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, the Communicator of the Year Award 2025 was presented to the Peat & Trees – Peatland and Soil Ecology Research Group. This multidisciplinary group is led by Professor Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, the Deputy Head of the School of Forest Sciences. The research group explores ecosystem adaptation to changing conditions, potential feedback mechanisms and relationships between humans and ecosystems. Their research is broad-based, which makes communication a sustained and multifaceted effort, which is marked by a genuine enthusiasm to explain complex topics clearly and in a relatable way.
The Faculty of Health Sciences’ Communicator of the Year Award 2025 was presented to the Department of Nursing Science for its sustained and active commitment to media, online and stakeholder communications. Research in nursing science and the department’s activities have been showcased diversely – and on an upward trend – through press releases and the department’s social media, newsletter and blog. The department also has a well-established communications team.
At the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, the Communicator of the Year Award 2025 was presented to the researchers involved in the SOLDEX project. They have been active and versatile in communicating on the project’s topical theme of research and its findings on various platforms and at stakeholder meetings. The project’s communication culture and initiatives have been perceived as encouraging and inspiring within the university’s Communications and Media Relations team.
A Communicator of the Year Award was also presented to Senior Researcher Hanna Laako in recognition of her science communication and dissemination initiatives that use various platforms and aim to reach international audiences. For instance, Laako has used documentary films and podcasts as a means of communicating about her research on the Maya Forest and the world’s critical edges. Many of Laako’s science communication initiatives have been produced in collaboration with professionals, adding to their quality and impact.
The Communicator of the Year Award is presented in recognition of an outstanding attitude towards, or efforts in, communication and marketing during the past year. The award is not tied to any professional title: the most important thing is a genuine interest in communication. The primary criterion is that the person or the group has understood the significance of communication and is determined to raise awareness of the university’s activities by means of communication.
Congratulations to all award winners!