This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
A graduate from Aberdeen University has won the Tilhill Award for ‘Outstanding Performance 2020.’
The award was presented at an online award presentation to James Cryer, a graduate on the MSc Environmental and Forest Management programme, 2019-2020. James has also recently received a scholarship from the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) and Future Trees Trust funded by the Patsy Wood Trust.
As part of Tilhill’s work to strengthen links with future foresters, the Company presents awards to top performing students at universities offering degrees in forestry-related subjects across the UK.
A specially carved wooden trophy along with £250 prize money was presented to James (aka Jimmy) by Julian Hollingdale, Tilhill’s North Highland District Manager.
Upon receiving the award, James Cryer said:
“Thanks to the excellent teaching on the MSc Environmental & Forest Management course at the University of Aberdeen, I feel like I received so much knowledge from the course which has set me up nicely for my career in forestry. Thank you very much to Tilhill for supporting the prize, I am looking forward to a productive future as a Forest Manager.”
Julian Hollingdale, Tilhill’s North Highland District Manager said:
“I am honoured to virtually present the Tilhill Award for outstanding performance in MSc in Environmental and Forest Management 2020. Well done and congratulations to Jimmy Cryer! It’s a shame it is not possible to be able to do this in person but I am glad this award can still be presented virtually to celebrate Jimmy’s achievements.
“I am under no illusions that both students and lecturers are facing unprecedented challenges including the fast adoption of online learning, potential isolation and technological limitations. All of these, and many others, have had to be overcome. We are, at our heart, an outdoor industry and delivering these courses will have been difficult but this practical knowledge in forestry is vitally important.
“However, we must remember that it is an exciting time to be in forestry, as we find ourselves with a very supportive tree planting agenda from Scottish Government which has helped us create forests for the future throughout Scotland. We also have a strong timber harvesting demand across many of the mill sectors. And more recently, at the launch of ‘The UK Forest Market Report’ it was clear that the sector has had an “astonishing year” with record results in forestry. The market continues to have a very positive outlook.
“At Tilhill we run an awards program with a number of Universities across the UK and it is pleasing that we have such a long association with Aberdeen University. At Tilhill we have many former forestry students from Aberdeenamongst our staff, both past and present.
“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the students to consider applying for our graduate programme which is open until the end of this month.
Dr David Burslem, Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Aberdeen said:
“We are delighted with this recognition of James Cryer’s outstanding achievements on the MSc in Environmental and Forest Management at the University of Aberdeen in the 2020 cohort. He scored highly across all elements of the course and responded with flexibility and resilience to the challenges created by the transition to blended learning halfway through the programme. We wish him well in his future career in the forestry industry.”
Watch the Award Presentation: