I’m delighted…
A phrase that, to me, bears the hallmarks of yet another shameless self-congratulatory LinkedIn post. There is so much delight on LinkedIn. It’s become the default way of starting a post – I’m delighted… It’s lost all meaning, to the point of becoming banal and inviting the reader to switch off or scroll on to the next hubristic post.
I’ve been a user of LinkedIn since 2007, I’ve looked at my posts and my delight started eight years ago, before that none of my posts used the expression. It’s become a lexical meme for professionals, like “Strategic leader with a proven track record…” or “After X amazing years at company Y, I’m delighted to share that I’ll be joining company Z” (a nested professional lexical meme).
I was thinking about the phrase recently when I recieved a string of emails which all started with the phrase. The delight in these emails, however, was genuine and mutual. I really was delighted to recieve the emails as they contained words of kindness written by my delighted colleagues and students:
“I’m delighted to share that you have been named in the ‘Seek, Find, Celebrate 2026’ project as someone who contributes to our research culture in a way that enables others to thrive.”
and
“I’m delighted to inform you that you have received a nomination for Teacher of the Year in the Students’ Association’s student-led Teaching Awards!
Below is the text for these nominations in research-leadership and teaching, and I’m posting these nominations for two reasons: 1.) Shameless self-congratulation, 2.) As a way for me to remind myself why I do what I do, and why I do it the way I do it.
Research
“Adam has been in post as Head of the IBioE for just over a year. Leading an institute with multidisciplinary research, diverse staff and students is challenging, yet Adam has provided supportive leadership and positive changes in a short period of time. He has overseen the transition to a new institute office, facilitated the New Ways of Working scheme, and achieved Silver Sustainable Labs certification, while actively promoting a positive research culture. I particularly value the space and opportunities the institute now provides for biology related research to develop. “
It’s lonely at the top. Leading an institute is hard and leaders have to make unpopular decisions. This nomination really means a lot to me because it reflects that my hard work is resulting in positive change, and that my colleagues feel supported.
I led on moving The Institute for Bioengineering into a new building, and in doing so I also implemented a new working policy which means that researchers book desk space, they use our new meeting pods for video calls, and we have a much more fluid work-space than previously. We’re an experimental institute, so much of our time is spent in the labs and there is less of a requirement for individual allocated desks and offices than if we were purely computational or theoretical. Our research activity is peer-reviewed in the physical world, we design, build, test, and iterate.
In the Institute I believe that we have a great working environment; with allocated academic offices, shared space for post-docs and PhDs, a large kitchen/coffee room, a warm balcony, and bookable meeting rooms. The key phrase for me in this nomination is “positive research culture” – I’ve been pursuing a line of agressive optimism. The university sector is tough for multiple reasons just now, but within the difficulties I see opportunities for optimism and appreciating the privilege of being able to do research. The note about achieving Silver Sustainable Labs status has almost nothing to do with me, but I’m really pleased to see it mentioned here. Our technical services team have a tough job to do in keeping our labs running safely and smoothly. This certification is a testament to their hard work and diligence. Running an experimental institute is a team effort, and achieving this certification is going above and beyond from our technical services team. Bravo.
We’re moving on to the next phase in The Institute for Bioengineering, we’ve co-created a vision centred on a number of core research themes and we’re working together to pursue our individual and collective areas of curiosity, research, and enquiry. There is so much opportunity for bioengineering, and I look forward to leading on delivering our shared vision over the next few years.
Teaching
When I started my academic career I was advised by a senior colleague to do a “Ford Mondeo” job of teaching (equivalent to a Toyota Camry for those outside of the UK). The car-based analogy being that students would love a Rolls-Royce, but the effort required by an academic to to a “Rolls-Royce” job in teaching would be to the detriment of their research career. A Mondeo is a fine car, it gets you from A to B, perhaps you may even get the Ghia model which has leather seats and more horsepower… a Rolls-Royce is too much, but a Lada or another cheap car is likely to get you into trouble. So a Mondeo it is.
As a student I’ve felt the dissapointment of being stuck in a lecture that feels like it’s being delivered by a ten horsepower two-stroke rust bucket. And, at the other end of the scale, I’ve only ever seen a handful of lecturers capable of the full Rolls-Royce experience.
