In 2006, Revell Research Systems reached an important milestone, celebrating the twenty-first anniversary of its establishment. As the Company reflected upon more than two decades of business success and professional achievement, consideration was given to creating a lasting legacy that would recognise excellence and support educational attainment.
Alongside his work with the Company, Alastair Revell spent several years involved in higher education as a visiting lecturer. Drawing upon extensive commercial experience, he taught undergraduate-level subjects including systems analysis, systems design, computer programming, networking and database systems.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Alastair Revell served as an internal examiner for these programmes, which led to awards from the University of Plymouth. This role provided further opportunities to contribute to academic standards and to support students pursuing qualifications in information technology and related disciplines.
Over time, he wrote and maintained a substantial body of teaching material covering systems analysis, systems design, programming, networking and database systems. Taking account of revisions and updates made over the years, this body of work encompassed approximately twenty-one module specifications.
A particular area of specialism was Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM). Through both his professional consultancy work and his teaching activities, he promoted structured approaches to analysing business requirements and designing effective information systems. This involvement in higher education brought him into contact with many students beginning their careers in technology and reinforced the importance of recognising academic achievement, professional discipline and a commitment to high standards of work.
One of the programmes with which he was closely involved was the Foundation Degree in Internet Technology with Business, together with earlier precursor programmes. The programme combined technical and business disciplines, helping students develop practical skills relevant to modern information systems and commercial environments.
Establishing the Prize
As time progressed, it became apparent that the Foundation Degree in Internet Technology with Business would come to an end. This coincided with the conclusion of Alastair Revell's involvement in teaching and led to discussions about how the achievements of students in the programme's final year could be formally recognised.
At the same time, Revell Research Systems was celebrating its twenty-first anniversary. The convergence of these circumstances created an opportunity to establish an award that would both commemorate the Company's milestone and recognise the achievements of outstanding students.
The Revell Research Systems Prize was therefore established in 2006 by Alastair Revell. From the outset, the intention was not merely to celebrate academic success, but also to encourage talented graduates to realise their professional potential as they embarked upon careers within the computing and information technology profession. The Prize reflected values that had long been associated with both the Company and its founder, including excellence, professionalism, analytical thinking, technical competence and the successful application of technology to real-world challenges.
The inaugural award was presented in 2006 to Sara Sheridan, the highest-scoring final-year student on the Foundation Degree in Internet Technology with Business. As the Prize was awarded on the basis of academic performance rather than nomination or discretion, she automatically became its first recipient.
Sara's achievement reflected the qualities that the Prize was intended to recognise. Having previously completed a degree in Fine Art, she later returned to higher education to study computing and achieved the highest academic results within her cohort. Her success demonstrated that determination, adaptability and commitment could enable students from diverse backgrounds to excel within the technology profession.
Following graduation, Sara secured her first role within the technology sector with Sophos. Her successful transition from academic study into professional practice illustrated the close relationship between educational achievement and career opportunity that both the Foundation Degree in Internet Technology with Business and the Prize established alongside it were intended to encourage.
Sara Sheridan (inaugural recipient) with Alastair Revell (centre) and Dr Colin Williams (right), Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Plymouth in 2006.
Ensuring Continuity
The conclusion of the Foundation Degree created an immediate question regarding the future of the award. While the original intention had been to recognise achievement within that programme, there was a strong desire to ensure that the Prize continued beyond the programme's final year rather than concluding alongside it.
By 2007, Alastair Revell had established strong professional relationships with academic staff at the University of Plymouth through his longstanding involvement in higher education. When the Foundation Degree in Internet Technology with Business came to an end, these relationships helped create an opportunity for the Prize to continue in a new form rather than falling by the wayside.
It was subsequently agreed that the Prize should transfer to an appropriate Computing degree within the University. This ensured continuity while preserving the original purpose of recognising the highest-achieving student.
The Prize was consequently transferred to the BSc (Hons) Computing programme for the 2007 and 2008 academic years. This represented an important milestone in the development of the award, transforming it from an initiative associated with a particular programme into a broader and more enduring academic prize.
