Elena Rodríguez Falcón Awarded the Princess Royal’s WISE Lifetime Achievement Award

We are proud to announce that Professor Elena Rodríguez Falcón, Study Group’s Provost and Chief Academic Officer has been awarded the Princess Royal’s WISE Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 WISE Awards ceremony on the evening of 20 February.

The WISE Awards celebrate outstanding women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) pioneers. They highlight all the hard work, determination and commitment of exceptional individuals and organisations to support women in the UK STEM fields and have a positive impact on gender balance.

The Princess Royal’s WISE Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious recognition and honours a woman who has made a significant and evident impact in STEM throughout her established career. It recognises her long-term success, influence and status as a role model for future generations.

Elena’s career of academic and professional excellence in STEM spans several decades, starting early in her life and taking a decisive turn when she first came to the UK 28 years ago to begin her international academic journey.

Since then, she has become a Professor of Engineering at Sheffield University, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the founding President and CEO of NMITE, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the Provost and Chief Academic Officer of International Education Provider Study Group.

Elena chairs the International Advisory Board at her alma mater, the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and has received many awards for her work on education innovation, as an advocate for women in STEM and as a proud LGBTQ+ leader in education.

Ian Crichton, Chief Executive Officer of Study Group congratulated Elena on the prestigious award; “Study Group would like to wholeheartedly congratulate Elena on this highly deserved award. Elena is unanimously regarded as an inspirational leader among colleagues and peers, tirelessly working to improve international students' access to world-class education and is worthy of the praise received.”

Elena Rodríguez Falcón, Study Group’s Provost and Chief Academic Officer said; “I’m sincerely honoured to have received this recognition. But no single success is ever achieved by oneself, so I dedicate this award to everyone who ever opened a door for me, and to all those women paving the path for change. The job is not done. So, we continue working and my commitment is to pay forward the support I have received through my career.”