Annual Celebration honored university community members – Samuel Valkeapää is the Alum of the Year and Rudy Gambino is the Teacher of the Year

The Annual Celebration of the University of Lapland took place on the 27th of February 2026. The Alum of the Year, the Teacher of the Year, and the Student Group of the Year were awarded. Furthermore, the Dissertation Award, Rector’s Award and the Award for Science/Art Communication were presented. At the celebration, the decorations and medals awarded by the President of the Republic of Finland were given, and University medals for long-term service were presented.

Alum of the Year: Samuel Valkeapää

The Steering Group for Alumni Activities awarded Samuel Valkeapää, MA, the title of Alum of the Year. Samuel Valkeapää is the vice-rector of Sámi University of Applied Sciences (Sámi allaskuvla) in Kautokeino. Valkeapää earned their master’s degree in the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Lapland. Before starting as a lecturer of Sámi handicraft (duodji) at Sámi University of Applied Sciences, Valkeapää worked as a teacher specialising in silversmithing at the Sámi Education Institute.

The steering group described the recipient e.g. as follows: Samuel Valkeapää has been a significant contributor to research, educational, and development collaboration between the University of Lapland and Sámi University of Applied Sciences, particularly in developing joint projects involving Sámi cultural heritage, Sámi handicraft, and media studies. Their work has enhanced the visibility of Sámi knowledge, art, and crafts tradition and reinforced northern and culturally sustainable cooperation between the universities. Valkeapää is an outstanding alum, successfully combining artistic expertise, communality, and a profound knowledge of Sámi culture. Valkeapää also builds bridges between the Sámi community, universities, and art.

Teacher of the Year: Rudy Gambino

The Student Union of the University of Lapland (LYY) awarded Rudy Gambino as the Teacher of the year. Gambino teaches French at the language centre. LYY described them as a skillful teacher who uses comprehensive pedagogy and includes students’ in the class work. Rudy Gambino pays attention to different teaching methods. The teacher is down to earth and responds to students’ needs for achieving learning goals.

Student Group of the Year: Legal Aid Clinic

LYY awarded Legal Aid Clinic as the Student Group of the year. They described that Legal Aid Clinic has promoted students’ wellbeing at the university. They offer informed, reliable and easily accessible legal assistance for students. Members of the group have built a network for legal aid with just the will to help. Students have managed to increase knowledge of one’s rights. Legal Aid Clinic carries societal responsibility.

The Award for Science or Art Communication: Maria Hakkarainen

The award for science or art communication highlights researchers’ and artists’ own good practices in communicating and popularizing science, research, art, and design, as a part of the social interaction of the University of Lapland.

Among the nominations suggested by the university community members, the University’s communication experts selected the award winner: University Lecturer of Tourism Research Maria Hakkarainen. Hakkarainen works at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Multidimensional Tourism Institute.

The recipient was described e.g. as follows: Maria Hakkarainen is an inspiring role model in the work community for a researcher who wants and dares to tirelessly highlight the social significance of research. They find time to comment on tourism phenomena in the media and encourage others to do the same, and boldly participate in difficult social debates based on their own research. Hakkarainen also communicates the research results in a variety of ways in different forums. Maria Hakkarainen strives to build a common understanding among stakeholders and often presents concrete proposals for action.

Dissertation Award: Iiris Tuominen

The Dissertation award was addressed to Postdoctoral Researcher Iiris Tuominen whose doctoral dissertation in law Live to Tell: Power, Confession and the Production of the Homosexual Legal Subject examined the ways in which homosexuality becomes a legal problem and the reasons behind its formation into a problem, i.e. the production of the “homosexual legal subject.” The material analysed in the dissertation consisted of case law from the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union.

The steering group described Iiris Tuominen’s dissertation e.g. as follows: The Dissertation is a theoretically astute and well structured piece of research that applies Michael Foucault’s theories in a fresh way across different contexts. The study is genuinely interdisciplinary, building a compelling dialogue between legal scholarship, philosophy, gender studies, and queer studies. In its critical approach, the work invites readers to think, and it is especially important in a time when the rights of sexual and gender minorities are increasingly being challenged. The dissertation is an elegantly executed, independent scholarly work, written with a broad readership in mind.

Rector’s Award: Anneli Hermanoff

The purpose of the Rector’s Award is to recognise work, an employee, or a group that has made a valuable effort for the benefit of the university. Their work has been constructive and respectful of others, and has had a positive impact on the University of Lapland. The work of the awarded employee or group combines the development of internal university activities with work linked to national activities.

Nominations for awards were requested from the university community. This year the Rector’s Award, 2,000 €, was given to Anneli Hermanoff who is a university lecturer in special education at the Faculty of Education. Anneli Hermanoff was described e.g. as follows: Hermanoff warmly welcomes students and ensures that each student’s studies get off to a good start and progress. From the staff’s perspective, Hermanoff fosters a sense of community within the faculty and brings joy to the work community. Their positive actions also convey a message about the University of Lapland to external partners and stakeholders. Hermanoff puts effort into meeting other people and developing work.