This year I recieved six nominations in the EUSA Teaching Awards and I’m genuinely delighted to read what my students have written about my teaching. I really, truly, care about delivering high-quality lectures and enthusing the next generation of researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders. I want them to feel the same excitement and enthusiasm about science and engineering that I feel. I try to blend between theory and practise, and I’m very grateful to the students who went out of their way to write a nomination to feed back on their experience. This year I taught Bioelectronics, Systems Engineering and Design for Manufacture, as well as supervising a number of undergraduate projects.
Below are a few reflective notes on each nomination:
“I feel lucky to have been on the receiving end of Adam’s Bioelectronics 4 lectures. Through his kindness and inclusivity across disciplines, his openness to questions, and the broader context he brings to the course—both in his own teaching and through guest lectures—he consistently delivers a high standard of teaching. It has been a genuine pleasure to take this course.”
I’ve been teaching this course for 14 years. That probably means that I’m old, but maybe I just got a head-start in academia at a young age. A lot has happened in bioelectronics over the last 14 years, and this year I gave the course a complete overhaul. I’m really grateful to the guest lecturers who agreed to talk to my class, some are graduates from the course who have gone on to do great things, others are academic-entrepreneurs, all are inspirational and I thank them for their input.
“The most engaging lecturer I’ve experienced while at Uni, Adam Stokes isn’t only a great teacher but his course (Introduction to Bioelectronics 4) is not only academic but makes you think of the wider topic and is incredibly inspiring. Additionally Adam is always very approachable for information wether this be course related or in connection to your personal development.”
I try to blend academic theory with systems-engineering and lived experience from my industrial experience. I think that’s what the student here is reflecting, that there’s a whole world of application and practise beyond the theory. But it all starts with a solid grounding in the fundamentals.
“I am nominating Professor Adam because he is truly the most exceptional teacher I have ever encountered at Edinburgh University. His kindness and innovative teachingmethods have made a remarkable difference in my academic journey. As a disabled student, I have found his approach incredibly supportive; he made sure I had a suitable chair and always gave me the time I needed to complete tasks without stress. Professor Adam balances professionalism with genuine humility, warmth and kindness, making his classes not only educational but truly memorable experiences. I wholeheartedly recommend him as one of the best teachers ever.”
Sometimes all you need to do to be considered exceptional is to be kind and help to get someone a chair. That’s a low baseline for exceptionality. I’m glad that my willingness to listen and to help has led to a good learning experience for this student, I know they’ll pay it forward.
“At the start of Semester 1, I approached Adam and Ben seeking approval for a self-proposed master’s project. Both were incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable about my intended direction, and the creative freedom they granted me for my integrated master’s project will, without doubt, be one of the things I remember most vividly in twenty years’ time. Thanks to Adam and Ben, I was able to develop skills that I would not ordinarily have had the opportunity to explore as a physics student. I was thrown into the deep end of mechanical design and electrical engineering, often with little idea of whether I was taking the right or wrong approach. This is where meetings with both supervisors became invaluable. No matter how lost I felt going in, I always came away having been gently nudged in the right direction. It never felt like I was being corrected, but rather guided, and over time those small nudges built up into a real sense of confidence and orientation within the project. These conversations were frequently enriched by stories from their own personal projects and research experiences, which really brought the guidance to life. When I encountered difficulties with a fluidic device, a small chip designed to pass water through it in a controlled manner, Adam would illustrate similar concepts using photos he had taken while working on his own car. His insights genuinely shaped the way I approached the project as a whole, and it was always wonderful to see the connection between what can feel like highly specialised research and practical, real-world engineering. There were points during the project where I felt like I had strayed so far into engineering that I had forgotten I was a physics student. Ben had this calm way of pulling me back. He would remind me not to worry so much about the engineering side when it got complicated, and instead help me refocus on the physics at the heart of the project. I always left those meetings reassured and genuinely excited about the project again. I would like to wholeheartedly nominate both Adam and Ben for Supervisor of the Year. Adam as my primary supervisor and Ben as my secondary have together had such a profound impact on my development and my approach to problem-solving that I look back on my time with them with nothing but gratitude. They believed in me when I wasn’t sure I believed in myself, and that is something I will carry with me long after this project is finished. Thank you both for being everything I could have ever asked for in supervisors.”
