From left to right: Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund (Agrisera), Catherine Bellini (Chair of the UPSC board), Jan Karlsson; photo: Anne Honsel
[2019-12-04] This year’s UPSC Agrisera Prize is awarded to Jan Karlsson to acknowledge his ceaseless technical support for everyone working at UPSC. Jan Karlsson works as IT-coordinator at the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, but carries out many additional tasks that are important to keep the research infrastructure at UPSC running. The prize was awarded during today’s traditional UPSC Christmas lunch.
The UPSC board received two independent nomination letters for Jan Karlsson for the UPSC Agrisera Prize 2019. Both letters highlighted his ambition to solve all upcoming technical problems as soon as they appear even if it is challenging and demands to work outside the normal working hours. “He is the one, who we hope to find in his office when we need a solution for a challenging technical issue”, is stated in one of the letters. “His everyday work contributes to the successful research of many of us at UPSC.”
Jan Karlsson is IT-coordinator at one of the two UPSC departments. He is responsible for the growth chambers and cabinets, is technically supporting the new phenotyping platform, helps to fix things that are broken and much else. During the recent renovations at the Department of Plant Physiology, he was one of those who helped to make the moving and the setting up of the new lab as smooth as possible without neglecting his normal responsibilities. “We would like to thank Janne for being so available and make our work doable in this institute. This Agrisera prize is the opportunity for us to do so”, is written in the second nomination that was supported by more than 30 people.
The UPSC Agrisera Prize is awarded every year to a PhD student, a postdoc or a technician for excellent scientific achievement and positive contributions to improve the UPSC work environment. It is sponsored by Agrisera but the members of the UPSC board select the winner of the prize. The name of the winner is traditionally announced during the UPSC Christmas lunch. This year, the board received in total eight nominations for six candidates. The prize was presented by Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund from Agrisera and by the chair of the UPSC board, Catherine Bellini.