Virtual training laboratory AALTOLAB was awarded as the Teaching Act of the year

Education Act

Education Act is to acknowledge and promote actions, that positively affect students' learning, welfare, satisfaction and study success and development of attractive teaching programs.

Education Act of the year was awarded to the AALTOLAB virtual laboratory for creating a digital learning environment for occupational safety education. In AALTOLAB, studying and learning are done independently with videos, materials and mini games. During the COVID-19 pandemic situation this learning platform has ensured an easy access to teaching laboratory safety to students. In addition, AALTOLAB is used for specialized laboratory safety training for the staff at CHEM and other schools as well. The virtual laboratory has received very good feedback from students and staff. The working group consists of Professor Antti Karttunen, Project Researcher Panu Viitaharju, University Lecturers Kirsi Yliniemi and Minna Nieminen.

Research Act

The Reseach Act is to acknowledge exceptionally high quality and impact in research. Research Act of the year was awarded to Veikko Linko for the many high-impact corresponding author publications in medias like Angewandte Chemie (two articles), Nature Materials News & Views, ACS Synthetic Biology (with a cover), ACS Applied Bio Materials. Currently, there are articles under review in Nucleic Acids Research and ACS Applied Nano Materials and during 2020 Veikko Linko has published 9 high quality peer-reviewed articles. Veikko also succeeded in receiving 200,000 € research grant from Emil Aaltonen foundation for 3 years. 

Service Act

Service Act of year is given for enabling the success of the School through e.g. efficient way of working, proactive and equal data sharing and promoting inclusiveness and wellbeing. The year 2020 service award goes to Juha Linnekoski(Technical support services)for being “the most helpful person at Aalto”, as said in many proposals. Juha is always willing to help and solve issue. Juha has been in essential role in the covid-19 pandemic times. His active role and solid expertise ensure the development and continuity of good laboratory practices. He is quite serious about any safety-related affairs and solves all the problems at hand.

The Collaboration Act of the Year

The collaboration act is given to acknowledge and promote excellent cooperation, visibility and impact through networking. The meaning of collaboration is emphasized in the crisis. This year we had to close the laboratories, research and transfer to remote teaching at a very short notice. 

The collaboration act of the year goes to all lecturers and teachers at CHEM, our pedagogical specialists Emmi Ollila and Jukka Välimäki, and the whole technical service team for ensuring the best possible teaching and research in the exceptional circumstances. Remote teaching, reorganized contact teaching in the autumn and continuations of the research in the laboratories in the midst of the covid-19 restrictions was ensured by these people. Emmi and Jukka are acknowledged specially for speeding up and supporting teachers in digitalization of teaching and remote teaching arrangements.

The technical services staff were present at the campus to help and support both laboratory teaching and research. The utilization of the Infrabooking system was enabled by technical staff in a very efficient way in our School.  All of this has been an amazing achievement which has been performed under a stressful and exceptional situation.

Further information: 

Marjo Kettunen, Development Manager, The School of Chemical Engineering

[email protected]