This is a nomination from a project student so, despite being anonymous, I know who you are. This was a Physics student who wanted to do a project in Engineering, they wanted to build stuff. So I helped them out. I have an exceptional group of researchers in my lab, and they took this student under their (collective) wing and showed him how to design PCBs, to draw in CAD, to 3D print, to use the CNC, to design-build-test and learn. The project that they delivered was exceptional. I wish I had access to that knowledge and those tools when I was an undergraduate, and I’m delighted that I’ve been able to give a student the experience that I would have liked. Now the challenge for you (if you’re reading this) is to go on and do great things. Blend your physics education with your new engineering skills and go and discover some new things about the world.
“I would like to nominate Prof. Adam Stokes for his excellent supervision during my MEng final year project. Throughout the project he was consistently approachable, patient, and very supportive. He always made time for regular meetings to discuss the progress of my work. These meetings were never rushed; he was always willing to spend time carefully discussing technical challenges, listening to new ideas, and helping me think through possible solutions. Under his guidance, I was able to design and complete a complex engineering project involving mechanical design, embedded control, and software development. He encouraged independent problem-solving and allowed me the freedom to explore different approaches, while providing valuable technical insight whenever difficulties arose. During discussions, he would often draw on his expertise to suggest possible design directions and ways of approaching a problem, while leaving the detailed implementation decisions to the student to explore and evaluate. I found this balance between guidance and independence extremely valuable for developing engineering judgement and confidence. My project was carried out in the laboratory where members of his research group also work, and the atmosphere within the group was extremely positive and supportive. I also had very good interactions with members of the group, who were all friendly and approachable. The students in the group were always willing to offer advice or share their experience when I encountered difficulties. This collaborative and welcoming environment greatly enhanced my learning experience. I believe that a positive and supportive group culture like this comes from having a mentor who sets such a constructive and encouraging example. With his supervision, I was able to successfully complete the project and was awarded the Best Internal MEng Poster in Electronics and Electrical Engineering. For his supportive supervision, technical expertise, and encouragement of independent thinking, I strongly believe Prof. Stokes deserves recognition through this teaching award. “
Again, an anonymous nomination, but I know who you are. The learning curve that I saw this student take, was extreme. They built a natural language interface and a fluid handling robot, it was able to take instructions and parse them into experimental workflows: “Perform a dilution assay on the protein solution in well A1”. All I did was to give the student an old broken 3D printer and a direction of travel. A clear autodidact, they learned CAD, 3D Printing, G-Code, LLM APIs etc etc. and built a very impressive lab-automation system in a very short period of time. My input was simply to give light direction and to champion the work. Bravo, I’m delighted you won the best poster prize, you’ll go far!
“This may be biased as an undergraduate student since the start of my studies I always knew I wanted to study this course. The course has moved away from Electronics which as an EEE undergrad it meant it would be a bigger challenge than what I thought it would be, however, this change has only sparked further curiosity in me, and I believe has truly prepared me more not only for courses in my second semester such as Sensors and Instrumentation 5 and Lab-on-a-Chip 5, but also for my career aspirations. It has broadened the world of bioelectronics for me. I think there are a number of us who became deeply invested in this course, and I know of a few who ended up spending too much time learning about non-assessed topics such as the ins and outs of how a SQUID works, out of pure interest, and I think sparking a light of potential career aspirations in even non-assessed material. I think this is the magic of this course. Its a course that covers the surface of a range of subjects and disciplines, and if I could go back and do this course again I would do it and try to do even better, better being asking Professor Stokes more questions, demanding more from the course as potentially asking to have more group activities like the systems engineering activity in week 10. There are several students either in 3rd year or in other disciplines who’ve asked me about this course and I have always said that its been my most enjoyable course during my time at University, and if you like the subject and are interested, you’ll do well. I didnt get the grade I was hoping for (I was hoping A2 and ended up with a B), but the mark doesnt reflect the passion and knowledge and skills I have gained. Only thing that I would ask of this course is having lecture at 10am on a Monday, to have been able to release the course notes on Friday evenings as I think the course delivery would have been even more enjoyable. This course, even if having been the best course of my entire time at university, could be even better! Hopefully next years cohort from week one appreciate the course, the Professor and prepare in advance to have amazing Monday morning lectures, the best way to start a week.”
Imagine a lecture on a Monday morning being the best way to start the week. I’ll take the feedback and improve the course for next year. Thankyou to this student for their kind words.
Genuinely, I’m delighted.