Kellogg College Fellows Shortlisted for Prestigious Vice-Chancellor's Awards
Kellogg College is delighted that two Fellows have been shortlisted for the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards 2025. Dr Sara Ratner and Professor Kokila Lakhoo were shortlisted from over 160 award entries with over 1300 individuals included in the nominations. The awards are a University-wide celebration of outstanding people and their achievements in working towards the University’s academic mission.
Human-centred AI research in education
Dr Sara Ratner, Junior Research Fellow at Kellogg and Research Officer in the Department of Education, has been shortlisted for the ‘Breakthrough Researcher Award’, which celebrates early-career researchers whose work has made a significant impact across the University.
Sara is the founding director of AI in Education at Oxford University (AIEOU), an interdisciplinary research hub that promotes an ethical, human-centred approach to artificial intelligence in educational settings. Launched in December 2024, the hub attracted over 700 collaborators worldwide in its first month of operation.
“This recognition reflects the collaborative spirit driving our work at AIEOU”, Sara said. “We’re witnessing a potentially transformative moment in education, and I’m passionate about ensuring AI technologies are research-informed and educator-led when it comes to teaching and learning. The momentum AIEOU is generating demonstrates the demand for research-informed approaches that put high-quality pedagogy, rigorous policy and the insights of educators at the forefront of such technological innovation.”
Global impact in paediatric surgery
Professor Kokila Lakhoo, a College Fellow and Professor of Global Paediatric Surgery at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, has been shortlisted for the ‘Making a Difference Globally Award’. The Award recognises University colleagues whose work has significantly improved lives beyond the UK through Oxford’s resources, expertise, and insights.
Kokila’s commitment to building sustainable paediatric surgical capacity worldwide was bolstered last year when she secured a £3.5 million grant from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This funding supports her ground-breaking research programme addressing childhood injury in Tanzania and Zimbabwe—just one of numerous international initiatives she leads to reduce child mortality and disability, primarily across African nations.
Kokila commented: “This nomination affirms our commitment to developing healthcare solutions that are not just effective but sustainable within local contexts. Our work is about creating lasting change by empowering local medical professionals and establishing systems that will continue to save children’s lives long after our direct involvement ends”.
Celebrating excellence
The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards represent a University-wide celebration of exceptional individuals whose work advances Oxford’s academic mission through innovation, impact, and excellence.
College President Jonathan Michie extended his congratulations to Dr Ratner and Professor Lakhoo: “The fact that our Fellows have been shortlisted from among the thousands of nominations for these awards is testament to their exceptional contributions to addressing pressing global challenges through rigorous research and meaningful collaboration.”