To support its continued administration, Dr Chris Sturley (who had been an important member of the Foundation Degree's Award and Exam Boards) suggested the method by which recipients should be determined. Known nostalgically as the Sturley Formula, it established that the Prize would be awarded to the final-year BSc (Hons) student achieving the highest Level 3 aggregate mark within the cognate area of Computing. This ensured that the award would remain firmly based upon measurable academic achievement and merit.
The first recipient under the revised arrangements was Darren Rees, who received the 2007 Revell Research Systems Prize as the highest-scoring final-year student on the BSc (Hons) Computing programme at the University of Plymouth. In addition to receiving the Prize, he was included on the University's Dean of Technology's List of Academic Excellence, which underlined the exceptionally high standards he had exhibited during his studies.
The successful transfer of the Prize demonstrated that its purpose extended beyond any single programme. What had begun as a means of recognising achievement among the final cohort of one degree programme had now become a continuing academic tradition.
The Evolution of the Award
The Prize continued to evolve alongside changes within computing education at the University of Plymouth. In 2009, its scope was widened to include the BSc (Hons) Computing group of related programmes, reflecting the increasing diversity of pathways available to students within the computing discipline.
Subsequent changes to the University of Plymouth's Computing provision further broadened the pool of eligible degree programmes from which recipients could emerge, while preserving the Prize's underlying purpose and method of award.
Recognising Excellence
Throughout these changes, the underlying philosophy of the Prize remained unchanged. Recipients were not selected by nomination, personal recommendation or committee judgement. Instead, each recipient earned the award through academic performance measured against clearly defined criteria.
This objective approach has contributed significantly to the Prize's reputation and integrity, making each award an unambiguous recognition of academic excellence.
The University of Plymouth has continued to support the award as a means of recognising exceptional academic achievement within Computing. The Prize also serves an important professional purpose by enabling the highest-performing student within a graduating cohort to stand out to prospective employers, which is particularly valuable.
Twenty-One Years of Achievement
Since its inauguration in 2006, the Prize has been awarded every year without interruption. Successive recipients have included students from a wide range of backgrounds, each of whom achieved the highest level of performance within their cohort and programme grouping.
The recipients form a distinguished body of Computing graduates whose academic achievements span more than two decades. Beginning with Sara Sheridan in 2006 and Darren Rees in 2007, the roll of honour has continued through Martin Peniak, Roy Tucker, David Woodfield, Ben de St Paer-Gotch, Sam Gunaratne, Richard Burton, Chris Casey, Dave Clark, Zak Cox, Elliot Blackburn, Ben Lancaster, James Prescott, Aidan Connelly, Eugenio Guarino, Shem Skillman, Michael Bruty, Taren Collyer, Matthew Lowsley and Alex Trzcinski-Draper, the twenty-first recipient in 2026.
Alex Trzcinski-Draper (21st recipient) with Alastair Revell (left) in 2026.
Collectively, these recipients represent successive generations of Computing students who achieved the highest standards of academic performance during their studies. While their backgrounds, interests and career paths differ, they share a common record of dedication, achievement and excellence.
The year 2026 represents a particularly significant milestone in the history of the award. Twenty-one years after its establishment to mark the twenty-first anniversary of Revell Research Systems, the Prize itself reached its twenty-first year and recognised its twenty-first recipient.
This symmetry provides a fitting reflection of the enduring relationship between the Company, the University of Plymouth and the students whose achievements the award celebrates. What began as a commemorative initiative has evolved into a long-standing tradition of academic recognition.
Over more than two decades, the Prize has acknowledged some of the University's most accomplished Computing graduates. It has also demonstrated the enduring value of recognising academic excellence as a foundation for future professional achievement.
Today, the Revell Research Systems Prize stands as a lasting example of the value of partnership between higher education and professional practice. Established through a combination of circumstance, opportunity and a commitment to recognising excellence, it continues to celebrate the highest standards of academic achievement while encouraging future generations of Computing graduates to make a meaningful contribution to the profession and to society.
