Alum of the Year 2024, Anniina Hakkarainen

The Steering Group for Alumni Activities of the University of Lapland has awarded Anniina Hakkarainen, a class teacher and a development teacher, the title of Alum of the Year.

Anniina Hakkarainen graduated as a class teacher from the Faculty of Education at the University of Lapland in 2008. After graduation, she has worked as a class teacher performing various duties around Finland from Ivalo to Espoo. She has also worked as a development teacher in mathematics. Since 2020, Hakkarainen has worked in Rovaniemi.

Hakkarainen is a specialist in schoolyard mathematics. She has designed teaching practices for functional teaching of mathematics especially through the Varga-Neményi method. She has also published related handbooks and teaching materials for teachers, and she is an active provider of further education to teachers.

Hakkarainen is described as a counterforce to communications technology-oriented teaching of mathematics, as she promotes the creation of math speech as part of functional and conceptual learning of mathematics. In 2018, the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation awarded her a prize for her outstanding contribution to the development of the teaching of mathematics.

Hakkarainen sets a positive example of development-oriented teachership in the employment sector. As an alum, Hakkarainen has facilitated cooperation between the University of Lapland and the employment sector by promoting the joy of learning, a positive nature relationship, and new pedagogical methods with specialists of the University of Lapland.


Alum of the Year Anniina Hakkarainen, Pia Satta and Kalle Lampela. Photo: Meri Väyrynen

Award for Teacher of the Year to Anssi Kärki

The Student Union of the University of Lapland selected Anssi Kärki as the Teacher of the Year, who works as a university lecturer at the Faculty of Law. LYY describes the recipient as follows:

Anssi Kärki is guiding and treats students justly and fairly. Kärki ensures that students have a genuine opportunity to influence the planning and teaching of the course. Additionally, Kärki possesses versatile teaching methods that take into account different learners. Kärki is also active in bringing good guidance practices to the attention of the community and other teaching staff.

Anssi Kärki is described among students as present, humane, and attentive to students' individual needs. He has a genuine desire to help every student understand the subject thoroughly. Kärki receives praise especially for his diverse teaching methods, interesting lectures, and written feedback.

Award for Student Group of the Year to the First Board of Diverssi ry

The first board of the Diverssi ry. Photo: Meri Väyrynen

The Student Union of the University of Lapland selected the first board of the Diverssi ry, special education student organization as the Student Group of the Year. LYY describes the recipient as follows:

Diverssi ry has shown expectional activity. The First Board has worked tirelessly to ensure student well-being. It has been a pleasure to follow their work, as the students appear as a cohesive group, receiving praise from both fellow students and university teachers.

The First Board of Diverssi ry has appeared as an active actor in various channels of influence. Among the students, there have been participants in the Council of Representatives elections, selection committees, and committees maintained by the Student Union.

Establishing a new subject association has required perseverance but also the ability to accept help from various actors. The students have excelled in their first year, which is already evident with the organizing of new events. The new subject association has done a tremendous amount of work for its small but active membership.

Dissertation award to Kristiina Koskinen

 Kristiina Koskinen. Kuva: Heidi Piiroinen

The doctoral dissertation Transparent concept of nature – ecocinematic perspectives on narration in wildlife documentaries by Kristiina Koskinen was awarded with the Dissertation Award. The jury decribes the dissertation as follows:

The dissertation of Kristiina Koskinen, is a scientifically ambitious and innovative presentation on a current subject. Koskinen has developed a new method for the research, particularly suitable for examining audiovisual narration. The material is approached by transforming a nature documentary into a hypothetical script retrospectively. The dissertation is smoothly written, providing the reader with an engaging reading experience. It has the potential for wide-reaching impact, appealing to diverse audiences.

Rector Antti Syväjärvi. Kuva: Meri Väyrynen

Rector’s award to Pia Satta

The rector's award is traditional at the University of Lapland. The idea of the award is to highlight work, an employee or a group that benefit our university in a valuable way. The awardee's actions affect in a positive way for the good of the University of Lapland. The Rector’s Award is 2000 euros, and this year the award is presented to Director of Human Resources Pia Satta. The rector of University of Lapland, Antti Syväjärvi, describes the recipient as follows:

Pia Satta’s contribution combines the development of the university's internal operations, but also work linked to wider, national operations. Satta is a brilliant expert of administrative matters and helps others to understand complex administrative processes. She has adopted amazingly fast the wide field of personnel management. Satta supports the employees, and it is very pleasant to work with them. Pia Satta can be considered a multi-tasker of administration, and nowadays, more precisely, personnel administration.

Award for Communication to Kalle Lampela

The award for Science/Art Communication was given to visual artist, university researcher Kalle Lampela from the Faculty of Art and Design.

With the award for Science/Art Communication, we want to highlight 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. The award is given for communicative activity which has promoted the understanding of research/art in society, has demonstrated an insightful attitude and courage, and/or has acted as an inspiring example in the university community. The awardee is chosen by the University of Lapland's communication experts based on the nominations given by the members of the university community.

Visual Artist, University Researcher Kalle Lampela participates in social debate concerning art and artistic research. He has promoted popularized art discussion and communication via his ‘Varo taidejargonia’ (‘Beware of art jargon’) Instagram account. The account has been prominent in the field of art and culture. Kalle Lampela has also highlighted the topic wider on media, for instance radio and columns, and the project has been discussed on television, in newspapers, and on social media, too.