Gillian Gehring selected as first subject for Portrait of a Woman Prize

We’re delighted to tell you that Emeritus Professor Gillian Gehring has been selected to be the first subject for the University of Sheffield Portrait of a Woman Prize.

Rosie Valerio, who established the Portrait of a Woman Prize on her retirement in March 2011 as HR Director, announced the selection. She said: “A number of criteria were used, including impact on the University; inspiration; personal drive; commitment to the University, including in legacy, and what the subjects have done for women at the University. Given the vibrancy and strength of all the subjects, we were very spoilt for choice.”

In summer 2012, colleagues from across the University nominated women whom they admired, or who had inspired them, whether a past or present member of staff, and whose portrait they would like to see hung in Firth Hall.

Gillian was one of 28 shortlisted women and can now look forward to having her portrait painted.

Gillian is a distinguished international research leader in magnetism and orbital ordering, making great contributions to both theoretical and experimental projects, with her seminal work on the co-operative Jahn-Teller effect inspiring a generation of new physics experiments.

Gillian Gehring selected as first subject for Portrait of a Woman Prize

Read more University news in Overview, the staff newsletter:

Can you spot anyone you know in our engineering film?

June's edition of Overview takes a closer look at the people who make up engineering at Sheffield. We start with a short film to discover what being a Sheffield engineer is all about, which includes Stephen Beck, pictured left.

You can join in too on Twitter, by telling us what makes you excited to be part of Sheffield engineering at #sheffieldengineers

Also in this edition, we reveal the secret to your department’s success and show you how to raise hundreds of pounds by switching off bad habits. You'll find out why Visakan Kadirkamanathan travelled from India’s warm waters to Sheffield’s cool peaks, and how Mike got on with the Third Degree. Staff newsletter, out now!